
Susan Fowler: Why I Wrote the Uber Memo - augustt
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/14/opinion/sunday/uber-susan-fowler-harassment.html
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combatentropy
I reread her memo, [https://www.susanjfowler.com/blog/2017/2/19/reflecting-on-
on...](https://www.susanjfowler.com/blog/2017/2/19/reflecting-on-one-very-
strange-year-at-uber)

It is discouraging, the corruption shown by just one of any of the people she
interacted with. Then to see it in so many different people, so consistently,
with no exceptions, is eye opening to me. But worst of all is their job
titles: manager, director, executive, Human Resources. Part of their jobs was
to get in the way of this very thing!

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dkdk8283
HR is to protect the company not employees.

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paulstovell
Asking because I’m genuinely interested in a solution: Is there a way to
design a HR department against this?

For your own company, how would you set up a HR function that does not have
this tendency?

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unlinked_dll
You wouldn't have an HR department as they currently exist, imo. Too many
companies lump too many roles into that space because they don't fit need
buckets besides "people stuff." Like just split of disputes into a department
like you would compliance or an outside auditor.

But honestly it's an organizational systems and behavioral science problem.
Look at the trends of HR problems that cause risk to the business (either
directly through settlement or brand harm, or indirectly by losing good
talent, also personal risk like being able to sleep at night), then isolate
the feedback loops that allow the discord to amplify and eliminate them. So go
trawl some unis that have systems researchers and spend money on IO
psychologists, also listen to them because they're better educated on the
subject than most business folks.

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winrid
If I want to build a big company how do I prevent stuff like this? What if I
aggressively fire those kinds of managers and anyone playing these kinds of
political games? I imagine you'd have to deal with lawsuits but you'd be more
successful as a business so it wouldn't matter.

Setting the right vision and hiring well helps. But I think you need to have
consequences for when you make mistakes there.

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jiveturkey
book advertisement.

do not take that as being critical of the content. just calling it out for
what it is. i think it will actually be a good read and i admire her courage.

~~~
fierro
it's double-shipping

[https://zachholman.com/posts/double-
shipping](https://zachholman.com/posts/double-shipping)

