In an effort to regulate his legacy, Alfons Hörmann has apparently overshot the mark. As a result of an anonymous letter from the staff - keyword: culture of fear - requested by the ethics committee of his house to face the question of confidence, the President of the German Olympic Sports Confederation chose to resign. That was in June. Instead of leaving, Hörmann flew as head of the delegation to the Olympic Games in Tokyo and at the same time apparently commissioned various first-class diplomas for himself. The two and a half page long summary of a so-called cultural analysis confirms what a surprise that there is no question of fear at DOSB. A management consultancy confirms to him on almost 160 pages, which is also to be expected,that his eight-year term of office was marked by successes.
But Hörmann has overstepped the curve and damaged his office. He seems obsessed with the idea of being a victim of intrigue. Karin Fehres, a former board member of the DOSB, is said to admit to having written the anonymous letter - and thus remove the ground for all allegations. Hörmann, his chairwoman of the board, Veronika Rücker, and board member Thomas Arnold put the former colleague under massive pressure. If she confess, she will be spared in return. If she does not confess, civil and criminal proceedings are threatened. That doesn't sound like a conscientious search for the truth. Karin Fehres, who worked for the DOSB for fourteen years until she left, became suspicious of all things because the anonymous letter describes Hörmann's handling of her as an example of behavior,who lacked any form of respect and decency. Hörmann seems to confirm this.
Lack of respect for others
His lawyer claims to have a speech analysis that exposes Fehres.
You don't have to be an expert to suspect that someone is wanted who, as in the anonymous letter, always writes the word that.
It is up to Hörmann, wrote Thomas de Maizière, chairman of the ethics committee, in June to make it clearer to third parties, especially employees.
The outgoing president has not fulfilled hope.
Tears flowed at the DOSB's most recent staff meeting, the cultural change cannot be far off.
Transparency International Germany issues the DOSB and its leadership, unsolicited and unpaid, with the next certificate.
It's devastating.
The behavior of the DOSB leadership reduces the jointly developed principles of good governance ad absurdum.
She shows that she did not understand at all what the complaints were about.
Hörmann, it looks like, will continue to thrash about in a good three weeks before he leaves.
And not, as he promised when he was re-elected in Düsseldorf in 2018, to create trust and reliability, build bridges, rely on transparency and openness.
Insight is not to be expected from him.
The only thing missing is that he wants to become honorary president of the association.