Anonymous
We have written this to one of Finance Manager Please see below :

To: Ms Ibe. and Mr George .

CC: Human Resource, General Manager and CEO

Most recently complained that you were rude, belittling, and insulting each other at your front desks and in plain view. This was observed by other staff.

Within our own Finance Department, George Mushota complained that he was on the receiving end rude and unprofessional behaviour over the immediately stated him in office since last week of December. Since then, he has asked not to work with you or even be in your presence. Similarly, Ibe. Annulika has also asked that she not be assigned to work with you because of habitual rude and offensive behaviour.

Of great concern is your apparent failure to recognize or even admit that you people often overreact and lash out at each other’s. Employees are expected to work together as a team and expend whatever effort is necessary to provide quality service to the Premier Petroleum Limited as an organization. This is not to say that you cannot disagree with staff or other professionals. Rather, in addressing differences of opinions you cannot be combative, insulting, belittling, or rude. This only creates friction, diminishes morale and teamwork, and poorly reflects upon the Premier Petroleum Limited. You must show empathy, deal courteously with individuals, appreciate their differences, and handle emotions. When appropriate, you must show compassion for each other’s and recognize the contribution of each other as a team.

Equally important is that you need to listen to what others are saying.

In short, you both must agree to abide by the following principles by which you will conduct yourself in the workplace:

• You both will employ collective decision-making with your work’s and outside professionals and contacts to assure positive teamwork and maximize the goals of the Premier Petroleum Limited;

• You both will have respect for each other’s abilities, contributions, and values to the Premier Petroleum Limited;

• Ine Annulika will recognize that you can learn from your co-workers & Mr George Mushota.

• You both will deal with co-workers and others in a professional and courteous manner at all times.

• You will deal with conflict in a forthright and constructive manner and with tolerance for the differences of others.

1. In addition, I recognize that you may have certain ideas to improve your performance. Therefore, I encourage you to provide your own Personal Improvement Plan Input and Suggestions:

__________________________________________________ __________

__________________________________________________ __________

__________________________________________________ __________

__________________________________________________ __________

__________________________________ ________________________

Employee Signature Date

By

Mr George finance manager replied

To Human Resource office : Att of Madam Nafisa. Iam very surprised in the first place to observe that iam receiving mail with contets of this nature from your office because administratively the office ranking does not allow you to do so. Iam officially holding an office which is higher than your office and you can not under normal circumstances raise any disciplinery issues against me. Coming to the issues that you have raised, may i help you to understand that there is no pressure in accounts at all. the only issue that seem to be a problem is lack of appreciation by my surbordinate to understand the accounting World. She does not really understand what accounting is all about therefore she is finding it very dificult to understand and appreciate why we should do certain things in accounts. It is not possible for some one to perform functions of an accounting officer when he or she has no knowledge of the basic accounting fundermentals. Anulika does not understand accounts therefore, she is misplaced and hence the confusion. Suffice to metion that your office is responsible for creating this messy. Iam even thinking that you have deliberately chosen to give me an accounting officer who does not know accounts so that i fail to perform my duties effectively.I have supervised more than 100 members of statt at once before, and i have recorded better supervising results all the time. I do not believe that Anulika should become an impossible case for me to manage. She simply does not have accounts Knowledge and she is therefore denting my management style each time i instruct her to perform accounting functions in accordance to accounting starndards. Your office (H.R) has imposed Anulika to work in accounts department when you know very well that she does not posses accounting Knowledge. Therefore iam instructing your office to correct this irregularity as soon as possible so that i can begin to work normally and proffessionally.

I was also extremly shocked when Anulika metioned in presence of the Chief Executive Officer that she has authority to approve payments. This way of thinking is what has created most of the misunderstandings because she is misguided. If her job discription authorises her to approve payments, then your office should be blamed for duplicating responsibilities. Accounts only allows one prrson to approve payments at a time. It is the responsibility of the Chief Executive Officer to approve payments and he has delegated this responsibility to my office at the moment therefore we cannot share the same authority with my surbordinate which is deligated to me by my superior.

Iam also disppointed to observe that your office did not take time to study and understand the so called "pressure" in accounts department before writting to me. May I take this opportunity to correct your understanding that there is pressure in Finance department. There is no amount of pressure in accounts, the only difference that is creating this artificial pressure is the fact Anulika does not know accounts. you have just imposed her on me. Finally Iam requesting that Anolika be re allocated to onother office because apart from not knowing her job, she does not cooperate with me in any way, She does not respect me as an elderly person and does not take my instructions each time i talk to her. May Management considers to give me an alternative person who is well up dated with accounting Knwledge so that i can effectively perform my assigments without expiriencing un necessary disturbances.

Thanks. Mr George.

Please suggest reply to mr george.

Awaiting your responses.

Sincerely,

Eesa

From United Arab Emirates, Dubai
Hello Eesa,

First & foremost, whose idea was it to put things 'in-writing' from HR's end?

HR SHOULD have First discussed this with BOTH the parties concerned before contemplating to write the mail you posted--for 2 reasons:

1] To get an even handle of the scale/level of contribution of each aggrieved party to this situation.

2] Identify the ACTUAL problem area(s) & the possible solution(s)--which usually emanate from such calm & detached interaction.

To be frank, I think HR botched-up the whole scenario--especially when it concerns a senior official of the company vis-a-vis a junior functionary, you ought to have exercised extra caution in ensuring that ALL....Repeat ALL....angles are covered, INCLUDING the personal animosity/differences angle(s).

Coming to the options open to you NOW, suggest walk-up to Mr George & try to read-thru his body language while discussing what he mentioned in his response. IF he blows off, just bear it & bring the discussion back to the core topic.

Next, speak to Anulika to get her side of the story. Though you THINK you already know it, the chances are very high that some key aspects have been missed out--which would come-out ONLY by reading her body language while speaking to her.

Also, suggest check-out FROM OTHERS about the veracity of what Mr George mentioned about the professional [accounts] competence of Anulika--either Mr George is 100% right OR he could be only partially right & COULD be over-reacting now after seeing your mail OR there COULD be totally something else between them which COULD be prompting him to cast a cloud over her competence. THAT'S FOR YOU to figure-out.

Once you go thru these steps, you should be able to find the most apt solution to the issue/situation. But sooner done the better for everyone, including the Organization.

All the Best.

Rgds,

TS

From India, Hyderabad
Hi Ts,
Thanks a lot for the reply. The HR interviewed both of them seperatley and in general to adress this issue. We did try to sort out verbally many times we failed and again mr mushota cant resist the organization process of writing.
The idea was solely from Hr dept.
Awaiting your response.
Sincerely,
Eesa

From United Arab Emirates, Dubai
Mr George doesnt puts any formats but keeps writing on format to anulika to do some task and even doesnt likes what she carries before patterns.
From United Arab Emirates, Dubai
Hello Eesa,

If the issue was discussed separately with both the parties, pl also give the details of your/HR's 'Findings'--reg the roles of each of them leading to the current situation--which, by any measure, is quite serious.

That would enable the members to give accurate & realistic suggestions.

Based on the response of Mr. George, he 'seems' to have some attitude issues--however wouldn't like to conclude based on that aspect alone [he could be genuinely hurt by HR's letter].

It may also be relevant & important for YOUR decision-making to consider WHO AMONG THE TWO [Mr George & Anulika] CAN be considered 'more expendable'--so to say.

One option that 'seems' obvious is what Mr George suggested--Anolika be reallocated to another office. However, the downside of this option COULD be that Mr George MAY become arrogant & you could have a larger problem at-hand later.

Before any other options are considered, pl give the details requested above--would help to look @ the situation from a larger perspective.

Rgds,

TS

From India, Hyderabad
Hi Ts,
First of all Mr goerge is new to this organization. Annulika is used to wroking a long time than mr george and mr george just try to be visiting all the times to CEO office for all kinds of work related to accounts. As per annulika he always throws papers by simply drawing line and instructs her to make format as well he doesnt carries much knowledge of simple excel sheet. As annulika said that mr george doesnt give any fromat and if she still carry the old way of doing accounts and even wants to follow mr george. Annulika is scolded mr george for not flushing toilet properly since that time this problem started in between them. the always shout at each other even as u see our letter. in short he didnt like anyone to say anything to him and comes when this is salary format he says its simple i know it. As annulika has some harsh voice he thinks she is rude.
hope to recieve a quick reply on this and thnaks for your nice replies.
sincerely,
Eesa.

From United Arab Emirates, Dubai
infact mr george did said in hr seperately didnt want to wrok with annulika. as both want to do same work of approval of payment and want to be in contact with ceo for all their works. now mr george thinks their is no one to question him aprat from hr also even he doesnt want anyone apart from annulika to wrok with him and he wants to work alone. as thier is no choice to relocated annulika ifact she doesnt fit for any other work apart from account office and this annulika is ceo choice to work even they finalised a finnce manager.
From United Arab Emirates, Dubai
Dear Eesa,

Greetings form India!!!

I have gone through the details of facts given above by you. You have poste the reply of Mr George but not posted the reply of Ms Annulika. I offer my expert views as under:-

1. The matter relates to functioning of Accounts Department.

2. Mr George appears to be the Head of the Department (HOD) of Accounts. Ms Annulika appears to be a subordinats employee.

3. Instructions always flow from higher rank to lower rand according to an established hierarchy.

4. The first objection raised by Mr George is that he is superior in rank than YOU (Eesa) and you can not issue a disciplinary memorandum (letter) to him. This needs to be checked according to delegation of administrative and disciplinary powers of your company. If thre is no such written document of DOP (Dellegation of Power) then Mr George would be justified in raising his objection. Please check this aspect carefully. A disciplinary memorandum can be issued by an authorized officer or by the CEO of the company, not by a subordinate officer. (However there can be legal debate on this, but that debate would areise only when there is a written DOP in place.)

5. It claimed by Mr George that Ms Annulika does not have qualification in Accounts. If this is correct, then his stand would be justified in what he has said. It may be that Ms Annulika is an older employee and may be experienced of having worked in Accounts but that does not make her an expert professional on the aspects of Accounting Standards notified by the Chartered Accountants Institutue of your country or Internation Accounting Standards.

6. The bone of contentin appears to be authorization of payments. In this matter also it is a universal rule in Accounts that "only one officer can be authorized to approve the expenditure bills for releasing the pay

From India, New Delhi
In continuation to my above post:

6. The bone of contention appears to be authorization of payments. It is a universal rule that "Only one officer can be authorized to approve bills of expenditure for release of payments." There must alwyas be a Finance Manual on the subject of Delegation of Financial Powers (DOFP). Mr George is right in his stand that there can not be two authorized persons at the department level for approving the payment. The CEO is the highest authority and all powers are subject to his control and supervision. CEO can exercsie any or all the powers at her/his discretion.

7. Ms Annulika must obey the orders of her superiors. If she feels any instructions are not correct then she needs to point it out respectfully in official manner i.e. by email or by seeking advice in writing as a separate note.

Please look into all these details and solve your problem. If any furhter advice is neeed you may send mail at for more clarifications.

With regards and good wishes.

Srivastava C.M. Lal

From India, New Delhi
Sorry to go off at a tangent. I hope you have not used real names but fictious ones. If not, I suggest that you edit it. In case you have published the real correspondence that has taken place, then you could be in breach of company confidentiality.
From United Kingdom
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