Among many employers nowadays, we think of
one member who has spent much of his life in the world of big business. He has
hired and fired hundreds of men. He knows the alcoholic as the employer sees
him. His present views ought to prove exceptionally useful to business men
everywhere. But let him tell you:
I was at one time assistant manager of a
corporation department employing sixty-six hundred men. One day my secretary
came in saying Mr. B -- insisted on speaking with me. I told her to say that I
was not interested. I had warned him several times that he had but one more
chance. Not long afterward he had called me from Hartford on two successive
days, so drunk he could hardly speak. I told him he was through -- finally and
forever.
My secretary returned to say that it was
Mr. B-- on the phone; it was Mr. B--'s brother, and he wished to give me a
message. I still expected a plea for clemency, but these words came through the
receiver: "I just wanted to tell you Paul jumped from a hotel window in Hartford
last Saturday. He left us a note saying you were the best boss he ever had, and
that you were not to blame in any way."
Another time, as I opened a letter which
lay on my desk, a newspaper clipping fell out. It was the obituary of one of the
best salesmen I ever had. After two weeks of drinking, he had placed his toe on
the trigger of a loaded shotgun -- the barrel was in his mouth. I had discharged
him for drinking six weeks before.
Still another experience: A woman's voice
came faintly over long distance from Virginia. She wanted to know if her
husband's company insurance was still in force. Four days before he had hanged
himself in his woodshed. I had been obliged to discharge him for drinking,
though he was brilliant, alert, and one of the best organizers I have ever
known.
Here were three exceptional men lost to
this world because I did not understand alcoholism as I do now. What irony -- I
became an alcoholic myself! And but for the intervention of an understanding
person, I might have followed in their footsteps. My downfall cost the business
community unknown thousands of dollars, for it takes real money to train a man
for an executive position. This kind of waste goes on unabated. We think the
business fabric is shot through with a situation which might be helped by better
understanding all around.
Nearly every modern employer feels a moral
responsibility for the well-being of his help, and he tries to meet these
responsibilities. That he has not always done so for the alcoholic is easily
understood. To him the alcoholic has often seemed a fool of the first magnitude.
Because of the employee's special ability, or of his own strong personal
attachment to him, the employer has sometimes kept such a man at work long
beyond a reasonable period. Some employers have tried every known remedy. In
only a few instances has there been a lack of patience and tolerance. And we,
who have imposed on the best of employers, can scarcely blame them if they have
been short with us.
Here, for instance, is a typical example:
An officer of one of the largest banking institutions in America knows I no
longer drink. One day he told me about an executive of the same bank who, from
his description, was undoubtedly alcoholic. This seemed to me like an
opportunity to be helpful, so I spent two hours talking about alcoholism, the
malady, and described the symptoms and results as well as I could. His comment
was, "Very interesting. But I'm sure this man is done drinking. He has just
returned from a three months' leave of absence, has taken a cure, looks fine,
and to clinch the matter, the board of directors told him this was his last
chance."
The only answer I could make was that if
the man followed the usual pattern, he would go on a bigger bust than ever. I
felt this was inevitable and wondered if the bank was doing the man an
injustice. Why not bring him into contact with some of our alcoholic crowd? He
might have a chance. I pointed out that I had had nothing to drink whatever for
three years, and this in the face of difficulties that would have made nine out
of ten men drink their heads off. Why not at least afford him an opportunity to
hear my story? "Oh no," said my friend, "this chap is either through with
liquor, or he is minus a job. If he has your will power and guts, he will make
the grade."
I wanted to throw up my hands in
discouragement, for I saw that I had failed to help my banker friend understand.
He simply could not believe that his brother-executive suffered from a serious
illness. There was nothing to do but wait.
Presently the man did slip and was fired.
Following his discharge, we contacted him. Without much ado, he accepted the
principles and procedure that had helped us. To me, this incident illustrates
lack of understanding as to what really ails the alcoholic, and lack of
knowledge as to what part employers might profitably take in salvaging their
sick employees.
If you desire to help it might be well to
disregard your own drinking, or lack of it. Whether you are a hard drinker, a
moderate drinker or a teetotaler, you may have some pretty strong opinions,
perhaps prejudices. Those who drink moderately may be more annoyed with an
alcoholic than a total abstainer would be. Drinking occasionally, and
understanding your own reactions, it is possible for you to become quite sure of
many things which, so far as the alcoholic is concerned, are not always so. As a
moderate drinker, you can take your liquor or leave it alone. Whenever you want
to, you control your drinking. Of an evening, you can go on a mild bender, get
up in the morning, shake your head and go to business. To you, liquor is no real
problem. You cannot see why it should be to anyone else, save the spineless and
stupid.
When dealing with an alcoholic, there may
be a natural annoyance that a man could be so weak, stupid and irresponsible.
Even when you understand the malady better, you may feel this feeling rising.
A look at the alcoholic in your
organization is many times illuminating. Is he not usually brilliant,
fast-thinking, imaginative and likable? When sober, does he not work hard and
have a knack of getting things done? If he had these qualities and did not drink
would he be worth retaining? Should he have the same consideration as other
ailing employees? Is he worth salvaging? If your decision is yes, whether the
reason be humanitarian or business or both, then the following suggestions may
be helpful.
Can you discard the feeling that you are
dealing only with habit, with stubbornness, or a weak will? If this presents
difficulty, re-reading chapters two and three, where alcoholic sickness is
discussed at length might be worth while. You, as a business man, want to know
the necessities before considering the result. If you concede that your employee
is ill, can he be forgiven for what he has done in the past? Can his past
absurdities be forgotten? Can it be appreciated that he has been a victim of
crooked thinking, directly caused by the action of alcohol on his brain?
I well remember the shock I received when a
prominent doctor in Chicago told me of cases where pressure of the spinal fluid
actually ruptured the brain. No wonder an alcoholic is strangely irrational. Who
wouldn't be, with such a fevered brain? Normal drinkers are not so affected, nor
can they understand the aberrations of the alcoholic.
Your man has probably been trying to
conceal a number of scrapes, perhaps pretty messy ones. They may be disgusting.
You may be at a loss to understand how such a seemingly above- board chap could
be so involved. But these scrapes can generally be charged, no matter how bad,
to the abnormal action of alcohol on his mind. When drinking, or getting over a
bout, an alcoholic, sometimes the model of honesty when normal, will do
incredible things. Afterward, his revulsion will be terrible. Nearly always,
these antics indicate nothing more than temporary conditions.
This is not to say that all alcoholics are
honest and upright when not drinking. Of course that isn't so, and such people
may often impose on you. Seeing your attempt to understand and help, some men
will try to take advantage of your kindness. If you are sure your man does not
want to stop, he may as well be discharged, the sooner the better. You are not
doing him a favor by keeping him on. Firing such an individual may prove a
blessing to him. It may be just the jolt he needs. I know, in my own particular
case, that nothing my company could have done would have stopped me for, so long
as I was able to hold my position, I could not possible realize how serious my
situation was. Had they fired me first, and had they then taken steps to see
that I was presented with the solution contained in this book, I might have
returned to them six months later, a well man.
But there are many men who want to stop,
and with them you can go far. Your understanding treatment of their cases will
pay dividends.
Perhaps you have such a man in mind. He
wants to quit drinking and you want to help him, even if it be only a matter of
good business. You now know more about alcoholism. You can see that he is
mentally and physically sick. You are willing to overlook his past performances.
Suppose an approach is made something like this:
State that you know about his drinking, and
that it must stop. You might say you appreciate his abilities, would like to
keep him, but cannot if he continues to drink. A firm attitude at this point has
helped many of us.
Next he can be assured that you do not
intend to lecture, moralize, or condemn; that if this was done formerly, it was
because of misunderstanding. If possible express a lack of hard feeling toward
him. At this point, it might be well to explain alcoholism, the illness. Say
that you believe he is a gravely-ill person, with this qualification -- being
perhaps fatally ill, does he want to get well? You ask, because many alcoholics,
being warped and drugged, do not want to quit. But does he? Will he take every
necessary step, submit to anything to get well, to stop drinking forever?
If he says yes, does he really mean it, or
down inside does he think he is fooling you, and that after rest and treatment
he will be able to get away with a few drinks now and then? We believe a man
should be thoroughly probed on these points. Be satisfied he is not deceiving
himself or you.
Whether you mention this book is a matter
for your discretion. If he temporizes and still thinks he can ever drink again,
even beer, he might as well be discharged after the next bender which, if an
alcoholic, he is almost certain to have. He should understand that emphatically.
Either you are dealing with a man who can and will get well or you are not. If
not, why waste time with him? This may seem severe, but it is usually the best
course.
After satisfying yourself that your man
wants to recover and that he will go to any extreme to do so, you may suggest a
definite course of action. For most alcoholics who are drinking, or who are just
getting over a spree, a certain amount of physical treatment is desirable, even
imperative. The matter of physical treatment should, of course, be referred to
your own doctor. Whatever the method, its object is to thoroughly clear mind and
body of the effects of alcohol. In competent hands, this seldom takes long nor
is it very expensive. Your man will fare better if placed in such physical
condition that he can think straight and no longer craves liquor. If you propose
such a procedure to him, it may be necessary to advance the cost of the
treatment, but we believe it should be made plain that any expense will later be
deducted from his pay. It is better for him to feel fully responsible.
If your man accepts your offer, it should
be pointed out that physical treatment is but a small part of the picture.
Though you are providing him with the best possible medical attention, he should
understand that he must undergo a change of heart. To get over drinking will
require a transformation of thought and attitude. We all had to place recovery
above everything, for without recovery we would have lost both home and
business.
Can you have every confidence in his
ability to recover? While on the subject of confidence, can you adopt the
attitude that so far as you are concerned this will be a strictly personal
matter, that his alcoholic derelictions, the treatment about to be undertaken,
will never be discussed without his consent? It might be well to have a long
chat with him on his return.
To return to the subject matter of this
book: It contains full suggestions by which the employee may solve his problem.
To you, some of the ideas which it contains are novel. Perhaps you are not quite
in sympathy with the approach we suggest. By no means do we offer it as the last
word on this subject, but so far as we are concerned, it has worked with us.
After all, are you not looking for results rather than methods? Whether your
employee likes it or not, he will learn the grim truth about alcoholism. That
won't hurt him a bit, even though he does not go for this remedy.
We suggest you draw the book to the
attention of the doctor who is to attend your patient during treatment. If the
book is read the moment the patient is able, while acutely depressed,
realization of his condition may come to him.
We hope the doctor will tell the patient
the truth about his condition, whatever that happens to be. When the man is
presented with this volume it is best that no one tell him he must abide by its
suggestions. The man must decide for himself.
You are betting, or course, that your
changed attitude plus the contents of this book will turn the trick. In some
case it will, and in others it may not. But we think that if you persevere, the
percentage of successes will gratify you. As our work spreads and our numbers
increase, we hope your employees may be put in personal contact with some of us.
Meanwhile, we are sure a great deal can be accomplished by the use of the book
alone.
On your employee's return, talk with him.
Ask him if he thinks he has the answer. If he feels free to discuss his problems
with you, if he knows you under- stand and will not be upset by anything he
wishes to say, he will probably be off to a fast start.
In this connection, can you remain
undisturbed if the man proceeds to tell you shocking things? He may, for
example, reveal that he has padded his expense account or that he has planned to
take your best customers away from you. In fact, he may say almost anything if
he has accepted our solution which, as you know, demands rigorous honesty. Can
you charge this off as you would a bad account and start fresh with him? If he
owes you money you may wish to make terms.
If he speaks of his home situation, you can
undoubtedly make helpful suggestions. Can he talk frankly with you so long as he
does not bear business tales or criticize his associate? With this kind of
employee such an attitude will command undying loyalty.
The greatest enemies of us alcoholics are
resentment, jealousy, envy, frustration, and fear. Wherever men are gathered
together in business there will be rivalries and, arising out of these, a
certain amount of office politics. Sometimes we alcoholics have an idea that
people are trying to pull us down. Often this is not so at all. But sometimes
our drinking will be used politically.
One instance comes to mind in which a
malicious individual was always making friendly little jokes about an
alcoholic's drinking exploits. In this way he was slyly carrying tales. In
another case, an alcoholic was sent to a hospital for treatment. Only a few knew
of it at first but, within a short time, it was billboarded throughout the
entire company. Naturally this sort of thing decreased the man's chance of
recovery. The employer can many times protect the victim from this kind of talk.
The employer cannot play favorites, but he can always defend a man from needless
provocation and unfair criticism.
As a class, alcoholics are energetic
people. They work hard and they play hard. Your man should be on his mettle to
make good. Being somewhat weakened, and faced with physical and mental
readjustment to a life which knows no alcohol, he may overdo. You may have to
curb his desire to work sixteen hours a day. You may need to encourage him to
play once in a while. He may wish to do a lot for other alcoholics and something
of the sort may come up during business hours. A reasonable amount of latitude
will be helpful. This work is necessary to maintain his sobriety.
After your man has gone along without
drinking for a few months, you may be able to make use of his services with
other employees who are giving you the alcoholic run-around -- provided, of
course, they are willing to have a third party in the picture. An alcoholic who
has recovered, but holds a relatively unimportant job, can talk to a man with a
better position. Being on a radically different basis of life, he will never
take advantage of the situation.
Your man may be trusted. Long experience
with alcoholic excuses naturally arouses suspicion. When his wife next calls
saying he is sick, you may jump to the conclusion he is drunk. If he is, and is
still trying to recover, he will tell you about it even if it means the loss of
his job. For he knows he must be honest if he would live at all. He will
appreciated knowing you are not bothering your head about him, that you are not
suspicious nor are you trying to run his life so he will be shielded from
temptation to drink. If he is conscientiously following the program of recovery
he can go anywhere your business may call him.
In case he does stumble, even once, you
will have to decide whether to let him go. If you are sure he doesn't mean
business, there is not doubt you should discharge him. If, on the contrary, you
are sure he is doing his utmost, you may wish to give him another chance. But
you should feel under no obligation to keep him on, for your obligation has been
well discharged already.
There is another thing you might wish to
do. If your organization is a large one, your junior executives might be
provided with this book. You might let them know you have no quarrel with
alcoholics of your organization. These juniors are often in a difficult
position. Men under them are frequently their friends. So, for one reason or
another, they cover these men, hoping matters will take a turn for the better.
They often jeopardize their own positions by trying to help serious drinkers who
should have been fired long ago, or else given an opportunity to get well.
After reading this book, a junior executive
can go to such a man and say approximately this, "Look here, Ed. Do you want to
stop drinking or not? You put me on the spot every time you get drunk. It isn't
fair to me or the firm. I have been learning something about alcoholism. If you
are an alcoholic, you are a mighty sick man. You act like one. The firm wants to
help you get over it, and if you are interested, there is a way out. If you take
it, your past will be forgotten and the fact that you went away for treatment
will not be mentioned. But if you cannot or will not stop drinking, I think you
ought to resign."
Your junior executive may not agree with
the contents of our book. He need not, and often should not show it to his
alcoholic prospect. But at least he will understand the problem and will no
longer be misled by ordinary promises. He will be able to take a position with
such a man which is eminently fair and square. He will have no further reason
for covering up an alcoholic employee.
It boils right down to this: No man should
be fired just because he is alcoholic. If he wants to stop, he should be
afforded a real chance. If he cannot or does not want to stop, he should be
discharged. The exceptions are few.
We think this method of approach will
accomplish several things. It will permit the rehabilitation of good men. At the
same time you will feel no reluctance to rid yourself of those who cannot or
will not stop. Alcoholism may be causing your organization considerable damage
in its waste of time, men and reputation. We hope our suggestions will help you
plug up this sometimes serious leak. We think we are sensible when we urge that
you stop this waste and give your worthwhile man a chance.
The other day an approach was made to the
vice president of a large industrial concern. He remarked: "I'm glad you fellows
got over your drinking. But the policy of this company is not to interfere with
the habits of our employees. If a man drinks so much that his job suffers, we
fire him. I don't see how you can be of any help to us for, as you see, we don't
have any alcoholic problem." This same company spends millions for research
every year. Their cost of production is figured to a fine decimal point. They
have recreational facilities. There is company insurance. There is a real
interest, both humanitarian and business, in the well-being of employees. But
alcoholism -- well, they just don't believe they have it.
Perhaps this is a typical attitude. We, who
have collectively seen a great deal of business life, at least from the
alcoholic angle, had to smile at this gentleman's sincere opinion. He might be
shocked if he knew how much alcoholism is costing his organization a year. That
company may harbor many actual or potential alcoholics. We believe that managers
of large enterprises often have little idea how prevalent this problem is. Even
if you feel your organization has no alcoholic problem, it may pay to take
another look down the line. You may make some interesting discoveries.
Of course, this chapter refers to
alcoholics, sick people, deranged men. What our friend, the vice president, had
in mind was the habitual or whoopee drinker. As to them, his policy is
undoubtedly sound, but he did not distinguish between such people and the
alcoholic.
It is not to be expected that an alcoholic
employee will receive a disproportionate amount of time and attention. He should
not be made a favorite. The right kind of man, the kind who recovers, will not
want this sort of thing. He will not impose. Far from it. He will work like the
devil and thank you to his dying day.
Today I own a little company. There are two
alcoholic employees, who produce as much as five normal salesmen. But why not?
They have a new attitude, and they have been saved from a living death. I have
enjoyed every moment spent in getting them straightened out. *
