They are called the Romance Countries for a reason
By Steve | September 14, 2007
Last week I had the difficult task of conducting leadership training in Milan and Paris. Forget Springtime in Paris, Autumn is the time of year to visit. Blue skies, temperatures in the low 70s, a crispness in the air . . .but I digress.
In Milan and Paris, and earlier this year in Barcelona and Lisbon, I asked a number of mid to senior level leaders how they would respond if they learned that one of their direct reports was having an affair with one of his/her direct reports.
I’ve asked this question the same way all over the world. Not in private conversations—the leaders needed to give an impromptu answer in front of a group of their colleagues. Do you care to predict how leaders in the aptly named Romance Countries responded?
To hold the suspense a little while longer, let’s review the standard American response. Most Americans say that this situation is unacceptable. Many offer an argument that it could lead to issues of sexual harassment. While few use the magic words “hostile work environment,” there are clear echoes in the answers. Others talk about conflict of interest, and note that when a manager is having an affair with a subordinate it is pretty hard to make objective decisions about that subordinate. Some people even mention both harassment and conflict of interest in one answer, earning bonus brownie points.
In the Romance Countries, the first reaction is mild discomfort at being asked the question—moreso from men than from women. After a few seconds of reflection, men and women alike universally give the same answer: “This is a private matter that is none of my business.”
The “hostile work environment” concept not being firmly entrenched here, (and with harassment the explicit subject of another case) I push forward on the other front. “It is now one month later, and an employee comes to you with a problem. ‘I am no longer getting good work assignments,’ she says, ‘my coworker gets them all, and I think it is because she is having an affair with our manager.’”
We can see the lightbulbs going off. But even then, many leaders resist major interference. “I would counsel the manager to be more careful,” says one. “I would start reviewing all major personnel decisions,” says another.” Yet most leaders at this point realize that the situation is untenable, and adjustments to the reporting assignment must be made.
Of all the subject areas of ethics and compliance, conflicts of interest and relationships between the sexes continue to provoke the most divergent responses worldwide. Years of policies, training and media attention have diminished the divergence—a little. But, not surprisingly, the culture of your country still makes “tout le difference.”