Addressing #MeToo in an organizational setting

There’s been - and continues to be - a lot of talk about how organizations and companies can respond to the #MeToo agenda, and how they can protect themselves and their employees from the harm that inappropriate behavior causes.

In some ways, this is great. It shows that the issues are being taken seriously and companies are waking up to the subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) forms of pressure that women in the workplace can face.

But it’s also really sad. Many decades on from the mainstream introduction of women into the workplace, and too many years since the passing of various pieces of equality legislation across the world, it still continues to be a problem.

I don’t have my own #MeToo story – but I have had experiences of discrimination and uncomfortable situations during my career. Fortunately, I was brought up by strong parents who had no doubts that as young women, my sister and I had the right to and would achieve whatever we set our hearts to. That belief and confidence does a lot to protect against the knocks and bruises it’s all too easy to pick up along the way.

But what more do we still need to do?

There’s a lot that companies can consider if they want to protect their employees from harm and their reputations from damage.

An obvious starting place is to have robust policies in place – clear standards of what is and isn’t acceptable behavior in the workplace, with sanctions that are understood – and more importantly, rigorously enforced.

Channels by which concerns or complaints can be raised are also important – safe spaces through which employees can bring issues to the attention of management but with safeguards in place to avoid malicious misuse.

As employers, we can also make sure that our employees, particularly but not exclusively our young women, are equipped with the skills of assertiveness, resilience and self-confidence. We can invest in personal as well as career development, ensuring people have the skills to live happily as well as to work productively.

We can do all of these things – but for me, this somewhat misses the point. These are all reactive activities. What we really need are proactive investments that address the cause and don’t just treat the symptoms and the consequences.

I have been fortunate to work in environments where an inclusive culture is seen as an essential part of who we are as an organization, and celebration of difference is central to how we operate.

This is where companies really need to invest if they want to address the challenges and remove the risk of #MeToo.

Spend time creating a culture that is founded on respect rather than just tolerance. Encourage teams to see each other as people first and employees second. Allow space to build relationships that are meaningful. Recognize that the differences between us are what makes us stronger as a team and more successful as an organization. Encourage people to ‘walk a mile in each other’s shoes’. Value empathy as a skill and resource we should all nurture.

My personal belief – and hope – is that if we can put effort into doing these things, we remove the things that allow #MeToo to happen – and we make the workplace a fairer, happier, more inclusive and ultimately more productive environment for everyone.

Who wouldn’t want that?