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Category: Personal Development

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Best Practices Entrepreneurship Human Resources Management Marketing Skills Women In Business

Are you Consistent Monday to Monday®? 4 Steps to Commitment

Click here to watch Are you Consistent Monday to Monday®? 4 Steps to Commitment

Consistency is a key element of influence. Inconsistency leads to a lack of trust. If people don’t trust you, they won’t act on your recommendations or follow your lead.

Influence comes down to two different elements that often collide; what you communicate, or the message, and how you communicate it, or the delivery.

Take action this week to make sure your personal brand is consistent Monday to Monday rather than making your listeners guess who is going to show up.

Categories
Growth Health and Wellness Women In Business

What is Your Bottom Line?

Years ago I was a project manager for an international franchise organization who was involved in acquisitions and rebrandings. I was working closely with their legal counsel primarily dealing with franchise agreements and defining trading areas. This legal team was amazing! They were so bright, talented, focused and strategic. We had a great rapport.

On one occasion two members flew in from Montreal to Toronto to meet with me. We had a tight deadline and too much to do. We had been hard at work all day and it was going on 7:00 pm. Our eyes were starting to burn and we were feeling nausea from all of the reading. At one point one of the lawyer’s said, “I can’t believe I came all this way to feel sick! If I read one more Appendix D, I’m going to throw up!”

I thought that was a good time to change the mood so I started singing , “ I would walk 500 miles” then the other lawyer sang, “And I would walk 500 hundred more” lastly Mr. Appendix D sang, “Just to be the man who walks a thousand miles and falls down at your door!” Then Mr. Appendix D found that song on his laptop and played it. The three of us stood up and stomped around the boardroom. It was a great stress relief! We worked well into the night and managed to meet our ambitious deadline.

A few days later they were back in Montreal and called me to help them out with mediation. They had an unintentional situation that needed damage control. One of the lawyer’s filled me in on the pertinent history and another lawyer began to coach me as to what to say and what not to say. After about half an hour of coaching I told her that this seems too complicated. Then I asked her, “What is your bottom line?”

I continued, “Be fair, and tell me what your best case scenario is?” She told me the best case scenario. Then she explained that she didn’t think I would be able to even get to that point in the mediation, as the other party’s mediator was known to be very aggressive. She wished me luck.

About an hour later I was on a conference call with the other party’s mediator. I said “hello” and then she interrupted me to begin her rant. I pressed the mute button and ate my golden delicious apple (it was really delicious). She went on and on and on. It must have been at least 20 minutes, which is a really long time to be yelled at by someone I didn’t even know. She eventually paused, so I thought that was my cue to start.

I had a lot of work to do and was not interested with dragging this out any further, so I simply proposed the bottom line. She was silent. I asked her to kindly relay the proposal to their legal counsel and ask them to reply to our legal counsel. I wished her a good day and then I hung up the phone. Done!

It was the end of the work day and my phone rang as I was getting ready to leave the office. I picked it up. It was the legal counsel. They were so happy to inform me that the other party accepted the proposal. They asked me what it is that I said to be so convincing. I told them, “I silenced her with a fair offer. No one can argue with that – not even her!” We laughed.

The next day, I received a beautiful bouquet of flowers, a delightful basket with cheese, crackers and chocolates and a card that read, “Special delivery from 500 miles!”

Michelle Nasser, Executive Coach michellenasser.leaders@gmail.com

 

 

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Best Practices Growth Management Personal Development Technology

How to Create a Productive Cybersecurity Team

This is part three of a six-part series for leaders of cybersecurity teams who want to create a high performance team. To start from the beginning read The Importance of a High Performance Cybersecurity Team and Protecting Your Organization through Engagement of Your Cybersecurity Team.

Throughout this series we are talking about the EPICC model for high performance and the 5-Pillars – Engagement, Productivity, Integrity, Collaboration and Communication. Today is all about Productivity.

When it comes to your cybersecurity team productivity is essential. There is typically more to do than most teams have time for and this team is your organization’s frontline defense against cyber attacks and internal threats. In the last article we talked about engagement in and I want to clarify that just because an employee is engaged, does not mean they are productive. Engagement is a great first step, but engaged does not equal productive.

Being productive means getting the tasks done that have an impact to the team meeting their goals and deadlines and an impact to the bigger picture and organizational goals. The way you are going to help empower your cybersecurity team to be more productive is by getting rid of the idea of time management and to start talking about priority management.

Priority management is a clear understanding of what each person on the team should say yes to and what they should no to. And as their leader this applies to you too.

You will need to work with each individual on your team to help them determine what their priorities are. This is important because if you have more than three priorities you have none – a priority is something that is more important than something else – and if everything is deemed a priority then nothing is actually a priority. This is about looking at the entire team, determining what the team’s priorities are and then breaking those down into individual responsibilities and tasks.

You may find a lot of tasks need to be done and that they all support the priorities of the team. That means you need to clearly identifying what is most important and what is least important and which tasks support which priorities. It is allowing members of your team to say no to requests on their time that do not support one of their three priorities.

As tasks get completed, organizational goals change, or new projects are initiated the priorities will change. Until that time, the priorities you set with each person is their focus and their guide for what they should say yes to and what they should say no to. But in order for them to say no to requests they need to know you support that action and the best way to accomplish saying no.

It’s about empowering them to determine if something supports a priority or not and the freedom to come to you and let you know that by saying yes to this new request something else on their priority list is not getting done.

We all have the same number of hours in the day and when they get filled with tasks that do not support the big picture or do not fall into the category of priority, the big projects don’t get done, or don’t get done well, on time or on budget.

Another big time suck is what people like to call multi-tasking. To read about this in its entirety check out The Dirtiest Word in Business.

The intent here is understand that that there is no such thing as multitasking the way we use the term. Our human brain does not allow for it, we are not built for doing two different cognitive activities at the same time. You are not multitasking you are switching between tasks. You might be doing this quickly, but you are missing out on details and losing efficiency every time you do it. Think about any time you have had to ask someone to repeat themselves because you missed what they said while you were “multitasking” and reading or writing an email while you were supposed to be listening to a conference call. We have all done it and we have all had it happen to us. The point is that we miss critical details, prolong meetings, and lose productivity when we are task switching.

If you want more productive employees and a high performance team you want your cybersecurity team to single task. That is one thing at a time. Even if that task is only planned for 10 minutes, during those 10 minutes they are laser focused on the task without distraction. Teach your team to block time for their tasks and projects and during that time they are focused on the task and nothing else. That means they don’t check email, don’t answer text messages, don’t answer the phone, don’t surf the web, and don’t stop to have a conversation about anything else.

This will take practice because in the world we live in we are currently bombarded with a lot of information all at the same time and we have spent a lot of time thinking that we are great multitaskers.

Start the conversation and discuss priorities and multitasking with your team and with some practice and diligence you will start to see more productivity. Couple that with increased engagement that we discussed in the last article and you are really onto something great.

For more information or help getting the conversation started email sharon@c-suiteresults to discuss resources. Visit www.c-suiteresults.com or listen to C-Suite Success Radio for more topics that will elevate your results.

 

 

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Leadership Marketing Operations Personal Development

When the Sale Hits the Fan

Victoria wanted a new car. Since she had previously bought three cars from the same dealership, and even though she had recently moved several hours away, she chose to drive the extra distance to make yet another annual new car purchase. Her credit was good, and the sale went off without a hitch. After a few hours, she drove off the lot in a brand new year end model.

Two weeks later, the car brakes failed, the engine lights all came and the car stalled in traffic- all in the middle of traffic. To make matters worse, she narrowly missed being hit by an 18 wheeler and her 75-year-old mother (who was in poor health) was also in the car, shaken by the near miss.

She immediately called for roadside assistance. Needless to say, she was less than pleased that her car, with fewer than a thousand miles on it, not only almost got them both killed, but had left them stranded on the side of the road. Roadside assistance arrived after a two hours wait and towed the car to the nearest dealership. (Which was over an hour and a half away from her home.)

Towed with Less than a Thousand Miles on the Odometer

The dealership receiving the car advised her that the car was under warranty. They told her to leave the car and then come back a week later to retrieve it. This upset her and she told them that she wanted the dealership to replace the car. They responded that most dealerships would simply repair it and not replace it. They further stated that upon inspection, they were not able to locate the issue. They went so far as to question her version of events, until she provided photos taken with her cell phone of the lights and warnings lit up on the dash. This made her even angrier.

At which point, Victoria called the original dealership demanding to speak to the manager. Unfortunately, the sales manager was out due to a doctor’s appointment, and her call was not returned to the next day. (More about this later.) The preceding scenario is not only real; it shows how one weak link or product failure can kill a previously profitable long-term sales relationship.

A 2011 study, for example, demonstrated that customers are overwhelmingly responsive to good service, with 9 out of 10 people surveyed stating they would be willing to pay more for a positive customer experience. US companies lose as much as $84 billion dollars each year due to poor customer service, and or product performance failure.

While it can bring an abrupt end to the sales conversation, a flawed product or even poor service does not necessarily mean the end of future sales. Of course, the best solution to poor quality of a product or service is always to prevent it beforehand, rather than trying to fix it later. If and when it does happen though, all is not lost. The same research study mentioned above also concluded that as many as 70% of all customers will continue to do business with a given company following an issue, provided the issue is resolved promptly.

It may not work every time, but a thoughtful retention strategy can rebuild customer and brand loyalty, when issues arise. This kind of responsiveness is not haphazard and must permeate the company culture and mindset. If left unchecked, product and performance issues tend to create a downward spiral that sucks out profitability.

Poor service or product issues can compromise and damage your brand, leading to a sales slump. Even if your you spend more to market the product, the issue will only grow unless you forcefully course correct the way you respond to inevitable failures. This means that you need to anticipate, plan and respond in a way that makes the customer feel both heard and valued.

Back to the Broken Brand New Car 

After arriving at the dealership the next day, the sales manager was informed of the issue. He promptly called her and offered to replace the car, but she would have to drive to the dealership (a trip of several hours due to her relatively remote home location), to pick up her replacement.

Someone would either have to drive her there and then follow her back, or she would need to rent a car and then figure out where it could be returned. In the end, the sales manager made a decision to have two members of his team drive out with an identical replacement, bringing the necessary paperwork and contract with them.

This was outside of the norm, but given the lifetime value of the customer, the specifics of the problem, and the need to rebuild trust, he chose to step up with demonstrably superior service. The manager also made sure to include a few extras, such as adding the window shading at no charge. The issue was resolved within a week. As an aside, the customer later stated that she intends to purchase her next vehicle from the same dealership.

The takeaway is threefold:

  • Develop a responsive plan for restoring client faith
  • Be proactive in making them whole and rebuilding brand trust
  • Listen and respond appropriately based on the situation and client needs

Instead of simply trying to save face, taking responsibility for situations and working towards rebuilding brand trust, can save not just the sale, but the lifetime value of the sales relationship.

Jamie Crosbie is an accomplished senior executive with a proven record of sales leadership success.  Contact Jamie today and find out how to take your business to the next level. Beyond ordinary. Be extraordinary! jcrosbie@proactivate.net

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Best Practices Health and Wellness Human Resources Management Marketing Skills Women In Business

Handling Conflict with Class

Potential conflict lurks around every corner. Over the weekend, I found a surprise in my inbox, which turned into a good lesson in two-way diplomacy and proactive problem solving.

It was an email from Jeff Hayzlett, co-founder and chairman of the C-Suite Network and the Hero Club. He was responding to a couple of questions I had asked, and at the bottom was the following comment:

“On a side note— I got feedback that when asked you had mentioned that the experience with Hero was not good— so was that wrong feedback or is this [program you are putting together] another run to make it work?”

I’m not sure which dropped further – my jaw or the pit of my stomach.

These are the kinds of scenarios that tend to trigger people’s fight-or-flight reflex. They either run away in embarrassment – even if the allegations aren’t true – or they react angrily and defensively, neither of which is conducive to productive discussion and problem solving.

My mind raced, simultaneously trying to figure out who had given him that “feedback” and what on earth I had said to that person that would have left the impression that I had a negative overall experience with the organization. Plus, I didn’t want some misrepresentation to tarnish my relationship with Jeff and the C-Suite Network.

However, one thing I did notice was how he chose to bring it up to me. On the one hand, he didn’t passive-aggressively write me off and give me the silent treatment, leaving me completely in the dark, but he also he didn’t attack me with accusations. After all, upon hearing that kind of rumor through the grapevine, most people’s reflex would probably have started with “WTF?!”

Instead, he neutrally and unemotionally stated the nature of the information he had received. There was no direct accusation, insult, or attack. He then equally objectively asked if what he’d heard was accurate (it wasn’t), and made an effort to try to understand my current position, giving me the benefit of the doubt and a chance to give my side and set the record straight.

What mattered most to me was to maintain that tone throughout the exchange, however long it took, in order to get to the bottom of things while keeping our relationship intact.

I responded showing my surprise, and wanting to set the record straight, while indicating my continued support for the organization and mending any fences that may have been damaged:

“??? I have no recollection of saying that. Can I ask what the context was?  Be good to know who that came from, not for gossip, just for context. And if I can reach out to clarify to them I’d be happy to. I want to promote HC, not disparage.”

Although he didn’t reply directly to my email, we saw each other the next day at the C-Suite Network Thought Summit in New York, which he had organized. I approached him first.

Knowing that if our roles were reversed, I would have felt betrayed upon hearing such a report, I apologized for any potential miscommunication on my part, and repeated the request for more information to try to figure out where things got lost in translation.

The story he received was that I had sent an email responding to an invitation his team had sent me about speaking on his panel, allegedly saying I didn’t want to because I’d had a bad experience with the Hero Club. This already sounded odd to me, because I love being on stage at his events (heck, at just about any event), and we both get great feedback afterwards, but I wanted to see what I had written.

I took a moment to scroll through every email I had sent to him or his team in the past few weeks, and the only one I found that remotely addressed the issue was a response I had sent to the original invitation saying that (a) I’d love to; (b) in full transparency I couldn’t address [XYZ] exactly as requested and explained why, but (c) suggested another angle from which I could approach the topic, and asked if that would work instead.

I showed him the message, and wanting to confirm that he hadn’t inferred something unpredictable from it, I asked him sincerely if it sounded like I had declined the invitation.

“No,” he agreed unequivocally.

“Does it sound like my reasons for [XYZ] implied that my experience with the Hero Club was not good?”

Again, he shook his head and said, “No.”

I also pointed to the thread and showed him that I had not received a response regarding whether or not my alternative solution was an acceptable one. I wasn’t trying to be antagonistic, or throw anyone else under the bus. I simply wanted to show where my current understanding of the situation ended, and hopefully restore my reputation with him, not at anyone else’s expense, which I also stated outright.

What was important in the exchange was that we both kept objective and neutral in word, tone and body language, and shared what information we had with each other, staying open-minded and seeking mutual understanding, all of which is critical to problem solving.

A little while later, he came back to me after a bit of his own digging and shared what he had discovered regarding what had fallen through the cracks on his end as well. I was relieved, knowing that my reputation and our relationship had been restored, which was my main priority, regardless of whether or not I had a formal speaking role at the event.

He said to me, “(when I realized what happened), I told my team, fix this.”

Sure enough, a little while later we were both on stage together. And truthfully, I think the result was even better than what either of us had originally envisioned.

But what made the greatest impression on me was how powerfully smooth the process was. At the end of the day, I asked him how he’d feel if I blogged about the experience and how we worked through it. He nodded. “Go for it.”

When both parties address concerns directly but diplomatically, share all relevant information, listen openly, take responsibility for whatever went wrong on their respective side, and collectively seek to find a remedy, that’s where positive change occurs.

******

Do you struggle with how to navigate conflict, or know someone who does? Contact me at laura@vocalimpactproductions.com or click here to set up a 20-minute focus call to discuss it with me personally.

 

Categories
Best Practices Growth Leadership Personal Development

5 Steps to Build and Develop Trust

Every good business relationship is built on trust. From creditors to employees, people need to trust that you’ll treat them the right way. Once trust is established and they know they can depend on you, they will extend their support even further, and may even make exceptions for you. This is essential to business success.

The sooner you show that you’re dependable, the quicker you’ll see the benefits, for instance commitment, devotion, priority ranking, extended credit, increased sales, and more opportunities. You must be proactive! Find ways to show your employees, creditors, and clients that you have their best interests at heart.

Here is our short guide for building and developing trust:

 

  1. Communicate. And communicate often. Be transparent when it comes to what you’re doing and why. Don’t leave anyone guessing what you’re up to—keep everyone informed! We suggest having regular meetings with suppliers, outsourced services, creditors, and your team. Share important information with them early and often. This alleviates their fears and allows them to feel valued. The more your team knows ahead of time, the more confident they are working with you.

 

  1. Be honest! If you purposely reserve information or harbor ulterior motives, you will destroy relationships and your reputation in your industry. Voluntarily discuss loopholes to assure the people you depend on that they will not be exploited. Make it clear that you’re a true partner who is looking out for them, not one who’s waiting to stab them in the back! Prevent them from keeping their guard up. Otherwise, you’ll get only the words of your agreements, not the spirit behind them.

 

  1. Create strategic alliances. Identify who gains if you gain, and treat them like partners. Share your ideas for growth and development with those who would prosper from a business relationship with you. Figure out how to advance their business while decreasing your need for money. For example, construct contracts for improved terms and free warehousing in return for longer term commitments.

 

  1. Take care of your customers. Nothing says, “Now that I have your money, you’re stuck with my products” like bad customer service. Customer service takes priority over what you’re selling. When you do your best to make that the sale is made, but can’t be bothered to prevent or fix an issue, you are asking competitors to take your customers. This is detrimental to your long-term business security. Without good customer service, your buyers won’t continue to buy, and they’ll tell others about their negative experience. Customers become devoted supporters when you treat them like a friend.

 

  1. Be responsible. Don’t try to play the blame game or cover up when you make a mistake. It will only worsen the situation, hurt your relationship, and lose you valuable trust. If you realize you’re going to miss a payment, contact your creditors right away. And be prepared! Develop a strategy that will bring your account up-to-date. This shows your empathy for the risk they’ve taken on you. Remember: You are not judged when everything goes smoothly. You’re judged by how you handle mistakes.

Long-term good behavior is the foundation for trust. In the first stages of a business relationship, trust can be lost easily. How you deal with an awkward situation tells your employees, creditors, and clients all they need to know. It could help them justify putting their faith in you, or it could lead them to regret the relationship. Trust is a lot more than saying, “Trust me.” And you can trust us on that!

For more, read on: http://csnetworkadvis.staging.wpengine.com/advisor/michael-houlihan-and-bonnie-harvey/

 

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Entrepreneurship Management Personal Development

How Employee Engagement Can Be Smothered by Compensation, Compliance, and Corporate Structure

Today’s C-Suiters search for ways to enhance empowerment, employee engagement, and entrepreneurial culture. They can say they want a more innovative, entrepreneurial environment, but they need the tools to get there.

Our book, The Entrepreneurial Culture, 23 Ways to Engage and Empower Your People, is a companion to our New York Times Best Seller, The Barefoot Spirit, which gives you what you need to foster a dynamic, constructive, and progressive corporate culture. The Entrepreneurial Culture speaks to corporations, giving them successful entrepreneurial tools to engage their employees.

Developing a new corporate structure from scratch isn’t necessary—these tools can benefit a company’s present structure. In order for these tools to be successful, changes must start from the top, and tip-top management must be eager to make those changes. But, a common trait of many C-Suiters is that they are terrified of change. A C-Suiter might think that change will result in legal issues, wasted money, or an employee rebellion. What they might not realize is that they can prevent employee empowerment and engagement by praising the three sacred corporate cows.

1. Compensation: Salary is the most popular method of compensation among corporations. But salary does not pay for performance—it pays for attendance. With salaried pay, a raise is not personal. It’s not based on accomplishments, good ideas, or profits; instead, it’s based on tenure. Why should an employee care what they accomplished this week if their paycheck will look the same as it did last week? This teaches employees that they are unappreciated—they are not respectable assets to the company. Two or more employees might be paid the same salary if they do the same work. So, why would either of them put in extra effort when it won’t be acknowledged? These people will leave to find employment that pays in line with production. Who can blame them? How can an employee work to their potential if the company’s compensation plan holds them back?

2. Corporate Structure: Most companies operate in a pyramid shape, functioning from the top down. Within the company pyramid are several smaller pyramids. Each small pyramid ferociously defends itself from the other small pyramids, creating an environment susceptible to turf wars. This jagged structure can prevent great ideas from moving upward, potentially stifling any chance of real breakthrough. It’s tough to expect employee engagement when their ideas will be forgotten, withheld, or altered. How can anyone feel comfortable coming up with resolutions for other departments’ challenges if they are seen as forbidden territory.

3. Compliance: Compliance is designed to mitigate liability. Instead of finding reasons why things should be done, the legal department finds reasons why they shouldn’t be. Compliance is not a quick process—it creates a backlog, and employees know it. This alone can discourage them from proposing new solutions and ideas. Since the legal department is paid by the hour, they have an interest in running everything through compliance. Some legal departments go as far as to discourage public recognition for good work, fearing it could be used against the company in a legal dispute. What these legal departments fail to understand is that public acknowledgement encourages positive production, sets a standard for appreciation, and creates a respectful environment.

Want to discover how to achieve entrepreneurial culture by rounding up the sacred cows and removing the element of fear? Come back soon!

For more, read on: http://csnetworkadvis.staging.wpengine.com/advisor/michael-houlihan-and-bonnie-harvey/

 

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Best Practices Entrepreneurship Human Resources Management Marketing Personal Development Women In Business

Understand Before Seeking to be Understood

 

In your negotiations, how much attention to you give to really understanding the needs, wants, and desires of the other negotiator? Do you understand why he’s really negotiating with you per the mindset he possesses, his values, his sources of motivation? A lot of negotiators don’t really understand the mindset of the opposing negotiator and thus, they lead themselves down a path that infuses the negotiation with more angst than what otherwise might be the case.

In your future negotiations, be more mindful of the mindset of the other negotiator. Seek to understand him before you seek to be understood by him.

www.TheMasterNegotiator.com

 

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Entrepreneurship Marketing Personal Development

Why is the Barefoot Startup So Important Today?

We talk about the Barefoot Startup very often. But, what is it exactly? It’s sales! That’s it! Selling before your doors open; sales-supported growth; sales maps for new hires; overhead warranted by sales; bonuses based on sales; and development built on the cost of sales. The Barefoot Startup philosophy is sales-driven.

Why this fixation on sales? It’s how each employee gets paid. Each and every one! If not for the sales department, everyone else—production, marketing, HR, admin, and CEOs—wouldn’t serve a purpose.

Why is the Barefoot Startup so vital today? Focus on sales has vanished. Instead, we favor programming, engineering, HR, production, and legal.  We’ve grown to think that breakthrough technology, an amazing app, or a new financial system takes priority over sales. They don’t, and they never will.

In the Barefoot Startup, product design is determined by sales. You aren’t finished until you thoroughly understand how the market will be accessed and what the market wants.

Today, people believe success is based on financing. It’s not! You can secure financing before making a single sale. You can quickly burn out your investor dollars, too, without sales.

Startups trick themselves into believing that landing a spot in a major retail store is a recipe for success in itself. It’s not! This is not the end—it’s only the beginning. Real success is increasing and maintaining sales while staying in the market.

We’ve seen companies that have pushed marketing while neglecting the importance of sales. They’ll take a bow when sales are up, and they’ll blame the salespeople when numbers are down.

With no sales plan, no sales experience, and a really cool idea, you can still get financing. This way of thinking isn’t limited to just startups. Their investors can take sales for granted as well, and they shouldn’t. The failure rate of startups is on the rise. Over half of small startups collapse within their first four years, according to Small Business Trends.

No matter how bright, no idea is going to sell itself. Every idea must sell and, more importantly, resell on a continuous basis.

Focus should be on the cost of sales. Instead, it is usually on the cost of goods. But, if you aren’t able to service what you sell, you’ll soon be off the market. If your sales can’t generate positive cash flow, you’re stuck pleading with investors just to keep the lights on.

Today, business owners think if they have a cool idea and catchy marketing, all it takes is some people to sell it. If they don’t make sales, just get rid of them and hire more. Right? Absolutely wrong. With this revolving door, you never learn why your idea didn’t work—until it’s too late.

How did this happen? The world of sales has gotten a bad name. Nobody wants to come across as “salesy.” People don’t want to face rejection. And the “typical” salesperson is viewed as a shady character who is only after your money with almost nothing to offer in return. A good salesperson offers first-rate customer service, and they should be a startup’s top priority, not the bottom.

From small startups to large corporations, the time is right to implement the Barefoot Startup. Get started now! Focus on the most important key to success—sales!

For more, read on:  http://csnetworkadvis.staging.wpengine.com/advisor/michael-houlihan-and-bonnie-harvey/

 

Categories
Growth Management Personal Development Women In Business

The Other Side of Sexual Harassment

A lot of women who are employed outside the home have been sexually harassed at work.  It happens in every industry. Men are inappropriately touching, speaking, or wanting sexual activity from a woman.  Whether he’s her boss or someone she works alongside, women deal with uncomfortable and sleazy advances.  Undoubtedly, the thought of losing her job crosses her mind.

When the advances come from a boss, women have to think what it will do to her career. Will she get passed over for a promotion, receive a poor review, or lose her job. Advances from a co-worker cause a woman to worry that others will hear about it, ruining her reputation, or separating her from the team.

In Hollywood, it’s no surprise this has been happening. We’ve heard stories of couch calls for decades. These auditions are invitations from intimidators to engage in something sexual so the actor will get the part. In the 60’s and 70’s mothers would bring their daughters to these meetings knowing what would happen. Sexual misconduct also happens after the actor receives the role.

Recently, film producer and co-founder of Miramax, Harvey Weinstein, has been in the news about his sexual harassment of actors and staff. Women have stated they were afraid to speak out, saying that Weinstein could make or break their career. That’s a ludicrous reason for letting it continue. Without putting a stop to it means you value your career over your body, your dignity. When you don’t shut it down you are allowing it to happen. You make the choice of what is more important to you, your body or your career. Once the choice is made, you must live with it. If you don’t put a stop to it, then you are supporting it.

One of the actors speaking out against Weinstein said that Weinstein raped her twice. How does that transpire. There’s only one way: by putting yourself in the same situation again. Then whose fault is it.

Since then many women have stepped forward, telling about sexual misconduct at work. It covers all industries:

Corporate leaders, politicians, athletes, media people, chefs, photographers, animators, talent agents, singers, doctors, professors, deans.

The list keeps growing.

Choosing to let it happen by reason of valuing your job over your body makes you just as guilty as the oppressor. Giving into the situation doesn’t matter if you are an actor, an executive climbing the ladder, a minimum wage earner or any employee. Women need their jobs and worry about losing them in every industry.

In these situations, women have the power. They can take control or give it up. You take control by saying no. There are numerous stories of actors who told Weinstein no and left unscathed. If you don’t shut it down you are participating.

Men should never put women (and vice versa) in a position where they feel sexually harassed; period. That doesn’t mean it won’t happen. There are actions women can do:

  1. Immediately say NO, making it clear that you mean it.
  2. Remove yourself from the location. That means physically move away.
  3. Put a stop to it. Adamantly tell him that you do not accept that behavior and he is never to do that again.

There is no excuse to allow being harassed. If you come up with an excuse you are participating. Excuses are a way to hide your guilt to yourself. You can’t justify letting it happen if you think you will lose your job or for any other reason. You put a stop to it or you are engaging in it.

Imagine what it would be like today if women stood up to their bosses or co-workers a long time ago. We wouldn’t have all these accusations coming out now. We wouldn’t have our daughters subjected to this kind of treatment. Women would have already taught men that the behavior is not allowed. It’s like training a new puppy; sometimes you have to ‘pop him’ in the nose so he will learn.

If you didn’t confront the behavior long ago you have allowed it to continue. You still have the power.  Train him at the time it arises. Remaining silent doesn’t stop sexual harassment; it’s participating in it. Take immediate and assertive action, and shut it down.