As a human resources pro, I never paid much attention to anonymous letters/comments. If you can’t put your name on something…well, how am I supposed to take it seriously? The same goes for managers who make declarations and won’t site sources. For example, “we’ve heard from some people that we need to move the location of the holiday party.”
Well, who are these “people”?
And, how many is “some”?
Not to mention, “why do we need to move the location”?
If people are unwilling to provide specifics, well that’s just being sneaky evasive. To me, it immediately sends up red flags of hidden agendas, political posturing and propaganda. You don’t want to be one of those people.
Part of being transparent is being open about sources of information. This is all part of the trust building process. If you use the example above, it’s better to say, “I’d like to share the person’s name but they’ve asked me to keep it confidential for now. Let me go back to them and convey your concerns” – versus responses cloaked in secrecy.
The reason I’m bringing this up is because, as the economy rebounds, it might be tempting to listen to comments like:
“Everyone says working here stinks.”
“A lot of people are going to leave if we don’t do something about that manager.”
While these comments could be true, take a moment to ask the questions. Get more detail and specifics. It builds open honesty in your department and will help you make better decisions.
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TheHRD says
Totally agree. There seem to be two themes here. One is about anonymity, whilst I would never take anonymous comments seriously, I would take the fact that the person feels the need to remain anonymous seriously. Either they feel scared or they are trying to cause trouble. Neither of which is desirable.
The second point is all about the questions and you see this time and time again in coaching conversations. I also see this with children, “Everybody hates me” to which the reply, “who is everybody?” normally leads you to Smelly Simon or Nitty Nora….and certainly not “everybody”.
Cori Curtis says
We have an internal discussion board where employees can leave product ideas, process suggestions or offer tips for culture improvements. Every post or comment displays the employees’ name. It seems like every few months we have a discussion on the forum about allowing employees to post anonymously to encourage more open communication. The team that manages the forum always counters that if an employee isn’t willing to put his/her name to an idea, it probably shouldn’t be posted. Yet it doesn’t cease to amaze me how this request is cyclical and comes up again and again!
Thanks for putting the HR strategy behind this concept – building trust and transparency – into words for me. The next time this issue surfaces, I’m going to refer to share your thoughts with our staff!
hr bartender says
@theHRD – Thanks for commenting! I think we all realize some people use anonymous groups as a way to drum up support for their ideas. Instead of just saying “I think…” or “Mary and I think…”, they say “A whole bunch of us think…” when a whole bunch of people doesn’t really exist.
@Cori – I’ve seen those cyclical comments too. It ties back to the comment made by @theHRD – if the request needs to be anonymous to ensure more open communication, maybe there’s a different question that should be asked. Thanks for adding to the conversation.
Lisa Pinkard says
I say put your big girl panties on and step up to the plate. If you are bold enough to a voice a strong opinion about something (positive or negative), then you need to own it and stand behind it. If you can build a company culture that embraces this philosophy, you are one step ahead of the game.
hr bartender says
@Lisa – I couldn’t have said it better. Thanks for joining the conversation!
Roberta Hill says
Couldn’t agree more. Covert behaviour makes me crazy as it fosters mistrust and conflict. I get even more annoyed at the not so antonymous but “hit and run” comments after a project, training or program when someone comes up to you to give you feedback . . . “You know if you had . . .” Too little too late; even though you gave every opportunity to provide input along the way. I ALWAYS remember what Charlie and Eddie Seashore have to say on the subject. Feedback says more about the giver than the receiver.
That said, I was also feeling something else as I read your post. Turns out that David (TheHRD) above captured it completely. What is it about the situation that makes it not OK for someone to come forth and be transparent? Is it fear? Is it bad habits? Is it a need to protect something? Passive aggressive behaviour is one way that some people respond but what is the underlying issue?
All of this is nice rhetoric but it won’t change anything less I do something to change the situation. How can I create enough safety so shifts can begin? How can I begin to help others to claim their own voice. How can I assist others to say the “I” word out loud with a sense of integrity?
hr bartender says
Thanks for commenting Roberta. You raise an excellent question. My initial thought is that we (meaning society) encourage this type of behavior. Education doesn’t support individual thinking. And, corporations don’t reward independent thought.
When people and organizations learn to embrace both individuality and teamwork at the appropriate moments, I think the fear of standing alone will subside.
Mike says
I completely agree with what you’ve written. And what The HRD said really hit home for me. People often come to HR and make vague generalizations and expect things to change. But when I ask a lot of questions in response to get to the bottom of things, they’re really just upset about one specific detail or person. And it seems like once they start getting into the details, they actually feel a lot better – they need to get over that initial anger that made them feel like the world was caving in and get a reality check that it wasn’t as dramatic as they thought.
Great entry, Sharlyn!
"Anonymous" says
Until effective whistleblower protection is implemented in every organization, anonymous comments serve an essential role in allowing employees to voice their opinion with the fear of reprisal.
Lance Haun says
I don’t know if I agree. I mean, I generally agree with what you’re saying for most instances. Like, if someone doesn’t like working late on Fridays, they should man or woman up and say what’s up. I do agree that managers use supposedly anonymous comments to push their own agendas and create false support for ideas.
That being said, some of the most critical business issues I have faced have required some form of anonymity. Third party reporting of sexual harassment or financial fraud come to the top of the mind. People hate anonymous sources in media reporting but they have been one of the more critical factors of exposing truth. When power structures so unabashedly favor one party in a relationship, anonymity is one of the few effective tools to combat abuse of that relationship.
hr bartender says
@Mike – good point. If you can get past the frustration/anger/confusion/whatever, you can usually get to the issue and hopefully bring it to resolution. Thanks for contributing!
@Anonymous – thanks for commenting. I agree that in certain situations whistleblower protection may be necessary. But as a starting point, employees need to feel they can take everyday concerns to their manager or HR without fear of retaliation. And they shouldn’t have to turn their individual concerns into a group opinion just to be heard.
@Lance – thanks for weighing in. I agree that there is a sensitivity to harassment claims and fraud investigations that might involve some initial anonymity. But at some point, people have to be willing to attach their name to what they’ve seen/heard.
I think on some level we’re all coming back to the same thing. Trust in working relationships. If people trust, they aren’t afraid of reprisal. They’re comfortable speaking with you. They know the situation will be handled appropriately. And, they understand their identity will be used at the right time in the right manner.
Jane says
I agree with you regarding the need for transparency, etc. I hate to be a cynic, but I have seen too many organizations that do not properly train their managers and supervisors. In one organization in particular, when one employee has an opinion or says something not all together positive, the supervisor (who is actually a VP) retaliates. Employees know this and either will not say anything or only submit feedback anonymously for fear of either losing their jobs or being treated poorly for at least a year.
hr bartender says
Thanks for chiming in Jane! I agree that the threat of retaliation is an issue. For me – it’s the number one way you can get in the “HR Doghouse” – retaliate against an employee for speaking to HR. And you’re 100% correct that, most of the time, it’s a management training issue. True leaders encourage feedback. Awesome comment!