Cynthia Fenton and Stephanie Woodhead
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Cynthia Fenton and Stephanie Woodhead are investigators, authors, speakers, and consultants. Together, they are owners of Workplace FactFinders, an investigation and consulting firm headquartered in Austin, Texas.
Cynthia is a certified fraud examiner who holds a master’s degree in business and human resources. Stephanie holds a juris doctorate degree and is a private investigator licensed in Texas and California. Collectively, they have over thirty-five years of experience in assisting companies, attorneys, financial institutions, and government agencies in identifying and remedying internal grievances and employment compliance issues.
Cynthia and Stephanie met several years ago, when Cynthia hired Stephanie to conduct an employment investigation for her former employer. The two created a harmonious team and often collaborated on other cases. During the thousands of investigations and consulting projects they have conducted over the years, Cynthia and Stephanie have identified two consistent themes that cause businesses unnecessary pain: (1) areas of risk go unnoticed or disregarded, and (2) the manner in which a company responds to an internal grievance often magnifies the problem and/or creates additional issues.
Both scenarios can result in the increased risk of liability and escalated costs. The employees involved often feel management does not value them, leading to an adverse impact on company morale, a loss of employee engagement, and a culture wherein employees are afraid to speak up and report problems.
Cynthia and Stephanie formed Workplace FactFinders to help companies
- spend their dollars more efficiently by being proactive in problem-solving and conflict management, and
- reduce the risk of litigation, high-dollar settlements, and negative publicity.
Accordingly, Workplace FactFinders developed Informed Resolutions™, a practical approach to managing employee grievances and internal challenges. The core philosophy of Informed Resolutions is that effective fact-finding can help a company develop its own organic process to proactively address potential and existing internal concerns. The approach is buttressed by a strict adherence to the respectful treatment of all involved. The goal is to enhance productivity and minimize the corrosive effects internal problems have on corporate culture and financial health.
Cynthia and Stephanie are passionate about their work and hope this book will be an inspiration for business owners, attorneys, human resource professionals, and risk managers.
BOOK DESCRIPTION
In businesses large and small, a silent crisis is developing. Do you know if your company is at a cultural crossroads? Is your company prepared to pay legal fees and settlements for avoidable employee lawsuits? Do you feel that your company is constantly addressing challenges from external and internal sources? Is your Human Resources Department struggling to balance on the tightrope of supporting employees while also supporting management? Are your attorneys receiving the objective, unbiased facts required to craft their legal strategy?
With unique insight derived from their many years of investigation and consulting experience, Cynthia Fenton and Stephanie Woodhead will walk you through their process of Informed Resolutions™, a philosophy designed to resolve some of the internal challenges confronting companies today. The authors use a combination of information culled from high-profile cases; interviews with business, legal, and human resource leaders; and their own individual war stories. Company Confidential: The Secrets to Effectively Resolving Internal Conflict is your guide to minimizing exposure, saving money, enhancing employee engagement, and creating a solid foundation for future success.
LEARN HOW TO…
- Minimize claims and negative publicity.
- Engage your employees to create a robust, respectful reporting culture.
- Re-invigorate the methods of addressing internal issues and start using practical, proactive tools.
- Support your human resources staff by clearly delineating their responsibilities.
- Aid your legal team by providing relevant, unbiased facts.
- Foster peace of mind for the executive team by limiting the distractions caused by internal issues.
UNCOVER IN THESE PAGES…
- Learn how remediating internal conflict will allow you to spend more time driving your business.
- Learn that ignoring internal conflict often leads to legal claims and negative publicity.
- Glean wisdom from the stories of others about what to do and not to do in a crisis.
- Understand the reasons why your internal staff should not conduct sensitive internal investigations.
- Explore the topics of confidentiality and communication as they relate to corporate culture, the legal team, and internal investigations.
- Learn why it is critical for internal investigators to know the law to avoid adverse results.
- See how information gathered by an experienced investigator provides an objective report that can withstand judicial scrutiny.
- Reduce exposure through encouraging employee engagement, emphasizing transparency, and modeling your company’s values.
- Discover the cost-saving benefits of organically developing your company’s own internal reporting model.
PRAISE
“The concepts in Informed ResolutionsTM are good business practices. When you put them together like the authors have done, it makes sense that these concepts would inform an excellent workplace culture. These are simple things that a company can do to instill great rapport with employees.”
—Dr. José Cross, author of Business Is Booming: 7 Powerful Keys to Unlocking Trust & Growing Your Business
“This is a must-read for CEOs, boards of directors, and business owners of all shapes and sizes. The interpersonal relationships in the workplace can be fraught with problems. This book looks at workplace relationships and provides practical tools for anyone in business that deals with employee issues. I highly recommend this book.”
—Lillie Cawthorn, author of The Money Factory
“We think we can just dump employee issues on HR and they will wave a magic wand and make them go away. This puts too much pressure on HR and can result in significant problems. After reading this book, I was left feeling more aware of how things can go wrong at work and how to fix them. This book will make a difference.”
—Kim Speed, author of Branding on a Shoestring: How to Re-Create Your Small Business Identity and Increase Sales Results in 83 Days or Less
“The authors draw examples from personal experiences and current news events that strongly support their thesis. Business owners should not have to deal with controversies like we have seen in the news. The authors present a thoughtful and well-researched methodology that transfers to actionable processes and procedures.”
—David and Tammy Stanley, authors of Freedom=(TIME+ MONEY)2
