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Permalink Reply by Prabhat Sinha on September 19, 2011 at 10:56am

I would share with the CFO's wife in confidence that I wasn't clueless about that -

 

"I knew that and was looking for an idea that would resolve the problem without bringing any name to shame. It is far more complicated than you think, yet I am also aware that Mr CFO on his own is making his best to come out of this.

 

You know how it is - once you take the wrong path, it is not easy to come out, such are human failings. But a conscientious man knows that he must come out quicker than sink. I do not know how you feel, but I am certain that Mr CFO is a conscientious man, else he would not have been with a person such as me for so many years. I believe in being considerate with one's closer ones particularly during the times of their failings than otherwise.

 

I also know that he has deep love for you and your unquestionable trust and faith in him shakes his conscience and soul more often than it shows.

 

On the lighter side, let me assure you that he sits with me from 8 in the morning until close to midnight as you know how committed he is to his job. All of last month there has not been a moment for him to engage in another thought and this would carry on until a week after the IPO gets over.

 

If I may have your confidence, and I know I can trust you on that from whatever I have known from Mr CFO about you as a person with a high sense of integrity.

 

I have already taken a decision to shift my strategic Finance team to Delhi and give Mr CFO added portfolio of managing the relationship with the Ministry of Finance in an elevated designation that I cannot disclose just yet. In fact, I am also aware that it is difficult to get the role of Principal in an established school in Delhi and the resettlement process from a more cosmopolitan environment of Mumbai. It is coincidental indeed that there is someone who is in a position to get an extremely attractive opportunity in Delhi. It is the IPO that holds me now from taking a course.

 

Ms Analyst has a very strong reference and that makes the challenge bigger for me. She is not particularly outstanding at her job but her behaviour with men upsets me a great deal. I would keep her here in a role that does not in anyway engage with Mr CFO, yet I know how I would resolve that.

 

A CEO's role is such that we cannot react to circumstances because every decision of mine would have an impact on the company, its people and the future prospects of all. You may call that regimented, but experience trains us to see the best for all in a situation, than get crammed by the situation or the role play of people. At the end of the day we live to make our lives richer, undeterred by the challenges of life's circumstances, and unperturbed by the roles of people in setting the challenge. I believe in that strongly, both in my personal and public life. At the end of the day, I must live well to make a value to another.

 

Thanks very much for your patient hearing. CEOs make a habit of elaborating conversations. I wish you well and have faith in God that all will fall into place sooner. I can understand your concern and anxiousness but I would request you to be on the path of solution than the problem.

 

 

 

So kindly permit me the time until a fortnight, and bear with me in patience.

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Permalink Reply by Varun Wahi on December 11, 2010 at 4:06pm

Uhmmm...why do I have to listen to the CFO's wife. How does her saying anything matter to me???

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Permalink Reply by Aalok Pandey on December 11, 2010 at 5:09pm

This case is business@cost_of_ethics.

Both needs to be fired, sooner or later. How!.

Step 1: Call the 'Mrs' Analyst tomo. and ask her to take a yr long sabbatical/on-site assgnmt from today, preferably, coz you dont want to loose her, and keeping her in the radar of the company.
Step 2: Call Mr CFO and explain him the dilemma of running an organisation with either ethics or business, not mentioning this case. If he chooses, ethics, give him a time of a year of so, to improve upon, and work on some assignments in improving organisational values and ethics, else he can take a strategic exit after a year. He being a co-founder, he deserves being given the right.
If he chooses business, then surely he isn't the right partner for you. It was your mistake that you failed to understand him. Give him a clear answer, that you cant take him along for the time to come. Again give him a chance to respond. If he is ok, with immoral behavior at workplace, ask him to leave post IPO.

Step 1 may seem impractical, given the time frame. but surely,if thought through, can work without backfiring.
Step 2 is a hi-risk call, given the co-founder may rebuff and walk-away. But the risk is worth taking, given the rewards.

Eventually, in step 1, you could direct, and in step 2, you could discuss. Once settled, raise a policy of ethical standards at workplace, and make the two head that function, and have a watchdog,independently monitoring the situation. In a years time, when you are settled with the business and the ethics, ask either or both, depending on the outcome, to leave. Make it a lesson for the organisation, so the nezt time, you dont need to have a policy in the first place.
These ideas may have loopholes,but is just one of the ways of tactically dealing with a dilemma like this.
And yes call the Mrs CFO next day and tell her that Ms Analyst would not be available in the org. for a year. :)

Hope this throws some light. :P
Best
Aalok Pandey
APD Innovation Ventures
makers of 'self-cleaning toilet apparatus.'

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Permalink Reply by abubucker.athick on December 11, 2010 at 5:31pm

Flirt is a better word to 'skirt chaser'.

 

Is this unethical as per the organizational code of conduct ? If not, then ceo doesn't have anything to do and shouldn't do anything.If he does he violates the terms of contract of employment.I hope they are not flirting around in the office.

 

If it is indeed unethical, then this is a HR case.CEO should go with HR recommendation that aligns with the expected behavior from every employee.Due process (warnings,notice,termination) should be handled.

 

It is unethical but there is no codification of conduct, then steps needed to be taken to codify it.

 

If i read this case carefully, i understands that the ceo has been tolerating this behavior.He will have no face to challenge the cfo at this critical moment. First fire the ceo for not defining a proper code of conduct for the organization.

 

 

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Permalink Reply by Omkar Sapre on December 11, 2010 at 5:31pm

I am the CEO of this company, and not the grandpa of the Mr CFO or Ms Analyst's family. I see no reason why I should bother about it.
Mrs CFO shouldn't be calling me up for what I see is her family matter. I would tell her to speak to her husband and mend his ways in her own style. Relocation can not be the answer as Mr CFO can find ladies anywhere Mrs CFO takes him. So there is no logic for her asking me to sack him. 
As long as Ms Analyst is good at her job and doing justice to the company, I see no reason why I should be bothered about her affair.
Whether Mr CFO and Ms Analyst should be in an affair or not, is a morality related questions and that is very subjective. I don't believe in loading my subjectives on to other people.
However, the company is going public, so we need to keep up a clean public image. Clean is also subjective, but what I connote here is to have an image where people will talk of how we do business and not what we do in personal lives. 
So I will call both Mr CFO and Ms Analyst and tell them that their affair or whatever is being talked about in the market. This is your personal matter and I would have no objections as long as you keep it personal. You have to make sure that your relation does not affect your work, and that is not talked about in the office. This will come with a stern warning that if the company gets a bad name because of you, both would have to leave the company. Remember The Social Network.
I will tell Mr CFO that he should make no commitments or promises to Ms Analyst about promotions, raises and stuff on behalf of the company. Secondly, I will also warn him about the anti sexual harrassment policies of the company, and tell him that he will face action It may also include termination, if any lady complains against him and the concerned department finds him to be guilty.
Having done that I will concentrate on my investor meetings and making sure the company has a great listing.

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Permalink Reply by Aditya Singh on December 11, 2010 at 5:46pm

Simple solution -

 

1. Call the CFO's Wife and brainwash her. Give her the lawyer's number. 

2. Tell the CFO that you are so happy with him. Then get him hooked with a a hot-shot model or actress and sponsor their trip to bangkok for a few weeks.

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Permalink Reply by Bobby on December 11, 2010 at 6:15pm

For long term solution & before IPO (no matter wat d cost)-Sack both of them on the issue of probity  . Mrs CFO calling CEO is a good sign to do the above.

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Permalink Reply by Munish Goyal on December 11, 2010 at 6:29pm

I would try to coax Mrs CFO to wait for 2 weeks till i look into the issue and straighten the things.

 

Next will try to talk hard to CFO to mend himself.

 

Finally, it is 2 consenting adults, so there is no question of harassment or company's action in purview. So there is no detriment to existing women employees and future hiring (CFO is no sexual predator :) )

 

But to save my business, if nothing works, will politely ask Ms. Analyst to leave. No questions answered ! 

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Permalink Reply by Aalok Pandey on December 11, 2010 at 6:43pm

Omkar, the CFO is almost the co-founder. Arrogant thoughts, dont make long-term results. Had the story been in some other org., the CEO could have given this gyan. IF today, this has happened, then simply, its not a place for good people to join and work. And the CEO cant take a stance, rather, he should be thankful to Mrs CFO about the knowledge given, and take immediate action, without any delay. Rest the systems and procedures will take their course.

Omkar Sapre said:

I am the CEO of this company, and not the grandpa of the Mr CFO or Ms Analyst's family. I see no reason why I should bother about it.
Mrs CFO shouldn't be calling me up for what I see is her family matter. I would tell her to speak to her husband and mend his ways in her own style. Relocation can not be the answer as Mr CFO can find ladies anywhere Mrs CFO takes him. So there is no logic for her asking me to sack him. 
As long as Ms Analyst is good at her job and doing justice to the company, I see no reason why I should be bothered about her affair.
Whether Mr CFO and Ms Analyst should be in an affair or not, is a morality related questions and that is very subjective. I don't believe in loading my subjectives on to other people.
However, the company is going public, so we need to keep up a clean public image. Clean is also subjective, but what I connote here is to have an image where people will talk of how we do business and not what we do in personal lives. 
So I will call both Mr CFO and Ms Analyst and tell them that their affair or whatever is being talked about in the market. This is your personal matter and I would have no objections as long as you keep it personal. You have to make sure that your relation does not affect your work, and that is not talked about in the office. This will come with a stern warning that if the company gets a bad name because of you, both would have to leave the company. Remember The Social Network.
I will tell Mr CFO that he should make no commitments or promises to Ms Analyst about promotions, raises and stuff on behalf of the company. Secondly, I will also warn him about the anti sexual harrassment policies of the company, and tell him that he will face action It may also include termination, if any lady complains against him and the concerned department finds him to be guilty.
Having done that I will concentrate on my investor meetings and making sure the company has a great listing.

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Permalink Reply by Aalok Pandey on December 11, 2010 at 6:49pm

its our organisation, and this cancer should be out, asap. The comp. should not loose Ms Analyst, cause of her personal issues. Asking her to leave is not a soln.

Munish Goyal said:

I would try to coax Mrs CFO to wait for 2 weeks till i look into the issue and straighten the things.

 

Next will try to talk hard to CFO to mend himself.

 

Finally, it is 2 consenting adults, so there is no question of harassment or company's action in purview. So there is no detriment to existing women employees and future hiring (CFO is no sexual predator :) )

 

But to save my business, if nothing works, will politely ask Ms. Analyst to leave. No questions answered ! 

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Permalink Reply by Aalok Pandey on December 11, 2010 at 6:50pm

impractical soln. :), then the CEO is ok, with such things going on his org. :)... does'nt work.

Abhishek Rai said:

I guess the CEO has been a fool to wait for so long and arrive at a crisis situation kind of thing.

The IPO will not get killed because of the indecent behaviour of the CFO but because of the dilly0dallying by the CEO.

He should have acted,warned long way back when he first noticed the attitude of the CFO.

No one is above the company and organisation and organisational ethics.

But in this case, the CEO himself I guess failed to define the orgainsational ethics. If he would have done then Mr. CFO would not have dared to come so far. 

The CEO has no rights to spoils the IPO of the company because of his mistake.

Only option is to let Mr.CFO continue and give Mrs.CFO the contact details of Miss Analyst.

She will ensure the needful happens then...

Cheers!!! 

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Permalink Reply by Aalok Pandey on December 11, 2010 at 6:51pm

grow up bobby.:)

Bobby Theodor said:

For long term solution & before IPO (no matter wat d cost)-Sack both of them on the issue of probity  . Mrs CFO calling CEO is a good sign to do the above.

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