Who you are outside the office matters too
This lovely bit of news came across my Google Reader this morning (Hat Tip to the Friendly Atheist Blog) and dude, really?
Just watch the video:
What. The. Hell.
I would like to think that by this point I should not have to say the next line but: If you do something hateful or cruel and then have the arrogance to film it and post it online you deserve the backlash that is coming your way. Up to and including being fired from your job. Why? Because who you are outside the company matters too.
ESPECIALLY if you are the CFO of a company.
Look, I used to love Chick-fil-a. It used to be the best part of moving to the South. But as soon as I learned about their stance on Gay marriage I stopped giving them my business with no regrets. That is my right as much as it is their right to donate to conservative organizations. This how the economy works: Everyone decides how, where, and when to spend their money. Except for taxes, but you can never get away from that. Yay America!
But for a CFO of another company to go to a local Chick-fil-a franchise and verbally berate a regular employee for corporate policies is beyond inappropriate. There is a higher level of expectation around executives behaviors; they should be positive examples not only to their employees, but to everyone else as well. Besides, he should know better than anyone that your front line employees are not responsible for the policies corporate executives, like himself, make. He is a bully, he was wrong, and he not only made himself look bad, but his company as well. I believe Vante made the right decision when they fired him.
Yes, he was entitled to his opinion and yes, he was entitled to take a public stand for something that he believed strongly in. Just as Vante was entitled to terminate an employee who did not appropriately represent himself and the company in public. And yes, the internet is public (Gasp!). His termination had NOTHING to do with his opinion. It had EVERYTHING to do with how he expressed it.
In some ways social media and the internet have irrevocably changed the game of work/life balance. There is no separation anymore. There is no escape from the public eye and the scrutiny it brings down, not only on you but everything you are associated with.
So don’t be a hateful jerk, in or outside of work. Because there are consequences to both.
August 3rd, 2012 saat: 1:40 pm
That guy was a total jerk! How could he not see the irony of the situation…just because you are “right” does not mean that you can beat someone over the head with it, place your genitalia on their forehead, and then broadcast video of it to the world….it doesn’t matter if you’re the Chief Officer of chicken frying, the Chief Officer of medical devices, or just an Internet Troll..being a jerk, just makes you wrong.
August 17th, 2012 saat: 1:12 pm
How you present yourself, whether it’s inside or outside of work, reflects on your company. Bullying a girl who is simply trying to do her job is no way to act, and most companies would not deal with this incident lightly. Everyone is entitled to their own views, but they should also be careful and respectful when presenting them.