According to the American Psychological Association, only 32% of of working Americans surveyed said their organisation was doing something in response to #MeToo, and while the instinctive response is to promote anonymous helplines and demand people speak up, the research shows that these solutions will have, at best, a marginal effect and might even do more harm.
Respect - an overview
In the wake of #metoo and high-profile cases at the top of big companies, now more than ever the spotlight is on business leaders to keep their workplaces safe from predatory behaviour. Beyond the headlines, the business case for creating a culture of respect speaks for itself.
The three components of the toxic triangle:
Cultures that are lacking in respect and that enable harassment are characterised by a toxic triangle of factors. The most severe cases of bullying and harassment are found when all three of the below factors are present.
So what does it mean in practice?
Creating a culture of respect:
By recognising the different forms of bullying and harassment and the many parties involved, we can begin to create a climate of respect, where we:
- Agree on what is or isn’t acceptable behaviour at work
- Notice unacceptable behaviour and see it for what it is
- Say or do something about unacceptable behaviour when we see it.