The squeaky wheel

It’s official, folks. We’ve now become a country of whistleblowers. Every so often, an exposé or some major controversy pops up in the news — and a key witness comes forward and testifies about everything he/she knows. It started in 1986 when then-Gen. Fidel Ramos and then-Defense Secretary Juan Ponce Enrile squealed on President Marcos. More than a decade and a half ago, it was Jessica Alfaro, spilling the beans on Hubert Webb and company. In 2000, it was Equitable Bank officers like Clarissa Ocampo and Governor Chavit Singson whistling the alleged “sins” of President Erap.   Around six years ago, it was the famous “Hello Garci” scandal with some opposition leaders whistleblowing on the alleged conversation between then President GMA and Comelec Commissioner Garcillano. Then we had the “Hyatt 10” controversy starring the 10 secretaries of then President Arroyo who brought to light alleged corrupt practices of the President. Then, two years ago, it was the ZTE scandal starring whistleblower Jun Lozada who pointed a finger at First Gentleman Mike Arroyo and former Comelec Chairman Benjamin Abolos. And now we have the latest whistleblowing show — this time starring former military budget officers Lt. Col. George Rabusa and Lt. Col. Antonio Ramon Lim — who are claiming that generals like former AFP Chief of Staff Angelo Reyes (may he rest in peace) received P5 million monthly in pabaon, as well as a “send-off” gift of P50 million. If that’s true — dang, I should have been in the military.

I don’t intend to delve into the veracity or the reliability of these allegations by these whistleblowers. I do have my personal opinion about each of the abovementioned controversies. But, being a lawyer, I always resist the temptation to believe every accusation that’s hurled against anybody. To me, I still believe that everyone is innocent until proven guilty. That’s the system — and unless someone comes up with a better rule, I’m sticking to that premise. The trouble is, anytime someone whistleblows on anyone, more often than not, the damage is already done. It almost doesn’t matter what the courts say later on. The person who is the subject of the whistleblowing almost always suffers a big black eye to his/her reputation. And oftentimes, that’s hard to recover from. Sometimes, the consequences can even be fatal. Secretary Reyes is a prime example.

There’s something to be said about whistleblowers over and above how they are positioned to the public. Often, they are positioned as “key witnesses” to anomalies — i.e., indispensable personalities that have personal knowledge about some irregularity, some information that will help in the search for truth, and in turning the wheels of justice. For me, however, I sometimes feel that whistleblowers are like “squeaky wheels.” By squeaky wheel, I make reference to an old saying by Americian humorist, Josh Billings.   Billings said in his poem entitled, “The Kicker”: “I hate to be a kicker, I always long for peace. But the wheel that does the squeaking is the one that gets the grease.”

In the 1800s, the term “kicker” meant someone who was a constant complainer. The whole idea is that a complainer is like a squeaky wheel who only stops making noise when he gets “greased” or “oiled,” i.e., is given what he’s yammering for. Sometimes, when there are whistleblowers in Senate hearings, they don’t sound like witnesses who are attesting to the truth. Rather, they sound like whiners — people who suddenly grew a conscience, complaining about the anomalies in the entire system of government. And based on my observations, most of the whistleblowers really don’t end up getting the “grease.” They often end up hiding — or going abroad.

Like I said, I won’t delve into the veracity of the claims of all the whistleblowers that have come and gone. I’m sure some of them are honest, good-meaning people. And some are questionable. I’d like to focus on the “squeaky wheel” principle — especially as it relates to personalities in the corporate world. 

All of us who are in the corporate world know that SQs (squeaky wheels) are present in any organization. That’s a fact. There’s no escaping that. Anywhere you go, there’s always one “key witness” — one whiner who will always complain about everything and anything. They’re the ones who are complaining about where the water dispenser is located, the texture of the office carpet, the quality of the bond paper, the delay in reimbursements, the color of the toilet paper, the size of their office (or cubicle), the slow promotion process (i.e., “Why I am still a clerk after 17 years?”). Just as there are “superstar” performers who just do their work diligently, efficiently and quietly — there are also underachievers who mask their failures and screw-ups by complaining about everything. 

With these types of SQs, I am not sure if the saying “the squeaky wheel gets the grease” applies. Because while it’s true that squeaky wheels get attention, sometimes they invite the negative type of attention. And just as a squeaky wheel can sometimes get the grease, it is equally possible that squeaky wheels get replaced. 

So if you’re the vocal type — the type that always wants to speak his or her mind — ask yourself: “Am I valuable enough to get the grease? Do I have a legitimate concern that’s worth voicing out? Or am I just complaining for the sake of complaining? Will my constant ranting just draw attention to the fact that I am not worth being retained by the company?” It’s important to ask these questions because complaining or expressing a concern, by itself, is not wrong. In fact, as a manager myself, I encourage my team to bring up issues or problems. In US companies, they want you to speak up — because if you don’t, they’ll just presume you’re happy. So it’s important to speak up with legitimate concerns. But sometimes, the whining and complaining becomes a habit — and it becomes counter-productive. So if you’re an employee reporting to a boss, you have to be careful about that. Try not to develop that habit. Be conscious whenever you are bringing up a concern. You have to weigh the negatives and positives before raising something.

If you’re a manager, you have to be careful, too. Not all people who raise an issue are whiners that need to be replaced. One of the things that managers need to master is the art of determining whether a concern raised is a legitimate issue that needs your attention — or it’s just pure BS. It’s the ability to decide on these things that often separate the good managers from the bad managers. And it takes years of practice to master this craft. That’s why there are fewer managers, and more staff. Only a chosen few have this ability.

So, you’ve got an issue, you say? You need to express it? Here’s a word of advice: Think twice before you let it out. Strategize and plan about it. Don’t just blurt it out. Remember Jerry Maguire. You might think you’re doing the company a favor by issuing a “Mission Statement.” But before you realize it, you’re actually writing your own termination letter.

Remember companies often go by the saying, “No one is indispensable.” So, look before you “lip.”

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Thanks for your letters, folks! You may e-mail me at rodhnepo@yahoo.com.