Why #MeToo Won’t Die and What to Do
Every day we seem to receive a new avalanche of complaints about sexual harassment or assault as a part of the #MeToo movement. The latest is against Stephen Wynn, a Vegas billionaire and Republican National Committee finance chair. The Wynn empire’s casino stock fell sharply on the news, illustrating the power of these types of allegations to create financial risks. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/27/us/politics/steve-wynn-rnc-resignation.html
“…people in positions of power sometimes don’t realize — or refuse to consciously acknowledge — the power differential that they have over others in their organization.”
Because the public cases seem to strike with such speed and fury, many of my clients are left spinning with concern about what to do next. Obviously, most organizations need to step up training and monitor their complaint process http://www.workplacesthatwork.com/newsletter-what-does-metoo-mean-for-you-as-a-leader/ — but in addition, many managers and executives need individual coaching on the issue of power.
What seems to be true is that people in positions of power sometimes don’t realize — or refuse to consciously acknowledge — the power differential that they have over others in their organization. I have coached executives who honestly thought that certain behavior was welcome and reciprocal. They simply didn’t realize (or refused to know) that their underlings reasonably assumed that they had to “go along to get along” with the behavior that these executives dished out. The alleged behavior doesn’t rise to the level of the stories that have been making the news, yet organizations still need to make sure that such behavior doesn’t escalate.
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.
 Did You Know
All of our training and coaching of individual managers includes discussions of power differentials and the consequences of inattention to this issue.
Call or write us at: 303-216-1020 or Lynne@workplacesthatwork.com
Learn more about our training offerings and check out our team members at:
Be sure to read Lynne’s book on sexual harassment.
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January 29, 2018
