Your Anti-bullying Action Plan
Lead your organization forward.
We all know bullying is bad for business, and there are more and more arguments for eliminating bullying. So, let’s shift the focus to motivating change and inspiring hope. Governments are slowly responding and initiating profound change. If there are anti-bullying laws in effect, every organization should take action to ensure they are in compliance with the law. Even then, mere compliance shouldn’t be the goal – instead a sincere desire to change and create a workplace culture that motivates and inspires everyone should drive the anti-bullying movement.
Regardless of whether governments have yet to take action, it is reassuring that every organization can take action that will have tremendous permanent impact. There are experts to help, training and tools that are readily available, and a lot of online resources to guide the way. It requires investment, committed leadership, and a sincere desire to implement change. However, the investment is small compared to the risk that organizations are eliminating.
There are a host of proactive and preventative measures that motivated organizations can take. Some of the most practical, proactive tips are the following:
Establish or revise Respectful Workplace and Ethics Policies
Create organizational codes of ethics and respectful workplace policies that clearly include anti-bullying policies, effective methods to report and investigate bad behavior, and make annual training for workplace ethics and respect mandatory. All organizations should establish clear and effective bullying policies and procedures for addressing bullying allegations. If your organization has no anti-bullying policy, staff and managers should lobby hard for change.
Initiate awareness campaigns
As noted earlier, there remains a lack of awareness regarding workplace bullying. Many people lack the tools and knowledge to identify bullies and understand the situation once a bully has been identified. Thus, it is essential that everyone in the organization be provided with baseline information and a bully-awareness tool kit.
Senior management must lead the awareness campaign, showing authentic engagement. Their level of involvement provides a strong message for staff and managers. This isn’t just the ethical and right thing to do – it’s good for business. By taking leadership on this issue, executives are also showing true leadership behavior. There’s self-interest to motivate you to take the reins of change.
Invest in training
Training, awareness, and education are critical to the success of such policies. Human resources must be on board and not feel unprepared. Each segment of the organization requires training adapted for the audience. Executives and leaders have different responsibilities and points of focus than do employees.
Walk the walk
There is no replacement for authentic, engaged leadership. Just like any important initiative, unless everyone witnesses sincere, meaningful, and consistent anti-bullying messages and behavior from the executives, the goal will never be reached. It may be cliché, but to eliminate bullying the change must come from and be led by example from the top.
From the CEO and senior managers all the way down to lower-ranking staff, the message must be direct, consistent, and clear – there is zero tolerance for bullying. Even the slightest hint that it might be tolerated is often enough for a bully to cause damage.
Demonstrate ethical leadership and accountability
All organizations, through the actions of their leaders, have a direct impact on organizational success, reputation, employees, industry, and society. Organizations can’t allow their leaders to participate in decisions or actions that are immoral or against the basic judgement of right and wrong.
In effect, organizations must demand that their leaders hold themselves and, thus, their organization to the highest standards of ethical behavior. Further, organizations must be crystal clear that executives will be held accountable for upholding the duties they owe to their organization. Finally, they must be vigilant for ethical breaches and take decisive action when they arise.
Implement fair reporting processes
Establish fair, effective, and safe methods to report alleged bullying: Bullying isn’t like other conflicts in the workplace. It requires specialized processes and methods for conflict resolution. First, an unbiased, safe, and user-friendly complaint-reporting process is essential. This works to everyone’s benefit and will ensure impartial, confidential, and trustworthy processes.
Establish investigation processes
Bullying investigations must be impartial, fair, and fulsome: In order for a staff to feel safe and have faith that their employer takes this issue seriously, it is essential that investigations are unbiased, confidential, free from political interference, and result in appropriate responses if allegations are proven. An impartial investigator should be engaged to conduct this sensitive work and be permitted to speak to anyone who may have witnessed the activity. Fair treatment for all alleged victims, bullies, and witnesses is needed to engender trust in the process.
Take all bullying reports seriously
Take bullying claims seriously but tread carefully. Until there has been a thorough assessment of the complaint by unbiased and trained personnel, the organization should remain neutral. The important point here is that organizations should respond immediately and professionally.
While every report of bullying or bullying-type behavior should be taken seriously, whether they have merit is for the investigation process to determine. It is fair to say that some allegations will turn out to be situations that involve conflict between two competitive staff, or misunderstandings, or communication breakdowns. Regardless, the investigation will provide the organization with a neutral report that helps senior management address the problem, whatever it turns out to be.
With all of these policies and processes in place, there is no guarantee that your organization won’t ever face a bullying situation. However, when it happens, it will be prepared to handle the challenges effectively, with due process. If there is a bully in the midst, there are mechanisms for quickly snuffing out the problem. Bullies beware – change is coming!