Do I agree with the expert?
I agree with certain aspects of Karen Firestone’s opinion on the matter. I think she has given the right suggestion, to look for other job opportunities, because I think this would be the most realistic way for Elizabeth to extricate herself from the situation even if it might be somewhat painful. It might even open up better opportunities given Elizabeth’s background and high performance.
However, I disagree with Karen Firestone’s thoughts on anti-fraternization edicts. It’s very different for two entry-level employees to date each other versus a member of the C-suite and an employee below him in the org structure, even diagonally. I think the C-suite member has inherent power over the other employee (and it played it out in this situation), and since they are both senior the company would be very averse to fire either in cases of inappropriate behavior. In this sense, I agree more with Wendi Lazar’s thoughts.
If I was a manager, and found out about the situation, what would I do about this?
First, I would make sure that Elizabeth feels heard at work. Right now, it seems that she is struggling to find anyone “in her corner” in her workplace, so I would want her to know that there is someone there who wants to listen and help.
As a manager, I have a dual responsibility to both the employee and the business. I personally believe that the primary responsibility is to the business – that is what I have been hired to do, even if it is difficult – and as such my goal would be to help an employee achieve their professional potential. I think it is important to be transparent that this is my goal, and then work with the employee to determine two things:
- Assuming there is no big change in the external environment (co-workers, B & C, CEO etc.), is it possible for Elizabeth to achieve her professional potential at the company?
- If not, what needs to change in the external environment? Is this tenable?
These would inform the next steps, whether that is to advise Elizabeth to leave the company (preventing the damage caused by eventual loss of productivity), change her perspective to maintain high-performance or change the external environment to make it possible for her to maintain high-performance.
Some resources that I would try to make available are mental health help, direct communication with senior members of the company or the board (if she needs it) and formalized agreements between her and Brad.
