4 Things Your Business Can Do To Support #MeToo

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It’s becoming increasingly harder to watch the news without hearing of new allegations of sexual assault. Hollywood is, quite rightly, in the spotlight at the minute and will be for years to come. However, normal, run-of-the-mill businesses aren’t immune to allegations either. What has been shocking about revelations is how prevalent sexual impropriety is in the workplace. Women from around the world, from all walks of life, have shared very similar stories. This means one thing – it may happen in your business. So, the question for bosses is: “what can I do to support the work of #MeToo?” Here are four pieces of advice that will help.

Accept It

It’s a massive cliché, but the first step on the path to recovery is to admit there is a problem. Don’t get sucked into the attitude that it’s only the top movie execs that are to blame. Sexual assault in the workplace takes many forms and your employees may see it on a daily basis. By understanding it happens, it will make the company more aware. Also, and this is essential, it encourages the management to take a stand. Accepting that it can be a problem anywhere in the world means you have to make the office aware of the company’s policies and what is and is not acceptable.

Delegate Power

Let’s not dilute your role because the boss always has the final say. However, you can’t deal with potentially hundreds of people o a daily basis. There is a reason for managers – they’re the firm’s eyes and ears. They should also be the police officers in the office regarding sexual harassment. Managers are the first port of call. For example, a worker will go to them to report the issue because they have a connection. But, if the line managers aren’t empowered, then the workforce won’t feel as if they can communicate. Ensure they know how to listen and help, but, most importantly, make sure they make coming forward easier.

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And Outsource Expertise

The company needs detailed and exhaustive policies to safeguard its employees. There’s one hitch – you’re not an expert. Everyone understands the basics because they are not complicated. But, once you get into the nitty-gritty, then it becomes harder to police. Winer, McKenna & Burritt is a law firm that deals with sexual harassment cases. With a law firm such as this on your side, it is far easier to create solid, unshakeable policies. Please don’t let ego get in the way. Where there is a gap in knowledge, you should outsource to a third-party.

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Make Training Mandatory

Training seminars are a good idea even if the office is squeaky clean. Firstly, some people may not know what constitutes harassment and assault. As shocking as it sounds, it’s true. Secondly, training reinforces the business’s rules and regulations. Sending out an email blast is a start but it only raises awareness of the issue. To change behaviors, the firm has to teach its employees how to act professionally.

How do you plan on helping the women and men who have been brave enough to speak out?

What College Success Really Looks Like

When you really get down to it, we need to prepare students for success in college before they even set foot on campus. We can do a lot to help them once they're here, but if we work smart beforehand, we can get them off to a strong start.

For example, we need to choose the right environment for students to thrive in and then maximize that time. This could mean homeschooling, charter school, or boarding school. Then, they need to try to take advantage of Advanced Placement (AP) courses to get college credit and also look into summer college programs that will help them to also get credit but more importantly understand what is going to be expected of them once they arrive on campus. Any of these ideas can be cost prohibitive, so try to find the most affordable options or see about scholarships to help defray the cost. Especially with AP courses, the upfront cost of textbooks and exams is still far less than the cost of multiple credits of tuition and a full semester of your time while at college. 

Once they're proper college students, we need to work to give them the highest level of support they need. The common buzz phrase, "meeting students where they're at", is about far more than figuring out if your office should get a Snapchat account. It means adapting your campus and services to the students' needs. This could take the shape of student success coaches, peer mentor guidance, financial assistance, emergency funds, or in the case of Paul Quinn College, dramatically reshape your entire campus life. 

There is never going to be a one size fits all approach to college success and student services. It all depends on the students you have and what they need. These are some generally applicable tips however, and I hope you find them useful.

There are a lot of choices one needs to make when it comes to their own schooling, much less our own children, or students we work with. We can make the most of the time that is given to us to prepare, then do what we must to ensure that all students have equal access to the resources they need to be successful. 

What Higher Ed Can Learn From Remote Work

Something that has been on my mind a lot lately is the concept of remote work (also referred to as working from home, telecommuting, etc.). It can be something someone does full-time or part-time for their job, and is becoming increasingly common (with the exception of some recent high profile retractions from companies like IBM and Yahoo in the past few years). When remote work policies are done right, you're maximizing the potential of your team who have the flexibility to work in whatever way is best for them. I read a great book recently on this topic about Wordpress and their entirely remote global team. That book really set me off on this path of being an avid supporter of these sorts of policies.

My theory is that if higher ed supported more flexible work structures, we could move towards better student support and access as well as improved employee wellbeing.

Here are the main lessons I'd advise higher ed professionals takeaway from remote work best practices:

Presence Doesn't Equal Productivity

So the first and biggest barrier to remote work is typically the perception that it will reduce productivity. This is not the case, and there is pretty definitive studies to support that stance, this being one of them. It definitely requires supervision and support, but so does in person work. As long as you're providing the right tools (like using Slack, Google Hangouts, and the like to keep everyone connected) and guidance, as well as consequences if someone isn't meeting expectations, then remote work can be successful.

The fallacy people keep falling back to is the belief that being in an office with other people automatically makes us more productive, or that we will miss out on things if we aren't physically present.  Someone can be just as productive (if not more so) working remotely. I know for me personally, I need to move around to different locations to keep being continuously productive throughout the day. So if I'm working on personal projects, I'll sometimes start at home, then go to a coffee shop, then at times I've gone to co-working spaces. All we need to do to address the other concerns is make sure we work deliberately to help everyone feel included and involved no matter where they're working from. We can't treat remote workers as if they're working onsite. Similar advice can be helpful, but it is a different setting, so it needs to be treated as such. 

Whether you're implementing policies like this or not, your takeaway should be the same; employees need proper guidance, consistent communication, adequate resources, and fair consequences to be best positioned for success. 

Make Sure Your Whole Team Feels Included

Great remote teams really necessitate that the manager make everyone socially involved and feel comfortable contributing to the team dynamic. In-person teams obviously benefit from this as well but managers tend to let it happen naturally (which can be hit or miss). Intentionally fostering positive team interactions can be simple and quick, but have a big impact over time.

Generally, you need to abide by some ground rules to set the stage for everyone to feel included if you have people working in the office and remotely. The big thing here is making sure everyone is on equal footing versus some people in a conference room together and others calling in. This never works well with someone always getting lost in the conversation. Also, make sure you're emailing/chatting out important info, versus just popping in to let people know. Lastly, invite everyone to gatherings, whether they're in the office or not. They'll appreciate the thought even if they can't make it.

Also, team building activities are important since especially with remote teams, it can be hard for the small talk and bonding to happen that might be easier in person. There are some you can do with any team, whether they're together or not. This will help greatly with everyone feeling comfortable communicating and collaborating.

The lesson here for higher ed folks, is that people need different things to feel included and to let their voice be heard. Make sure you're creating space, respect, and camaraderie to allow for your team's dynamic to flourish. 

We Need to Support Employees' Whole Life

This is really the emotional core of this idea. We all lead complex, busy lives. We need to be able to take care of things during the day during the week. This can help tremendously with letting some of the pressure and stress off ourselves since it can be hard to find the time otherwise. Being flexible with working hours and location can be a huge load off of your employees shoulders. They can be home for repairs or deliveries, to look after a sick family member, or to have an important appointment. This way, they are feeling better, don't have to deal with a commute, and are able to focus and be more productive.

In education, our work can be physically and emotionally tiring. Allowing for some flexibility, especially after a tough time, can be highly beneficial. You can make sure someone is physically present in the office if you expect walk-ins, but otherwise, you can still get most of our administrative work done virtually nowadays. Plus, you could make digital platforms available to connect with students on if you really wanted it, which could be helpful for people to be remote more often and maybe work varied hours.

Modern work life has evolved greatly to allow for more possibilities in how we each are able to contribute to our teams. You'll miss out on great talent if you limit how people can work. If you open your mind to new ideas and ways to get work done, you can take your efforts to new heights and maximize each of your employees' potential. Which in the end, is going to help your students too.

Want even more advice on remote work? Check out this great guide from Trello!

My Life on the Margins: How I Wrote Myself In

This post is a personal story. It is purely my experience but I think it has some poignant lessons for others, so I’ve been thinking lately about how best to write on it.

I am currently writing as a final project for my graduate program a “learning narrative” that encompasses my entire time inside the classroom and outside for the past two years. Anything I’ve learned is fair game and it is aligned with professional competencies from ACPA and NASPA all in an effort to get us best prepared for our new professional lives. I find this project fascinating and it has forced me to not only reflect but put these feelings and thoughts into words that others can understand.

A main point that granted me a great deal of clarity over the course of this process has been the aspect of why I do a lot of the things I do on a daily basis. My self exploration resulted in my affirmation that I often feel not important, marginalized, and as if I’m not making a difference. Whether it is in my work feeling I’m not heard or taken seriously or my personal life with being the one who’s invitation must have gotten lost, it has certainly caused me a bit of grief over the years. I was never a bad kid, nor was I the gifted one. I was shy when I was younger too but I wasn’t awkward to the point that I couldn’t make friends, I guess I just didn’t know how to. So I think I was just the person who everyone assumed was doing just fine because I kept my head down, did my work, and had my own thing going on. Behind that veneer of stoicism, however, was someone yearning for more.

The optimistic point I want to share on this though is that I’ve utilized this doubt and anxiety into a strength. My desire to be heard, to be important, and to make an impact has inspired me to make this blog, to write, and to create a unified name that I hope to be known for. It’s even made me want to take care of myself better, both mentally and physically, in a way that is a bit more superficial. It’s interesting the way my positive mindset toward these self generated feelings has made me feel the best I’ve ever felt and made me motivated to do things I am proud to be a part of.

My call to action is that I’m sure some of our students or maybe even some of us feel this way. Don’t let these feelings hold you down, make them inspire you to do more and be more, Take charge of your life and be heard, don’t wait around to be. Hopefully these parcels of wisdom will help you or your students do less of what is making them feel frustrated and do more of what makes them feel amazing, awesome, and important.