Over the years, I’ve often reminded my children that there is always someone watching, so they needed to be careful about what they say and do. The way social media permeates our society, that’s never been truer. Usually, my kids would roll their eyes at me, but I know they heard me and got the message.
In truth, eyes are everywhere. Most of our neighbors have video doorbells, most companies have cameras from the front door to the loading dock and everywhere in between. There are stop-light surveillance cameras and nearly everyone has a cell phone and is not afraid to video misdeeds. Just listen to any crime report these days and you’ll hear law enforcement people say, “We are searching for any videos that might be used as evidence.”
It’s hard to get away with anything. A friend told me about a service company that was doing work on the neighbor’s yard. The workers damaged my friend’s mailbox but vehemently denied any wrongdoing … until confronted with the doorbell camera evidence that they had indeed backed their truck over the mailbox. My friend got a new mailbox.
Here’s a work-related example that doesn’t involve anything that high-tech: An executive I work with was telling me about his first day on the job as a company’s new president. Wanting to get started as quickly as possible, he arrived early to work—so early, in fact, that while he could get into the building, he could not yet get into his office. So, he waited in the employee breakroom for the person with the office key to arrive. It wasn’t long before the executive noticed that other employees were whispering about him. Turns out, the breakroom is where the employees’ time and attendance device is located. The employees thought the executive had come in early to check up on them—to see who arrived when. So, their introduction to him (and their conversations about him) were already negative and he was only an hour into the new job!
Remember, someone is always watching you. And, like the executive I mentioned, you might not be doing anything untoward but still end up with unwanted or negative attention.
This is especially true if you are a leader in your company. You can always expect extra scrutiny when things aren’t going well. Learning to demonstrate grace under pressure is key these days. Now more than ever.
Here are a few examples of when people will be paying extra attention to what you say and do:
- A key employee suddenly resigns to start a competing business. This, of course, is disruptive but how you handle it can make the transition easier. That involves notifying HR and perhaps your legal team, shifting responsibility to other capable team members, keeping your emotions under control, reaching out to clients personally.
- You have to fire someone. Make sure you have professional procedures in place to handle this; follow them to the letter! A poorly handled termination might lead to a lawsuit or bad social media attention. And you’d better believe your other employees will be talking about this.
- You make a mistake. Taking responsibility is key! Can you learn from the mistake and pass that knowledge along to others?
- Your company is suddenly trending negative ratings on Google and other online sites. Quick, decisive action will help take care of the problem and alleviate employees’ anxiety.
The list, of course, goes on and on. Bad things happen. Disruption is a given. But how you handle problems and downturns and lost contracts, etc., will be noticed.
Your employees will take cues from you. If you handle difficulties with grace and confidence and resilience, they will follow your lead. You set the tone.
Think of this extra scrutiny not as a negative thing but more as an opportunity—to demonstrate sound leadership abilities (and to hone those abilities), to approach problems from a place of rationality, to be calm in the storm.
And know this: There really is no better time to lead by example than when everyone is watching you.