Over my holidays’ vacation overseas, I re-discovered that in the harassment arena, managers fall into similar traps regardless of differences in geography or culture.
I met with a young male manager working for an international conglomerate. In a macho, male dominated hi-tech environment, one very attractive female was causing a stir. She was getting `looks’, comments, you name it. The leader was aware of this and felt personally uncomfortable but had taken no action, knowing that the woman was strong minded and perfectly capable of defending herself.
One fine day, she approached the manager with a complaint regarding a specific sexual innuendo that a colleague made in the course of a professional exchange.
The manager did the following:
He told her that she has the right not to be treated this way.
He instructed her to speak up directly next time someone said or did something that was offensive to her.
He emphasised that if this did not make a difference, she was to notify him promptly. He would address things immediately himself as part of his leadership responsibility.
So, what do you think? What did the manager do well and what should he have done differently?
Stay tuned for the answers!
PS you may wish to look at a relevant article on the ABC’s of Leaders’ Competencies in this area.
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