Allen Bostrom – Universal Accounting

I’m fortunate to work in a great company, with a great team of professionals. Nevertheless, even tremendous workers have feelings that can be trampled on and ignored.

As management, we have found that the best defense against hurt feelings is a great offense. So, every year we have mandatory diversity training. This 1-2 hour session teaches the importance of considering the perceptions of others, and being careful not to offend. As our Company has grown and we have become a more diverse group, this training has become increasingly valuable.

Last Thursday, we held this year’s diversity training. One outcome of this training is that sometimes it causes employees to recall instances where they were offended. Today, I spent a major part of my day trying to understand how to help meet the needs of one of our marketing professionals that has felt victimized by the actions of another. This has caused the injured employee to feel less important, and has eaten into her productivity.

Although by a few an employee’s hurt feelings may seem a nuisance, my staff recognizes the impact that each person has on the entire company. If one person is unhappy, the entire Department and Company will suffer. For that reason, the quicker and more completely we can resolve their concerns, the faster we can return to being a productive and fun place to work.

Although we didn’t make a final determination today of what to do, we are well on our way.

Allen Bostrom
Universal Accounting Center