Meet Your New HR/Anger Management Project - Phillip Wellman

Imagine a workplace where a manager can have a classic meltdown, complete with throwing things, screaming about 100 obscenities and generally losing all control.

Hopefully that's not your workplace.  But there's one like it in Mississippi.  And when this manager does it, he's an embarrassment for his corporate office, but probably raises the future profitability for the division he resides in.

The manager?  Minor League manager Phillip Wellman (Mississippi Braves, affiliate of the Major League Atlanta Braves).  Oh yeah - forgot to tell you - his tantrums are caught on tape:

That's classic "I forgot my meds" stuff.  Can you imagine Wellman applying for a position at SuccessFactors, where they have a "no a%&*&**s" rule? (Warning - vulgarity follows the link)  The lead recruiter googles "Phillip Wellman" and up pops the video and.....  Well, let's just say that Phillip gets the automated "thanks but no thanks" response to his resume....

Comments

[Shannon Munford M.A.]

This incident appears to be more related to a WWF entertaiment match. There are hundreds of companies who are dealing with real life employees with anger management issues that effect their bottom line and liability.

Shannon Munford-Anger Management Consultant
www.daybreakservices.com

[Kris]

Shannon -

Thanks for dropping by and leaving a comment. While the video is obviously extreme, it's often the extremes that get folks that don't deal with very specific issues thinking about how to handle them - anger management being one of those. No question I am having some fun here, since this is a topcial site that relies on what's happening in the world to drive home theory related to all areas of a HR practice.

I checked out your site and liked what I saw - you obviously are focused on building an anger management consultancy. I also saw your blog, where you mix your practice theory with recent happenings with Danica Patrick and the Cubs.

With those references in mind, can you really dismiss the video as WWF-like? As I mentioned in my entry, the Braves (parent club in Atlanta) are obviously embarrased by this, and the reaction is anger management related - after all, few managers blow up like this and this one has a history of doing it.

If called by the braves, or by a company that had a manager explode in a profanity laced tirade that included throwing things, where do you start? Hit me with some notes about the best way for a HR Generalist to deal with that situation - most of the folks who read this blog have a broad range of responsibilites and don't have deep experience with this.

This one is as real (ever see a manager blow up with multiple profanities and throw things? I have) as Danica and the Cubs. Educate us with your subject matter expertise - if you want to spend some time with it, I'll even cross/guess post your analysis to my blog.

Thanks - KD