Can What Someone Does Off-hours Affect Your Business?

Q: How much do I have to worry about what people who are part of my far-flung "virtual" corporation do when they're not working directly for me? I can't share too many details because the situation is touchy, as you might expect, but basically I have someone working for me as a writer, contributing material for my blog, and I have been hearing that he's writing some pretty far out, offensive material on other sites. Do I need to worry about it?

A: This is a difficult situation, no question, and one that comes up more and more as we've moved away from employee-as-chattel-for-life and towards plug-and- play cogs in all the machines of the modern economy. I wrestle with this myself too - every time I add a short note on this site saying "thanks to Kevin" or "Leo" or whomever, do I need to worry about their other work?

My short answer: yes.

Here's the longer explanation: When you hire people to join an organization, you are getting "the full package", not just their output. If you hire a receptionist who molests children at night, you've got a child molester on staff, not just a receptionist.

When you have someone working for you, someone whose name is know by the rest of the community, by your customers, then you need to know more about them than just "do they turn in their projects on time?"

A more realistic example: the man you've hired to write some of your content might well be a rabid poster to a hate 'zine, or write articles for a racist, sexist, bigoted or other non-mainstream publication, something that is not only against your company policy, but perhaps against your personal beliefs too.

The question you need to ask yourself is: what would happen to my company's reputation if a customer put two and two together? And what if they then posted it, blogged about it, or even sent it as a tip to one of your industry publications of record?

This isn't about numbers, or spreadsheets either, it's about the credibility and, ultimately, viability of your business.

A book publisher who releases screeds and hate materials is forevermore tainted by them and inevitably loses credibility in the industry. A consultant who has an axe to grind is eventually out of work as potential clients learn of her biases and inability to be objective. A writer who can't differentiate between professional work and personal writing similarly has their integrity called into question ? and reasonably so ? as it seems like might well be happening with your situation.

Remember, too, that if your customers are starting to talk about the other interests of your team, then you must listen and respond. If you don't, then you have a huge problem, because a Web site, blog, or even print publication that doesn't listen to its community is an organization that is doomed to remain irrelevant and, ultimately fail in the marketplace of ideas. In this day and age there are tons of other places people can get their news and information, and there are certainly other venues for companies to advertise their products too.

I hope that helps clarify what I believe is the core issue surrounding whether you need to pay attention to what your team does when they're not working for you. It's frustrating, and it's something that should be irrelevant if everyone is acting in a completely professional manner, but it's proactive damage control. Because if something does break, something that makes your company -- and you -- look really bad, then it might be a lot more difficult to extricate yourself without looking terrible.

And that's a sobering reality.

Entrepreneur, writer, and management consultant Dave Taylor answers your thorniest questions, both business and technical, at the popular http://www.askdavetaylor.com/ - Ask Dave Taylor Web site. Don't forget to inquire how you can syndicate his content - for free - on your own site too.

---

Competencies for HR Professionals in Knowledge-based Industry with Reference to IT, ITES-BPOs

Introduction"High performing HR function affects bottom line nearly 10%"- A... Read More

Six Sigma Training 101 ? Better Management Basics

What is Six Sigma?Six Sigma is a quality management program... Read More

Future Business Success - What Does Good Look Like?

When you know you need to shift up a gear,... Read More

Close the Performance Gap

One of the most difficult and emotionally draining situations you... Read More

Tales from the Corporate Frontlines: Training is in the Eye of the Beholder

This article relates to the Training competency, commonly evaluated in... Read More

Seeking Help

Where does the time go? Billable time. As a consultant,... Read More

Think Before You Talk

What you say to other people can make or break... Read More

How to Get Your Procedures Project Done

Wouldn't it be nice for business owners and executives to... Read More

Issue Management Methodology for Tracking Project Issues

1. What is an Issue?An issue is an incident, circumstance,... Read More

Tales from the Corporate Frontlines: The Best Incentives are Free

This article relates to the Recognition competency, commonly evaluated in... Read More

Drafting an Employee Manual Sample Outline

One of the hardest things I had discovered running my... Read More

Innovation Management ? the power of decision makers

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More

Use Noncompete Agreements To Protect Your Business

Q: One of my former employees has launched an online... Read More

Stop Going to Meetings - 10 Questions to Ask Before Attending a Meeting - Get More Productive

We get invited to attend so many "meetings" but do... Read More

Leadership Skills

Recent studies have shown that industrial supervisors are working at... Read More

Influencing Change - A Guide for Sellers, Coaches, and Supervisors

When people or groups make a decision to purchase something,... Read More

Personnel Access Poses a Continued Risk

The Security Consultant's Perspective...Implementing Personnel Security Initiatives should be the... Read More

Take the Easy Route - Delegate

It was 2.30 am. It was cold and dark and... Read More

Firing Someone Without Resentment

Firing, sacking, letting go or terminating people is unpleasant. There... Read More

Uncovering the Secrets to Effective Performance Management

In many ways there are no secrets to implementing effective... Read More

How Managers Can Turn Failures Into Successes

Although there are real, external reasons for managerial difficulty ?... Read More

Planning For Growth

Are you planning your business or are you... Read More

Give Yourself a Boss Day Gift, Part 2: Are You the Position or the Person?

Are you the position or the person?Bosses can lose their... Read More

Lone Rangers Suffer without Tonto

A lone ranger is someone who prefers working in solitude... Read More

What Every Manager Should Know About How to Overcome Boredom

Do you find yourself easily becoming bored or tired at... Read More

Credibility - A Golden Key to Becoming More Influential

You have been named a new leader in your organization,... Read More

Crisis Management Tips

The term crisis management has different connotations. In this article,... Read More

Steps in Using the Critical Incident Technique

STEPS IN USING THE CRITICAL INCIDENT TECHNIQUE:1) The incident. Read,... Read More

The Significance of the Mundane

This article begins with a tip of the hat to... Read More

Communication, Feedback, and Participation: Three Easy Tidbits For Smarter Business

On communication: One of the biggest strains on the communication... Read More

Why Free Agent Thinking Is Good For Your Company

It's no secret! Day after day the news is riddled... Read More

Employee Discipline: How to Nip Problems in the Bud

Are you uncomfortable with delivering disciplinary action, even involving employees... Read More

Why Half of All Mergers Fail After the Honeymoon Ends

Marriages and corporate mergers in America have at least one... Read More