By: Elizabeth Bare

Elizabeth Bare — Wed, 07 Aug 2013 16:44:37 +0000

When I worked in Assets Protection for a large retailer, a large part of my job was dealing with internal employee theft. As you can imagine, in that role I was holding a lot of crucial conversations – even if I didn’t know it at the time. After conducting a full investigation and documenting every meticulous detail, I would invite the employee in for a discussion. These discussions typically ended with a full confession on their part and an understanding between the both of us about choices and consequences. Even as the employee was being escorted away by the Police Department, our relationship was still intact and I feel they knew they could always rely on me to look out for their best interests. I know now that it was all because I always treated them with respect and was genuinely interested in what they had to say. Fortunately, I’m a bit of a people watcher so it came natural to ask a slew of sensitive questions throughout our conversations. I usually learned more about the details of that individuals life in those conversations than I had after working with them for months/years. I always entered the room anxious, shaking with nerves and oftentimes feeling a bit hurt because I took their actions (theft from my store) as personal attacks. Yet I always left the room feeling a bit closer to that individual, I understood the struggles that led them to their actions while being clear about my unapproval and I wished only the best for them (and still do).
I love that there are people like those at Vital Smarts who are studying this and teaching these skills to the many of us who need them! Thank you for breaking down these situations into teachable (and learnable!) skills!

Comments on: Communicating Consequences

By: Elizabeth Bare