Managing unusual intrigues in running a business

Tony, a business owner has been facing, not the usual problems of marketing his products, but HR-related intrigues. The family of his former operations manager, who is the chief suspect in the robbery of N3.2 million worth of his company goods, are attempting to use cheap blackmail to get him to drop the case against him.

Tony and Kale, his childhood friend are shocked to their teeth that the seemingly distressed wife of the operations manager had videoed a moment she was alone with him as evidence against him. But Shina, Tony’s mentor, a successful industrialist/business tycoon with over 20 years experience is not surprised at all. Shina has however cautioned Tony to avoid such future occurrence by taking precautionary measures.

Tony had a very fruitful discussion with Shina, his mentor after they left the police station. Acting on Shina’s advice, Tony has resisted the urge to contact the former operations manager or his wife. Tony actually has been feeling like phoning them and reprimanding them for attempting to defame his character. Rather, with Shina’s advice Tony phoned the police and gave the go-ahead to charge his former operations manager to court for the robbery case. He knew what would shock the operations manager and his wife even more were the charges he had made against the wife charging her for complicity in the major robbery case, her defamation of his character and attempted blackmail.

Tony gets to his office. The six staff involved in the ‘smaller robberies’ which they called profit-sharing are clearly apprehensive as to what their CEO would do. ‘Would they also be charged to court?’ They have been wondering.

A few days later, Tony deliberately ensures his office door is opened all day. No closing of doors that would allow anyone, whether male or female to play any hanky-panky, he tells himself. He summons the six employees involved. They are somewhat apprehensive when they see the young man sitting close to the door of Tony’s office. Tony has asked Kale to arrange security personnel to act as his aide during the period he would be tackling the HR-related problems.

The aide has brought in three chairs in addition to the four already in the CEO’s office. The six employees are the production manager, the collation supervisor, and his two assistants, the HR manager, who is the only female among them, and the Day-shift security boy. “Sit down, gentlemen and lady. They are clearly surprised. “By the way, the young man is Akpan, he is joining the company as my aide.”

They sit down, darting covert glances at Tony. The three senior employees – the production manager, collation supervisor and Mrs. Duduyemi, the HR manager have guessed rightly that the young man is not just an ordinarily aide but a security guy, judging by all that had transpired in recent times at their office.

They suspect he would be firing them all while sitting down and the young man outside is to keep anyone who gets wild with the CEO in check.

“I want us all to restart our working relationship on a fresh note,” says Tony.

“Eh? Uuuh? Oh? Really?” come their surprised responses.

Tony is acting on Shina’s advice. They have agreed that except it is proven that any of the six employees, involved in the small thefts under the guise of profit-sharing, is also involved in the robbery of N3.2 million worth of goods, they would be given a chance. Shina had told Tony, “You have to establish clear and logical rules that would help you minimise disciplinary confrontations with your employees. I have discovered over the years that the manner in which rules are established and enforced in an organization makes the difference between a smooth-running operation and a company be-devilled with such employee related problems as yours has had.”

Then Shina added, “First, any rules established by the company should be clearly spelt-out and reasonable, and workers should be consulted before the rules are adopted. The rules and the consequences for breaking them should be clear and well-understood by all workers. They should be enforced without partiality and all employees must understand the punitive actions beforehand. Your company does not have pre-established rules for taking out factory rejects without authorisation, so devising punishment for such actions now would seem unfair.”

“Does that mean you have forgiven us?” Akume, the collation supervisor asks, interrupting Tony’s thoughts.

“I want us to establish clear-cut rules and together determine the disciplinary actions that would be taken if anyone of us break the rules.”

“Us?” asks Mrs Duduyemi, “Does that include you.” Her voice trails off as she says the last word. “I mean, all of us?”

“Yes,” says Tony, “from now, I’ll double as the operations manager.” They are quiet, not knowing what that would mean for them.

“So, we are going to have a meeting of all staff.” As Tony speaks, he puts his phone’s ringing volume from silent to loud. He knows the formal operations manager and/or his wife have been trying to reach him on phone. He continues discussing the modalities of the meeting he would be having with them and the remaining member of staff. Sure enough, his phone rings. He has also put it on speaker and plans to change it to normal volume if it is not the formal operations manager or his wife.

“Hello,” says Tony.

“How dare you?” comes the voice of the former operations manager.

“Can you be more explicit?” Tony says calmly.

“How dare you mess around with my wife and then sue her for defaming your character?”

The six employees are wide-eyed as they hear that. Mrs Duduyemi covers her mouth to refrain from exclaiming.

Tony is still very calm as he says, “The first time I ever had any one-on-one discussion with your wife was when she came to my office to plead for me to drop charges against you for robbing my company dry.”

“You have been messing around with my wife and that is the reason you have roped me into a robbery I know nothing about!”

“So who is behind the theft of the N3.2 million worth of goods from my company premises over three months ago?”

“Ask those thieves!”

“Who?” asks Tony.

“Your production manager and collation supervisor, they are the thieves!”

Akume can no longer restrain himself. He leans over Tony’s desk and shouts. “How dare you, you robber!” Tony tries not to smile, things are working out as planned.