Friday, November 5, 1999
LETTERS
Do it like the Marines
Today, executives who fear for their safety and who fear litigation for not having taken precautions against "foreseeable' workplace violence - spend millions on security systems within the workplace.
But video cameras and security guards, while probably inevitable, are not the answer.
What is needed is a workplace characterized by mutual respect and selfesteem.
A case in point is the US. Marine Corps. Although every Marine is armed to the teeth, officers arent concerned about workplace violence. Marines work within a brotherhood in which all are dedicated to mission readiness. When a Marine has a personal problem, concerned team members will approach him or her.
If the Marine can't find a solution, A sergeant or officer will be brought into the problem - not by barking orders, but through personal and compassionate intervention.
In the business environment executives and managers would do well to emulate the Marine Corps model, by creating a workplace where the welfare of the individual is paramount and where team members care for one another.
No employee should feel lost or estranged from his or her associates.
Remember, the Marine Corps has a fairly large "workforce" of individuals Who come from disparate backgrounds yet they all consider themselfs to be a vital part of not only their team but also an elite organization.
That kind of esprit de corps can be created in the workplace when management proactively makes each individual feel part of the whole.
Rod Walsh and Dan Carrison
Sherman Oaks, Calif.