The Cuomo Tales: What Three Lessons Could You Learn?
Capital Punishment? Five women have now accused embattled New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo of sexual harassment. Both Democratic and Republican politicians in New York have now called on him to resign – capital punishment for the once-popular politician. Should that be his fate?
Whenever there’s a public scandal about harassment, or within a client organization I’m advising, there’s a hue and cry for resignation or termination. Except in the most horrific and obvious cases, however, I need to walk them off the ledge. Within the workplace, at least, there’s frequently a lack of understanding that consequences come in gradations, not one size fits all. Just because you have “zero tolerance” for harassment, doesn’t mean termination is always the appropriate remedy. Especially for a first and minor offense – coaching, a verbal warning, a written warning, a slash of a bonus and so on may be more appropriate.
For a politician, of course, we may have more challenges crafting a lower-level consequence, yet given the frequency of harassment allegations, I think we should try.
And Remember, Investigations? Accused is not convicted goes the criminal law aphorism. Of course, harassment isn’t generally a criminal complaint – unless it’s an assault – but I’m always amazed at how quickly convictions happen in the court of public opinion. Yes, we need to listen with respect to women (or men) who come forward with accusations, but not necessarily believe all of them. Investigations take time and we need to wait for the outcome before passing judgement.
Apologies Please! Cuomo, like many public figures before him, has attempted to apologize if he “offended anyone.” As I have written before (Monday Memo Archives (workplacesthatwork.com), public figures need to take responsibility for their actions, not place the blame on those they have harmed.
What Should You Do?
Consider Appropriate Consequences: Avoid knee jerk reactions leading to terminations. Sometimes firings are appropriate, but not always.
Launch Full and Fair Investigations: Everyone has rights in these situations – the accused, the target, and any witnesses. Respect all the parties, assign the task of a thorough investigation to an experienced and neutral investigator and – most importantly – wait. Don’t make any final decisions until you have received a competent report. Investigations take time and it is the employer’s job to stay neutral until they are complete.
Coach Apologies: If public apologies seem appropriate, make sure that the accused takes responsibility for his or her actions instead of blaming the target. They should use words such as: “I was wrong…I’ve learned…I want to remedy any wrong…”. Apologies that state, “I apologize to anyone who was offended” place the blame on the wrong party, implying that the target owns the problem because of their sensitivities, rather than the harasser’s actions. Be cautious, however. Apologies are not always welcome and may sometimes traumatize the target. Make sure that you are not doing more harm than good.
For more articles concerning appropriate or inappropriate comments inside and outside the workplace go to
https://www.workplacesthatwork.com/cancel-culture-myth-or-fact-and-should-you-care/
What Do You Think?
Has your organization learned from public harassment scandals? Contact us at: 303-216-1020 or Lynne@workplacesthatwork.com
Did You Know?
In addition to online and in person workshops on these issues, we provide, investigations, coaching and counseling for professionals dealing with the fallout, as well as education for the harasser, after investigations are completed.
Call or write us at: 303-216-1020 or Lynne@workplacesthatwork.com
Coaching and webinars on these and other management and leadership topics can all be delivered virtually.
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Read Lynne’s book on sexual harassment.
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March 8, 2021
