Sanjeev Goenka-KL Rahul viral IPL spat: Why publicly screaming at your employees leads to more harm than good

The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) suffered a heavy defeat against the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on May 8, their biggest setback of the 2024 IPL season. The aftermath of the match saw a heated exchange between team owner Sanjiv Goenka and captain KL Rahul, raising eyebrows across the cricketing world.

A now-viral video captured an animated conversation between the 63-year-old Goenka and the seemingly calm Rahul. The public nature of the exchange, caught on camera, has been widely criticised online. Many social media users believe a more private setting, like the dressing room, would have been more appropriate to address the team’s performance.

Goenka taking class of KL and Langer 😂😂😂#SRHvLSG pic.twitter.com/Ea5YS43kty

— Slayer (@Cricnerd36) May 8, 2024

This sentiment even resonated with commentator Graeme Smith, a former South African captain, who was on-site during the match.

Neha Bahri, co-founder & CHRO, Bconnect Communications, agreed, saying a hostile approach towards employees can not just have grave implications on your relationship with them, but also affect their performance and company morale.

Taking to social media platform ‘X’, LSG wrote, “We’re all hurt by that game. 💔 But we are so grateful for each blue flag at Uppal, and every social media post or comment in our support despite this defeat.”

We’re all hurt by that game. 💔

But we are so grateful for each blue flag at Uppal, and every social media post or comment in our support despite this defeat.

This team has shown resilience over the last two years, and we’ll show it again.

Thank you for sticking with us, LSG…

— Lucknow Super Giants (@LucknowIPL) May 8, 2024

While critical feedback to help employees overcome challenges can be a situational need that management resorts to, the norm for empathetic communication remains paramount, in every case.

“This behaviour affects your employee’s future performance, and they will fear sharing feedback regarding their plan of action. Given the high attrition rate across sectors, there is a possibility of employees opting for a more employee-centric work culture promoting the workplace, which may harm the business,” Bahri said, describing it as a lose-lose situation for both employers and employees.

Moreover, on social media, the leader’s image can be targeted gravely at a time when empathy and great leadership reflect an organisation’s success, as has been true in Goenka’s case.

What is a better way to provide feedback?

Providing constructive critical feedback in seclusion can help aid the positive application of these pointers by the employees in their future course of action, said Bahri.

Moreover, impulse reaction can also lead to guilt, in the leader, as well, which can affect their performance too. Hence, documented feedback with empathy can help invoke a sense of responsibility in dynamic situations among the employees and also keep the ethos of a positive work culture intact.

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