As a reputational tool, how a speak up matter is dealt with – and the processes including the training that are in place – is important. It can\u2019t be left to chance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
An attitude of not wanting to speak to a reporter or impacted customer because a signed contract implies (wrongly) that they are not paying the bills and therefore they do not warrant attention is appalling. Worse, not knowing that the business belonged to a membership organisation with the ability to mediate such concerns compounds the original issue. However unlikely this may sound, it happened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Along a similar scale, the morale of the employees – be they senior management or somewhere inbetween – is important if a speak up process is to be managed effectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As the impact of Covid bites and as companies and charitable organisations continue to review their operations \u2013 making employees redundant and cutting back on services as a matter of course \u2013 then assessing the fall out on employee morale should become risk management 101.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There can be no surprises to uncover that the employees who are retained as a restructure rolls out can become increasingly distressed and defensive when trying to achieve the same service delivery and quality under pressure \u2013 irrespective of changing demands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A subsequent discussion around misconduct that results in a tearful manager, reflective of the stress and strain they are under, is worrying. While a critical nationwide charity left to fend for itself, on a financial and resource platform, is something no one wants to experience, this alone can\u2019t be a reason for not reporting misconduct.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In both examples defensiveness whether rudely or sadly dished out still tasted cold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Training in speak up is one of those areas that can\u2019t be left to lapse without encountering consequences. It\u2019s no small stretch to suggest that training oversight allows the bedfellows of short cuts, black-and-white thinking and a culture of \u201cnot my problem\u201d to sleep easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Speak up processes warrant more respect than this. External reporting lines reinforce professionalism particularly when a business is under pressure and when employees are distracted. As a safety valve external reporting lines protect more than just a company\u2019s reputation they also protect the people – the managers and employees – that they serve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On a bad day, a really bad day, an employee can\u2019t be blamed for wanting to keep their head beneath the covers enabling a neutral party to receive the opening volley. This is good governance and as speak up good governance goes, it is really, really good.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" On a bad day, even a tap on the shoulder can seem like a kango hammer of criticism. That\u2019s the problem with internal speak up lines. Bad days happen and not everyone can handle, with reason and calm, feedback that includes allegations of misconduct or negligence. Internal speak up policies that direct concerns to disaffected […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2117,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[97,113],"class_list":["post-3325","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-whistle-blowing","tag-speak-up","tag-whistleblowing"],"blocksy_meta":{"styles_descriptor":{"styles":{"desktop":"","tablet":"","mobile":""},"google_fonts":[],"version":6}},"featured_image_urls_v2":{"full":["https:\/\/reportitnow-global.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/10\/jack-3-1.jpg",2560,1716,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/reportitnow-global.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/10\/jack-3-1-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/reportitnow-global.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/10\/jack-3-1-300x201.jpg",300,201,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/reportitnow-global.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/10\/jack-3-1-768x515.jpg",768,515,true],"large":["https:\/\/reportitnow-global.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/10\/jack-3-1-1024x686.jpg",1024,686,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/reportitnow-global.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/10\/jack-3-1-1536x1030.jpg",1536,1030,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/reportitnow-global.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/10\/jack-3-1-2048x1373.jpg",2048,1373,true]},"post_excerpt_stackable_v2":"![\"\"](\"https:\/\/reportitnow-global.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/jack-3-1024x686.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n