Professional Distance Is A Protection

Jonathan Broyhill allegedly stabbed Jamie Kirk Hahn during a routine Monday dinner with her and husband, Nation. Broyhill’s motives have not yet been revealed.

Per Inside Edition this morning there is still no answer regarding why this happened...All reports state that the three were good friends and spent a lot of time together...Well, for me that is red flag one. Why is a single man hanging out with a couple?

Now there are TV shows where there are several single people hanging out in a group that includes one couple. These shows are normally situation comedies.  Have there been other stories personal, or televised where this has worked.

Cut to family situations; do spare wheels fair well hanging around a couple?  Not that I know of...Does this ever work out?  If yes, why would you?

Points of View:

If I am the third wheel, what is up with me that I want to be around my coupled up friends?

If I am the lady in this threesome, wouldn't I want more time alone with my lover?  Wouldn't I run off the spare?

If I am the man in the situation, would I be okay with our other single friend ALWAYS hanging with us?  What about all of our other friends?


A Thought

The only way special dispensation would be leveled at this one is if I thought the spare was "special", slow, mentally impaired...yet to me, this is even more reason to not have him as a friend.

Moving On

Now Jamie Kirk Hahn is dead and Jonathan Broyhill is up for murder.  There is nothing that can bring Jamie Kirk back to life.  There is no do over with this one.  To complicate the matter even more is she was the owner of Sky Blue Strategies and Broyhill was her employee...This is unbelievable to me.  Is this ethical?

I was trained from an early age that this is not ethical.

Rules I was given included:

1. You keep a professional distance with colleagues and managers
1. It protects you from confidentiality issues.
2. You prevent becoming too familiar which breeds contempt.
3. You don't expose any flaw that may be used against you at a later time.
2. Inappropriate conduct inter-personally means that there is some impropriety happening in the business.
1. In business, credibility drives sales among professionals.
2. If a customer does not mind that your Executive Assistant wears flip flops in the workplace - you don't want this customer.

So many Directors and Managers treat the company as their own personal playground which is inappropriate and unprofessional which creates a hostile work environment.  Lack of professionalism impacts employee health and the company's bottom line.  Professionalism drives revenue streams. The more professional the more revenue is generated.

Had Jaime and her husband distanced themselves from Jonathan Broyhill as he was an employee, she just might be alive today...it is something to consider.

Personally, bosses who try to befriend me creep me out. Mail room guys who are too chatty are not trustworthy to me.  In the same vein, bosses who don't care what is happening in the office, don't have staff meetings, don't want to discuss professional goals and the mission of the company tells me that there is a problem within the group.

Auditors know what is the best scenario for success in business and unethical conduct inter-personally is a guarantee that there are some budget and contractual issues within a company.

Examples:

1. During the Enron melt down there was unethical conduct going on.  
2. One sign as noted before was unprofessional dress codes by top administrative staff as well as Partners who were often missing in action at meetings. 
3. There were expense reports that were turned in fraudulently.  
4. Calls were coming in from conferences where Partners were supposed to attend and they did not show up.  
5. Top managers taking camping trips with each other including family every month.

Now, in today's office there is a lot of nepotism, sexual escapades, friendships, improper conduct of every kind. Morale at the office is very low and I suppose it is fine for those who just want their paycheck  they are just bleeding out the company...working vampires draining the company.  If I was the owner, I would want to reverse this by re-evaluating relationships within the department. Nonprofessional conduct lends to reduction in revenue and poor customer retention.  Furthermore, star employees will not remain in this type of an environment...stars will go to work in a better environment.  

Friendships between managers and employees is a sure sign of unethical conduct and per Jaime can get you killed.  Just don't do it.

“Just as character matters in people, it matters in organizations,” says Justin Schultz, a corporate psychologist in Denver.

Values matter: Ignoring trouble spots or blaming underlings is unacceptable.The key to creating a just and ethical corporate culture is to breed fair and lasting business principles. Indeed, companies will be measured by the traditions they build and the way in which they manage their relationships with shareholders, communities and employees."

Dirty

I wanted to work at your company
But the department was hostile
Abuse of every kind, cursing and
mismanagement of time
This department was dirty 
But what could I do?
I planned my exit in a hurry
This, I won't go through

Work is not about a check 
This much is true
It's about pride and service
Sharing the gift in you
Work is not where you go
To be mistreated, abused and used

If you are working somewhere that's dirty
Get another job quickly - Hurry!!

Twitter: @mscoletha 

Resource:
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/wedding-couple-best-man-stabs-leaving-wife-dead-article-1.1327831 Written by sgoldstein@nydailynews.com

http://www.bradaronson.com/friends-with-employees/

http://www.forbes.com/sites/kensilverstein/2013/05/14/enron-ethics-and-todays-corporate-values/2/