moneymaven
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Post by moneymaven on Feb 15, 2016 8:36:39 GMT -5
So, we acquired another company. Met with the previous leadership and have started to fix all their issues. We frequently acquire others and I like to sit with the leadership about two weeks following the deal so I can better understand them and how they've interacted with other staff. At that time, I generally have a decent baseline for them and the others and can better put it all together. As I sat with the former President last week, I noticed Swastikas placed throughout his office. At least 15 of them. He's German and proud. I was mortified.
Anyone else experience things like this in the work place? How did you handle it? I am grateful our deal pushes him out in a few short months.
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ArchietheDragon
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Post by ArchietheDragon on Feb 15, 2016 8:40:40 GMT -5
How long do you have to deal with him? Is he gone in three weeks, three months, three years?
Never mind. I reread and misunderstood at first.
For a few months, I would pretend they didn't exist. Keep the transition smooth. Then on his way out you can let him have it if you so choose.
That is bizarre.
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milee
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Post by milee on Feb 15, 2016 8:50:00 GMT -5
They are a lovely expression of his cultural heritage so if he's competent, it shouldn't be an issue at all. If you make it an issue you're prejudiced and a racist.
Just kidding - I'm still just rolling my eyes from this view being expressed on the "Am I getting old" thread. Swastikas are not appropriate in any setting, much less a corporate one. When you say "we" acquired his company, does that make you his superior? If so, you can and should deal with it. Yes, it would be easier to not rock the boat for a few months, but Swastikas are a pretty offensive thing to leave in place even for that long. If you're his new superior, just deal with it directly. BTW, if he really is German he will respond to that directness. Look him in the eye and do not soften the language. "Our corporate policy prohibits displays of Swastikas. They will need to be removed by tomorrow. Now let's discuss our meeting agenda...."
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happyhoix
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Post by happyhoix on Feb 15, 2016 8:52:49 GMT -5
That is very bizarre. I work with several Germans who are proud to be German (with good reasons) but do NOT display the swastika.
So many other friendly German icons he could be displaying - including some beer advertising posters.
If we had anyone displaying something like that in the workplace, HR would be all over them. Since he's got one foot out the door, though, I guess you just keep sliding his little trench coat wearing, black booted ass right out the door.
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billisonboard
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Post by billisonboard on Feb 15, 2016 9:08:47 GMT -5
.., I noticed Swastikas placed throughout his office. At least 15 of them. He's German and proud. I was mortified. ... I think you are being too kind in your assessment of his motivation. would show pride in Germany. would show pride in Germany. would show pride in Germany. EDIT: took me some time to put this post together.
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swamp
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Post by swamp on Feb 15, 2016 9:20:15 GMT -5
German does not equal Nazi.
Tell him "Sorry, dude, but we can't be having swastikas in the office. It scares the investors. Please take them home with you."
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Cookies Galore
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Post by Cookies Galore on Feb 15, 2016 9:21:09 GMT -5
Swastikas do not show "pride" in being German. I think he's showing pride in being a collector of Nazi memorabilia. Ick.
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swamp
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Post by swamp on Feb 15, 2016 9:27:43 GMT -5
If the guy proudly displays swastikas, I would be really nervous about him meeting any clients/vendors/whomever that happen to be anything other than lily white.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 15, 2016 9:29:56 GMT -5
Wow- if your office were in Germany I think that would be illegal!
Swastikas predated the Nazi regime; they were worked into Asian textile designs centuries ago and there was a Hindu gurudwara (temple) I used to pass on my commute from my hotel in Delhi to the office that had a swastika on one side of the door and a six-pointed star on the other. Both are ancient symbols and some artistic types are trying to bring back the swastika in design and free it of its hateful history with the Nazis.
This guy, though, sounds like he's making a pretty offensive in-your-face statement and they should be taken down. Do you have anyone in HR who could help support you on this?
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moneymaven
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Post by moneymaven on Feb 15, 2016 9:41:15 GMT -5
To answer some questions, he was the President and owner of the shop we bought. We're paying him a consulting fee to transition everything. He'll be gone in a few months.
I saw them and without a filter, I asked him about them. His reply was that he is German and takes great pride in his history. So I asked if he has Mein Kampf in his library and supports the genocide Hitler imposed. I really didn't think about it before I said it and he replied that he does support Hitler's history and the pride of the Aryan nation. And yes, he has the book.
I immediately told him that this "memorabilia" has no place in the office and I got corporate involved as that's who he effectively reports to under his agreement. I think he's nuts.
It's not the stuff that bothers me, it's the underlying feelings he clearly has and how that impacts my (new) staff. Many of which are not blond haired or blue eyed.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 15, 2016 9:46:32 GMT -5
Ouch. If it had been a few weeks, thats one thing. A few months? Is his interaction limited to a few people?
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mmhmm
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Post by mmhmm on Feb 15, 2016 9:49:01 GMT -5
My husband was German, though hier geboren (born here). His parents were from northern Germany. Never would DH have surrounded himself with swastikas! To him, that was a black eye on the German heritage. His parents felt the same way. This guy sounds like a real jerk and I'd think, if other employees and clients are going to be subjected to his idea of decor, he could legitimately be told to take them down.
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swamp
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Post by swamp on Feb 15, 2016 9:54:45 GMT -5
I don't think there is anything wrong with having Mein Kampf in your personal library. I read it in college as required reading. It's fascinating. However, I have a real problem with subscribing to Hitler's philosophy of Aryan supremacy.
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ArchietheDragon
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Post by ArchietheDragon on Feb 15, 2016 9:59:02 GMT -5
To answer some questions, he was the President and owner of the shop we bought. We're paying him a consulting fee to transition everything. He'll be gone in a few months. I saw them and without a filter, I asked him about them. His reply was that he is German and takes great pride in his history. So I asked if he has Mein Kampf in his library and supports the genocide Hitler imposed. I really didn't think about it before I said it and he replied that he does support Hitler's history and the pride of the Aryan nation. And yes, he has the book. I immediately told him that this "memorabilia" has no place in the office and I got corporate involved as that's who he effectively reports to under his agreement. I think he's nuts. It's not the stuff that bothers me, it's the underlying feelings he clearly has and how that impacts my (new) staff. Many of which are not blond haired or blue eyed. who has been negotiating with him? IT would be interesting to talk with that person.
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tloonya
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Post by tloonya on Feb 15, 2016 10:00:26 GMT -5
I hope you will never acquire anything that has to do with white hoodies and holes for the eyes. THAT would be hard to discuss...
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MarleyKeezy78
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Post by MarleyKeezy78 on Feb 15, 2016 10:11:28 GMT -5
I like your boldness! Glad you told like it is and I hope he takes the stuff down and the transition goes on smoothly Sounds like you may be the first to put your foot down
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8 Bit WWBG
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Post by 8 Bit WWBG on Feb 15, 2016 10:31:44 GMT -5
Looks like this guy has people worked up into a "fuhrer" over his choice of decor!
OK the timing here is just serendipitous in regards to the other thread. So we have a company that has a culture that is very controversial, but has not been an issue so far. Now it is an issue. It's easy to get people to rally against WWII hate propaganda, so it's a great example to try and get people to back off because few people want to go on record as supporting it. Anyways, this company is now faced with doing business with folks who don't view their decor with the same esteem. So the company has to choose whether or not to stay as is and irritate the customers, or change for the man.
ETA: I'm going on the assumption that the existing employees knew about all this, and were supportive, or more likely, too scared to object. I don't intend this to be a personal endorsement. What we have here is probably the most extreme example of the issue being discussed in the other thread.
I say "not an issue" because it would seem that this business or shop was profitable enough to purchase. So it had SOME value.
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8 Bit WWBG
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Post by 8 Bit WWBG on Feb 15, 2016 10:40:43 GMT -5
Was it a hostile takeover, or was it peaceful. Unless you always met off-site, at some point, someone involved (like Archie speculated) MUST have seen this owner's decor. It is very interesting to imagine that someone sat in that office surrounded by that stuff and still negotiated to purchase the entity. So the value of the entity, interestingly enough, soared above the image being projected.
Maybe he has a button that flips all the panels around to show pictures of eagles and American flags.
I'm sick and inappropriate so if I'd walked into that office, I'd probably have started doing what John Cleese did in that one fateful Faulty Towers scene.
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8 Bit WWBG
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Post by 8 Bit WWBG on Feb 15, 2016 10:43:18 GMT -5
Holy moly was John Cleese ever that young! A link to: " Don't mention the war" You started it. No we didn't. Yes you did, you invaded Poland!
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whoisjohngalt
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Post by whoisjohngalt on Feb 15, 2016 10:49:11 GMT -5
I am Jewish, so don't need to tell you how I feel about Swastikas.
I actually like to know where people stand, so I would appreciate the fact that he displayed them openly.
Having to deal with anti-semtism a lot I much prefer going in with my eyes open.
Interestingly enough I am usually a minority in that view.
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NancysSummerSip
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Post by NancysSummerSip on Feb 15, 2016 11:22:26 GMT -5
I'm also Jewish, and I applaud the OP's decision to deal with the issue directly. This guy is entitled to think any way he wants, but in a business setting, particularly now that someone else owns the business, it's a different matter. He can be as proud as he wants to be, but that pride is about as welcome as seeing his hairy butt in lederhosen when it comes to doing business with your clients.
The swastika is an ancient symbol used by other cultures, as Athena pointed out. It is not in itself an evil representation of anything. Hitler's use of it has made it so, perhaps for all of eternity. I hold no personal grudge against the symbol itself. But this guy's use of it is leaning more towards the edge of fanaticism than any new business owner should be comfortable with. And the symbols do need to be removed.
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milee
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Post by milee on Feb 15, 2016 11:28:52 GMT -5
Was it a hostile takeover, or was it peaceful. Unless you always met off-site, at some point, someone involved (like Archie speculated) MUST have seen this owner's decor. It is very interesting to imagine that someone sat in that office surrounded by that stuff and still negotiated to purchase the entity. So the value of the entity, interestingly enough, soared above the image being projected. Maybe he has a button that flips all the panels around to show pictures of eagles and American flags. The Swastikas may or may not have been known before the purchase just like they may or may not have played a factor in the success or value of the business.
My husband's personal office is a total disaster zone. Untidy mess. We rarely have clients at our physical location but when we do I make sure if they meet with him it's in the Conference Room, not his office. So it's possible that the people negotiating the purchase of the business didn't ever sit in this guy's office similar to how I steer people clear of DH's office.
Same thing with clients. They may or may not have seen the office. He may or may not have had employees with similar views so weren't offended or went to work elsewhere.
Purchase price might have been impacted or not. For an acquirer, if they knew about the Swastikas they might have felt that this presented a strategic opportunity in that they thought they could easily increase future business by making a few easy changes - like getting rid of the Swastikas.
Many, many more possibilities. My point is that the acquirer may or may not have known and the value and desirability of the business could be related or unrelated to this. Not enough info to know or make guesses.
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Feb 15, 2016 11:48:44 GMT -5
I certainly understand the feelings against swastikas because there was also a thread on confederate flags. Peoples feelings are people's feelings. But both had a different meaning until they were bastardized.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 15, 2016 11:49:53 GMT -5
This person was pretty clear that he approved the bastardized meaning...
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Feb 15, 2016 11:51:00 GMT -5
This person was pretty clear that he approved the bastardized meaning... He was and he was very wrong.
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milee
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Post by milee on Feb 15, 2016 11:54:41 GMT -5
I certainly understand the feelings against swastikas because there was also a thread on confederate flags. Peoples feelings are people's feelings. But both had a different meaning until they were bastardized. Yes, but some things are inappropriate no matter how they're intended or what the history and reason is. To bring in my "favorite" example... you can be the best corporate attorney on the planet but if you show up to court wearing a pink tube top, it's not appropriate. Doesn't matter if the top technically covers all your naughty bits and you didn't mean anything disrespectful by it, you just hadn't done laundry last night and it was the only thing left in the drawer.
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Feb 15, 2016 11:55:27 GMT -5
I certainly understand the feelings against swastikas because there was also a thread on confederate flags. Peoples feelings are people's feelings. But both had a different meaning until they were bastardized. Yes, but some things are inappropriate no matter how they're intended or what the history and reason is. To bring in my "favorite" example... you can be the best corporate attorney on the planet but if you show up to court wearing a pink tube top, it's not appropriate. Doesn't matter if the top technically covers all your naughty bits and you didn't mean anything disrespectful by it, you just hadn't done laundry last night and it was the only thing left in the drawer. Absolutely
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billisonboard
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Post by billisonboard on Feb 15, 2016 12:03:54 GMT -5
... you can be the best corporate attorney on the planet but if you show up to court wearing a pink tube top, it's not appropriate. ... And just to be clear: This also applies to female attorneys as well, right?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 15, 2016 12:05:14 GMT -5
I'm now imagining a horrible pink tube top with orange swastikas over the nipples. What do you think her name might be?
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Feb 15, 2016 12:05:53 GMT -5
I'm now imagining a horrible pink tube top with orange swastikas over the nipples. What do you think her name might be? Unemployed
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