Business, Technology and Management Resource

Preventing Sexual Harassment

Most companies do not proactively try to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace; rather, they try to protect themselves from its consequences.
To that end, all employees must sign - along with so many other unread documents upon their first day with the organization - a piece of paper acknowledging the company's position against sexual harassment. One can almost hear the sigh of relief from HR; now they have the signed statement should complaints and/or litigation follow.

The Marine Corps knows that signing a piece of paper does not constitute training. That's why, during basic training and throughout his/her career, a Marine is required to actively participate in discussion groups on the topic of sexual harassment.

And it pays off: the Marine Corps - ostensibly the most macho, and thereby the most likely organization to be plagued with problems stemming from sexual harassment - has the lowest incidence rate of all the services.

Managers would do well to emulate this practice.

The open, friendly workplace - in which all employees dress to look their best - is very fertile ground for unwanted behavior of a sexual nature.
Furthermore, many employees come from the comparatively permissive environments of high school and college and might be shocked at what
kind of behavior constitutes sexual harassment.

In-depth discussion groups can make all the difference. Participants can come to appreciate the victim's point of view, and the truly destructive
effects upon morale and performance that result from persistent, unwanted attention.

A Marine leader wants nothing to get in the way of mission readiness; a manager, likewise, must create and maintain a workplace free of resentment
and feelings of victimization. And a manager must never walk away from a bawdy joke at the water cooler, smiling apologetically and blaming company policy for not being able to "join in the fun." He or she must view such behavior as a literal form of sabotage, undermining the "mission readiness" of the department.

Published Articles: http://www.brochin.net/business-tech-management/

By: SemperFi Consulting

Dan and Rod are the co-authors of Semper Fi: Business Leadership the Marine Corps Way and Mission Ready a monthly Leadership Newsletter. Before writing Semper Fi, Rod and Dan wrote a current events newspaper column, Rosie's Bar & Grill, which was syndicated by the New York Times Syndicate.

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