Balancing Investigation While Imposing Corporate Will

Using a professional investigator reduces friction while strengthening corporate standing

Busted and Frayed

Have you ever been hauled in front of the principal?  Ever been pulled over by the cops? Ever been taken to task by a customer?  These are some common instances where you are confronted by an authority; a person or institution that can impose their will upon you.  And when that will is imposed, it can cause a pit in your stomach.  That pressure applied to your conscious tells you to think twice before doing that again.  

This is a desired effect of someone or an institution wanting to change your behavior.  It is not life threatening, but it certainly has an emotional and psychological impact.  More often than not, the experience is going to change your behavior.  

Will it or Won’t it

When faced with delicate issues, often internal and employee related, a business can use the imposition of its corporate will to effect positive change. Similar to being pulled over by a police officer for speeding, the impact stops the behavior and you are likely drive slower going forward, even when you get off with a warning.  But in a business setting, finding the right cop can be a difficult proposition.

If, for example, there is a concern by a business owner or department head that employee misdeeds are taking place, the objective would be to halt the behavior and fix it.  In a case involving employee theft, a common reaction is for the ranking supervisor to conduct the investigation.  That is not always the best way to go about resolving the problem.  The perception employees have of their supervisor’s authority to conduct an investigation of theft is diminished somewhat because the theft is being perpetrated right under their noses. Further, the supervisor may not be qualified or have the nerve to conduct such an investigation.  They are then perceived as someone who could not effectively impose the corporate will.  If they cannot impose a will, they may not be able to resolve the issue.  

Thoughtful Force

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Internal theft is an obvious issue where businesses could utilize an investigator to resolve the problem.  Consider the following: The issue is professionally investigated, and from the findings, corrective action is applied.  Importantly, the investigator is seen as someone who effectively imposes the corporate will.  And sometimes a deterring impact is more desirable for the health of your business than a referral to law enforcement or some other resolution that might demoralize and distract employees. Utilizing an investigator also reduces potential friction between management and employees. It helps deflect animosity by placing the act of imposing the will of the company on the investigator even though the investigator works for the company.  This subtle shift goes a long way to maintaining critical working relationships.  

Theft and Beyond

Opportunities for involving an investigator go beyond general theft issues. Consider use of investigators in the following circumstances:  

• Mediate employee disputes 
• Thwart office bullying    
• Redirect extramarital affairs that have their origins in the workforce and are causing disruptions 
• Mitigate threats of workplace violence 
• Control domestic disputes of employees spilling over into the workplace.
• Investigate sabotage, employee espionage and security violations  
• Conduct a variety of compliance audits 

As situations are evaluated, outcomes must be considered.  Deciding on utilizing an investigator could be wise if confronted with these scenarios:  

• Intervention by supervisors, management or directors may result in undesirable outcomes
• Important working relationships could deteriorate or be destroyed if the intervention is done internally
• The situation could trigger law enforcement intervention but you’d like to resolve it before it gets that far. 
• You don’t want to put your management staff in a situation that they are not equipped to handle.
• You don’t want your employees dismissed and your operation turned upside down but you want the behavior and culture to change.  

Professional investigators offer business thinkers the opportunity to retain control of the situation and resolution by extending their authority through them. This buffer can preserve the company’s relationship with their employees when tough love needs to be administered.