Month: January 2018

Why #MeToo Won’t Die and What to Do

What Should You Do?

• Hold Discussions on Power. Include discussions of power in your trainings of managers and executives. Make sure that they understand that just because certain behavior seems voluntary, that doesn’t mean that it is welcome.
• Be on Alert. Be alert to ambiguous complaints about certain managers – high turnover, exit interviews where leaving employees describe “difficult” leaders, requests to be reassigned and so on. Try to understand the behavioral specifics of these complaints before you dismiss the messenger. Be alert to patterns of subtle complaints about certain leaders.
• Provide Mandatory Sensitivity Training. Provide mandatory one-on-one sensitivity training for leaders who violate your harassment or discrimination policy or values, even if the violations seem trivial. Hold leaders to a higher standard and emphasize that they need to serve as role models of appropriate behavior.

Managing Former Peers: The Do’s and Don’ts 

What Should You Do?

Want to Stop Racism? Start With Yourself

What Should You Do?

If you are a leader, you have an obligation to intervene in the moment. If it is a large group, simply say that the comment or behavior is inappropriate and then speak to the individuals privately later on. Be clear about whether it is a violation of law, policy or values and document the discussion. Severe behavior should, of course, be reported to HR.

If you are simply a bystander with no management authority, you still have a moral – if not a legal – responsibility to intervene. Here are some suggested responses:

• Clarify what you heard:  “I think I heard you say ___, is that true?” “Did you mean ____?”
• Ask for more information:  “I’m puzzled about what you’re saying, can you explain?”  “Did you think that was funny?”
• Remind them of your values:  “At this organization, we don’t say things like that. Could we change the subject?”
• Admit your own experience or lack of education: “I used to feel that way too, then I realized ____.”
• Affirm your own opinion about the behavior: “I think it’s wrong to stereotype or generalize about a group of people.”
• Appeal to the speaker’s reputation: “I always thought of you as a person of integrity and fairness. It surprises me to hear you say that.”
• Explain the impact: “Your comment is hurtful.”
• If you can’t think of anything in the moment: “Ouch!”

How to Keep the Ones You Love: The Number One Retention Strategy

What Should You Do?

While feedback and performance reviews will probably not go away, consider reframing your talk by focusing on the future. Take these steps:

• Focus on future projects. Instead of a critique of a project, focus onimproving performance for future projects.
• Offer options. Don’t give directives if you can avoid it. Consider yourself a coach with numerous tools you can offer and let them choose what will get them to their goals.
• Treat people as adults. Most people know when they’ve made a mistake or need to improve performance. Ask them what their goals are and guide them toward solutions and problem solving, not just critiques.

How to Keep the Ones You Love: The Number One Retention Strategy

What Should You Do?

• From the first day on, let people know that you are in it for the long haul with them. You want to help develop their career. You hope they will have a long relationship with their organization, but even if they leave, you would hope that the relationship endures. You never know when someone is going to leave to work for a customer or potentially boomerang back to your team – even if they leave.

• Follow through on the above. Schedule regular one-on-ones where you focus specifically on their goals and objectives and how you can help. You should do these more often than an annual review – ideally once a month. Give them useful feedback – both what is working and what is not working.

• As the following questions: If there is anyone here who is interfering with your success, please let me know. If there is anything I can do, or that anyone else can do, to make you more successful, please let me know. The first time you ask these questions you may not receive an answer but if you keep asking, eventually you will receive useful information.
• Even if you can’t offer raises or promotions, look for other benefits:  can you offer cross training opportunities, educational courses, more flexible schedules and the like? These perks can mean a lot.
• Don’t forget the small things. I once worked with a new leader whose team was in mutiny because he never said hello in the mornings, spent time with them in the break room, or planned small celebrations. He was a task-oriented engineer and had no interest in wasting time on these niceties but his team felt otherwise, as do most employs.
• When you are with people, be present. Turn off your devices, practice active listening and ask open-ended (who, what, where, when) questions.
• Have someone else do effective exit interviews if people do leave so you have relevant data. Don’t just ask why they are leaving, but what was happening when they first started thinking about leaving. You will collect surprising information.