Beware of this modus operandi.

PaulRen's picture
Category: 
Industry

 

On the off-behavior called 'modus operandi' by some people and some companies.

Here is a behavior which some companies and their seniors practice.

1) Always speak good/upbeat/polite words but then take whatever actions one wants, fair or unfair, toward others or with the truth. This so mostly as it suits them. Regarding in our case on how to be in business with people/investors.  Yet, it can be on dealings in both private and business encounters.  

2)  If  then someone brings  up an action which was not right or fair or truthful,  i.e. "why this unfair behavior?"  Or, "why this misleading?"  First, this style just ignores it.  By just not answering at all, or answering off base/beat.  (call it dodging the issues.)

3)  If that person then brings it up yet again (by not accepting the silence treatment or the evading of the issues),  in using a more stern tone...i.e. "why have you not done what indicated, or mislead us et…and then just not answering!?".   Then, this so gets labeled as an "attack"/ or aggression”.  Attempting so to just evade & divert and so forgetting the issue(s) raised.  

4)  By choosing to label it as an "attack" and/or the person being "aggressive", it so attempts to divert the matter raised.  In itself, an inappropriate act, as it muddles up the issue raised, with that label given.  An unfairness by fact. Thereby so attempting to just divert the matter raised. This can often work, in the short run and with some people.  A bystander to this, a co-worker or other person of interest/witness does not know exactly what transpired.  It diverts the issues raised into the a label of an "attack".

By labeling it an “attack/aggression” -hopeful its the end of the matter raised. This is the aim by the operator, of this modus operandi way of behavior.  It so attempts to entrap the other person being called the "aggressor/attacker" -the action is so, it's hoped, buried.  But over time often it is not. Most people just don't forget injustices or manipulative behavior.

Its an old trick, it happens with relationships more then just sometimes and not just in business by any means. And yet many people see right through it.  Working/interacting with quality companies/people, or interrelating with higher quality individuals personally, such behavior is always noted.  If it happens too often, or even once, this person takes a chance on getting labeled as  behavior to “non-excellence in dealings”.

I think this is very bad psychology, even while they think they are being clever because: 

1) it shows a manipulative side and it rarely works in the long run as human beings are programmed in their genes not to accept/tolerate for long endured injustices. It so backfires as at the very least such people will be avoided. 

2) Also, most people with integrity and a high standard see right through this and then ignore & avoid such charlatan/pretender behavioral deviance in the future.

3) Its a "survival of the species thing" not to accept this kind of behavior. Indeed, right out of the human gene book which explains how/why people over time will just not accept long term injustices.  In our long human history some would rather die first, others leave the tribe, still others sell the stock and rate it “avoid”. Or, they never call again.

I am starting to think many of these “rare birds” are not even conscious when dealing with others through this gauche to say the least, modus operandi.

Its a bad way of behavior, off base and people in time will see through it, even if the pretender does not believe they will.  It also works spank-against them as it nurtures indirectly their own life's wrong assumption:

i.e. "that there is no real truth spoken and most all people are delusional? That in this world, honesty does not pay.  So just play the game".   Not so!

When I worked at Morgan Stanley in the 1980’s it was made clear that even one relevant lie or misrepresentation, or such odd behavior described above would/could get you instantly fired.  MS was a supreme employer in those days at a level which never made me want to work for any other company again since then.  I retired there at the age of 35.

Playing games through lies and then playing the insulted through accusing being attacked, this when one just raised the fair questions, is not acceptable behavior in most all reasonable circles.  At the same time some of us (me?) must learn to raise the thorny issues more gently, giving the benefit of the doubt, even when its crystal clear one was mislead/abused.

I bring up the above issue here because after many years visiting smaller Thai companies, I had most only good experiences, meaning I was not misled. Yet, I was alarmed (and mentioned this to K. Chanitr of the MAI) on how suddenly 3 mislead us in my view in just the past 18 months.  Maybe part of this is due to the bad economy of late?  TIES & MBAX come to mind for sure, but a real culprit was/is LVT with the seniors there in a totally different world, viewing any comment/suggestion/professional observation as an attack, and so their owed played version of modus operandi.  Latey they issued warrants then just failed to set the XW date? Leaving their shareholders in the dark.  When the company was asked by a member, the inquiry about this was just ignored. 

I must learn more to avoid these seeming to me “bad apples” and instead focus on the proven winners. Knowing the difference is the key, I got to get better at this. That is much part of life and business, and always was!

"Crooks like Bernie Madoff get all the publicity. But cowboys, charlatans and clowns are far more common, and do most of the real damage"
-- The Washington Post

Best Regards,

Paul Renaud.

www.thaistocks.com