Beaujolais in the Boardroom: The Clear Line Between Work and Wine.
Knowing Self-Aware Leadership
Hello KSKOers
I’ve been thinking about alcohol and its relationship with the world of work recently. It’s been on my mind and in true ‘honestly, the internet isn’t listening’ style, an article by the brilliant Dr Gerrit Pelzer flashed up on my LinkedIn feed about his 1,000 day experiment to give up alcohol. Join me in sharing my experiences with the demon drink in work and why my line between work and wine is as unforgiving as the ‘walk and turn test’.
Looking forward to joining you on your learning journey!
Start Here
My stance? It’s a zero-tolerance thing. I’ve never consumed alcohol in a workplace or at a work event during 9 and 5. This is an absolute rule I’ve always followed. I guess it was drilled into me from the beginning. My first foray into the world of work was through the UK public sector. The policy on alcohol at work is very clear:
it’s a hard pass.
I’m glad to say that I entered the world of work after the days of cigarettes in offices and bottles of whisky in top drawers. I never experienced that. I’m glad I was not put in the position of having to make the “unsociable” choice early in my career when I wouldn’t have had the confidence to say no and the wider professional self-awareness to know about the ‘Daily Mail’ test.
Self-Awareness Test
The Daily Mail is a right leaning UK newspaper that likes to subliminally draw its reader into conservative thinking, promoting ideas about race, women, unemployment and disability at the tip of fascist ideology. The Daily Mail test goes like this, “If news of this matter/decision/way of working (pick your challenge) was on the front of the Daily Mail what would it say?”. And there! You are now implementing the Daily Mail test.
If the title page reads anything like ‘unchecked healthcare worker turns out to be sex offender’ or ‘Public sector funding decided over a bottle of Prosecco’, then you know you need to go and rethink your choices, PDQ1!
Even though I have a ‘just say no’ relationship with alcohol has intruded into my work on three separate occasions. I’m glad to say in all situations, I haven’t been pressured to take a tipple but I have felt in an awkward position as regards, ‘what the hell do I do about this?!’.
Once
On one occasion, there was an after-work fundraising bingo event. Everything appeared in place. I heard people talking about drinks licences which had been sought, and the certificates had been received with but a day to spare. I sat at the table whilst the numbers being called and realised that, putting the situation to the Daily Mail test, there was one fatal flaw.
The event was being held in the staff cafeteria of a children’s hospital.
Between the visitor restaurant and the staff area was a door. Just a door. It wasn’t locked, and any visiting uncle, waiting grandmother, or perambulating patient could have walked in. Alcohol flowed freely and everyone seemed to be having a jolly good time. No one at the drinks table seemed concerned. Yet, I couldn’t get away from the fact that alcohol was being consumed by off-duty staff at a staff event in an NHS children’s hospital.
Giving the situation the self-aware Daily Mail test, how could this have read?
“Children’s Hospital CEO caught consuming Cognac in the Canteen”
Twice
The second time was when my colleagues and I worked in a shared office space. One Christmas, mid-afternoon, we were finishing off some work when there was a knock on the door. A team leader from another charity popped in with glasses of Prosecco to see if we wanted any. I responded wide eyed without a moment’s hesitation with an emphatic ‘NO!…..thanks.’
Alcohol was freely available, being drunk by people with their ID badges on and their work logos firmly fixed above the table of Prosecco bottles. For a little while after, bottles of beer turned up in the fridges dotted around the co-working space. It made my staff and I feel very uncomfortable about the potential behaviour we might have to fend off if somebody decided to drink one or two to bring a busy week to an early end. And what if someone came to visit us? How would our reputation be impacted by the appearance of beer bottle in the kitchen and in fridges under desks?
We decided to send out our organisation’s ‘alcohol at work policy’, so that staff could use it to get out of a tight spot when an invitation to join became pressure to participate.
What would be the Daily Mail test on this one?
“If Carlsberg did workplaces….”
Thrice
Then there was wine at the board meeting. It reminded me of TV programmes I’d watched in the 90s. Bottles were brought in on ice, and glasses were consumed while the board meeting was still in session. There was a pause for some nibbles and so began the clanking of bottles and ice. The offer of red or white was made around the room. There were a few declines by drivers but senior leaders were gaily supping and appreciating the note. This alone surprise me but what surprised me more was the continuation of the meeting with glass in hand.
The readers of the Daily Mail would no doubt have gleefully read about….
“Governance on the rocks: minutes with merlot and AOB with Armagnac.”
If the leader who drank had been stopped by the police and found to be over the legal limit for alcohol whilst driving home, then it would have been a race to keep it out of the tabloids.
Demon Drink
Strangely, I happened to read an article written by the fabulous Dr Gerrit Peltzer just yesterday, talking about the potential life-changing impact of alcohol on individuals, families, and workplaces. Here’s a link.
In his piece “Reflections from My Year Without Alcohol,” Gerrit shares how what began as a quiet act of curiosity turned into a full year of sobriety. Gerrit shares some stories from his life and career and reflects on how deeply alcohol is woven into our social and professional culture. He shares how stepping away from it reshaped his awareness of health, leadership, and influence. His reflections invite you to consider your own relationship with alcohol, and the example it set for others.
Set the Bar
So, how can you protect your staff, your self and your organisation from the reputational damage that can be caused by a misjudged bottle of beaujolais? Here are some suggestions, drawing from my experience and awareness of numerous organisational policies setting out their positions:
No drinking during work hours: Staff shouldn’t drink alcohol during working hours or while on work premises. That includes work meetings, lunch breaks on-site, or any other part of the working day.
No turning up under the influence: Staff shouldn’t come to work, or to any work-related event, under the influence of alcohol. It’s often classed as a disciplinary matter, and in some cases, gross misconduct.
Work events aren’t an exception: Some organisations might allow alcohol at specific approved events, but even then, employees are expected to behave responsibly and remain professional. Being drunk at a work function can still lead to disciplinary action. Remember that line in your contract that says ‘bringing your organisation into disrepute…?
Keep the workplace alcohol-free: In most organisations, it’s not acceptable to keep or serve alcohol in the office or workplace. Keep alcohol out of fridges, cupboards and drawers, for the avoidance of doubt
Support, not just punishment: Many employers recognise that alcohol problems can be linked to health and wellbeing. Offer confidential support to anyone who needs help and ensure your staff wellbeing service is ready to provide it.
The Last Word
My view is one of zero tolerance. Alcohol during working hours and the presence of alcohol in the workplace is an absolute no. In contrast, some people feel it is ok to have bottles of beer in fridge next to people who work in child focussed charities and fear no backlash from organisational decisions made following a tipple or two.
As someone who’s worked to protect children and families for most of my career, I’ve seen the trauma and destroyed lives caused by misuse of alcohol, alcoholism and addiction. I hold firm with my zero-tolerance approach to alcohol and work. If you’re an organisation committed to pursuing positive social change and the protection of the vulnerable, make sure your live your values. When you castigate people externally for being inebriated in charge of a car, you can’t be tipsy in charge of a team.
I hope that if alcohol creeps into your workplace, you have the confidence and psychological safety to raise your concerns and clearly draw the line.
Nia is an expert leader who talks the talk and walks the walk. She is an academically awarded thought leader in self-aware leadership and practices self-aware leadership every single day in her role as a Chief Operating Officer in a mother and baby charity.
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PDQ: pretty damn quick