As we near the end of yet another International Women’s Day, I look back on the past year and feel encouraged about the progress that has been made. As someone who has been advocating for the advancement of women in business for over three decades, I have often felt frustrated at the pace of progress, and the continuing barriers that prevent half of the employable workforce from feeling empowered and valued. The world in which I spend most of my time – that of public corporations – has tried for years to develop programs and policies to mandate equality and inclusivity. What the past year has taught us is that until we are shaken to the core, very few people modify behaviors that have been emulated by those in power.
It can be argued and debated whether there was an actual event that triggered this cultural tsunami. Certainly the sound bites of Donald Trump talking about “locker room behavior” incited media and a population of women who had been on the receiving end of such remarks over the years. A few months later, the wave of media moguls who were called out, including Kevin Spacey, Harvey Weinstein, Matt Lauer, and Charlie Rose provided momentum in an industry that found itself on the “story” side rather than the “reporting” side of the news. Continued focus was drawn to the horrendous stories of gymnastics coach Jack Nasser, multiple sports figures, cultural arts centers, and finally, in the halls of academia and corporations. No industry is spared, and focus is now centered on governance: Who knew? Who should have known? Who should be held to know?
As we sift through the ramifications of accusations and dismissals, most of us are left wondering how different things might actually become. There is a sense of relief that bad behavior is no longer condoned in most circles, and that calling out bad behavior can result in positive outcomes for victims. It’s also reassuring that the topic of culture is being covered in many boardrooms, and subjects such as unconscious bias are becoming more widely discussed and understood.
Organizational leaders today are scrambling to understand whether they have risk in this area. With the power of 24/7 communications via network and social media, an accusation of harassment in the executive ranks can bring immediate and significant damage to brand image and stock or reputational value. Here are some ideas to consider in assessing risk:
- If you haven’t regularly taken a pulse of how it feels to work in your organization, now is an opportune time to do so. Send a quick survey to employees, contractors, and partners who work there regularly, asking how the culture feels.
- Re-examine any policy or employee manuals to ensure they include topics of harassment and ethics. Many of these documents are decades old and likely need refreshment.
- Institute or refresh a whistleblower program. Be sure to communicate the guarantee of anonymity. For public, private and nonprofit organizations, there should be a mechanism for direct escalation to the board of directors.
- Consider implementing a 360-degree evaluation of top leadership to get a comprehensive look at how they are perceived by peers as well as direct reports. This provides a quick and complete look at your leadership team, and will identify any significant issues.
- Examine any formal mentoring program in the organization. What is covered? How is it measured? Based on the 360-degree evaluation, you might want to reconsider whom you assign as mentors!
- Institute routine “skip meetings” where leadership has an opportunity to meet with people two levels (or more) below them. This encourages more open dialogue, and increases likelihood of people speaking up should a problem exist.
The silver lining to all of the unsettling media frenzy is that many organizations will utilize tools such as those listed above to examine culture, leadership practices, and governance. There is, however, a downside that needs to be avoided as the #metoo movement continues to build. If men in an organization become unduly concerned or nervous about how to behave around women, or worse yet, if it is believed that any accusation lodged against a man is immediately considered valid (without due diligence undertaken), the resulting culture could be devastating. The proverbial “seat at the table” that women have fought so hard to win might once again disappear, and we find ourselves thrown back 30 years to when men only had business dinners with other men and critical decisions were made in carefully curated golf course foursomes.
Men and women must work together toward the same goal; that of creating a culture that is respectful and professional, without losing friendliness and ease of conversation. As much as both men and women need to call out bad behavior, they must also intervene when unintended comments or actions are misunderstood or misconstrued. We have come too far to allow the actions of a few outliers spoil a future we all hope to see. Here are a few suggestions to keep the pendulum from swinging too far to the wrong side:
- Talk about concerns. Ask one another how you feel about the wave of allegations that have surfaced. Share stories and outcomes. Be sure everyone understands how accusations and complaints will be handled. It’s important to fill in any gaps in understanding that might exist. Without this, your organization will revert to assumptions based on biases people hold, and you might easily find yourself in an unhealthy “us vs. them” environment.
- Consider intent, and don’t jump to conclusions. If you overhear a questionable comment, think about what the person was intending to do. In most cases, intentions are not malicious, and comments are made out of frustration or awkwardness.
- Remember that people are human. In the workplace, friendships form, and familiarity breeds casual language. Remind one another that comments taken out of context can be misconstrued. Have one another’s backs, and be open to provide and receive feedback.
- Be aware of the slippery slope. When conversations and humor take a turn toward being offensive, steer it back up. Remind one another to keep biases in check.
The progress made this past year has been encouraging as we are now openly discussing things that women have privately lamented to one another for decades. Unprofessional and inappropriate (and in some cases illegal) behavior will no longer be tolerated in a work environment. As we cull these bad players out of the landscape, let’s be sure we preserve, and in some cases create, an environment where all will thrive and contribute.
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