Sexual Harassment Part 2 by Intercultural Mediator Susanne Schuler– What do we see?

At what level does sexual harassment begin, and – How far does it go?

A second opinion piece by Intercultural Mediator, Susanne Schuler

(Reminder: Part 1 was about Where did it come from? – Hierarchical power and vulnerability plus the Gender neutrality-equality v Beauty primium dilemma and the impact of bias.)

There are several versions of the sexual harassment escalation scale. This is perhaps an indictment of the enormity of the abuse that is occurring. Let us look at an aggregated ladder of possible encounters;

*Looking – intensely or leering

*Language – sexualized conversations in the workplace, one-to-one or male group vulgarity around or toward lone females

*Suggestion – crossing the flirting line with explicit requests, described activities or observations and judgments

*Physical moves – contact & proximity, escalating to physical intimidation and cornering

*Trade / exchange – in-work offers of favourable treatment in return for forms of sexual compliance or issuing a threat of negative consequences if compliance is not forthcoming

*Forced choice – aggravated demands for sexual engagement

*Forced sexual moves – forced physical violation

*Violence – the use of extreme non-consensual physical force upon women

It is a depressing list.

Q. Why can’t we all just get on with our work in the office?

A. The same social and educational forces that have shaped women’s roles and behaviours, make us vulnerable to exploitation. These forces have also conditioned a part of the male working population to believe that successfully taking advantage of a female work colleague is, somehow, a badge of honour, a rite of passage or, simply, a perk of the job.

E.g. The complex reality on the ground – an example – A job panel may unconsciously or consciously discriminate against a working mother’s application when hiring for the role of a travelling sales person. The panel members may project their own feelings and prejudice onto the selection process accordingly.

Their fixed image of a good mother include that she should not being sexually available, staying at home with her children and fear that she may be exposed to the negative encounters that accompany holding down a job travelling around the UK.

What has just happened?

Arising from a collective and projected male knowledge of the threat of harassment, they pre-emptively exclude her from consideration, knowing of the harassment that can come with a woman eating alone in restaurants, staying at service station hotels and meeting customers in their offices as well as socialising with them as part of relationship building.

They are projecting dangers arising from their own fear, shared knowledge and experience. With the best of intentions (the most dangerous phrase in the English language), they are reluctant to expose a female worker, wishing to undertake a travelling role, to the abuse and harassment that they know / fear she will inevitably encounter.

Debrief

We can see in this real scenario, the two sides of the gender dilemma coming into play – First gender neutrality, the female candidate may be the best applicant for the role, and, if put through the gender blind process we saw with the US orchestra, she would indeed get the job based on merit. In this version, if she has applied for the role, her life choices would not be questioned and her treatment would be even-handed regarding gender.

Secondly, the female attributes as currency perspective becomes awkward, twice. Firstly, does her beauty play a part in driving up her commercial selling potential, making her a more successful closer and so a strong candidate for this targets-based role?

And,

Sticking with this path, will her attributes expose her to better working conditions – special treatment, lower barriers etc. or, worse ones in the professional space? And, in the public arena? The panel anticipate pestering in public places, customer assumptions about her values and mores etc., leading to an increased chance of sexual harassment occurring in the execution of her job and the pursuit of her career? The feminine attribute of motherhood is considered in a vacuum, and, the fact that her partner may be an excellent stay-at-home carer is not factored in. The net total of all these concerns count against her as the panel consider her application.

As we can see – life is complicated. We have bias, diversity and inclusion guidelines, pragmatism and a skewed view, both positive and negative, as we stack up all the elements of bias coming into play.

E.g. The abuse of power – Let us consider a second example. The Harvey Weinstein story combines the feminine attributes as currency model with an extreme power dynamic to produce perfect storm conditions, all leading to a repeated pattern of abuse. The scenarios, outlined by vast swathes of women, have a number of common elements. We hear the repeated theme of motivated young women being lured into the wrong place, with the wrong man at the wrong time, at the beginning of their careers. They had little or nothing by way of clout, a supportive network around them or equity to fall back on. Now, add in wild promises designed to resonate with the driven ambitions of these young actors – just one last hurdle to jump lies between the impoverished ingénue and an irresistible film role and the opportunity for fame, fortune and success. Thus, the scene is set for a two-stage trading decision to be made. The first comes with the casting-couch – trading sexual compliance for career advantage, inclusion and a chance to make substantial progress as an actor. And, depending on the outcome of the first trade, a second horrific escalated choice, sexual compliance for survival and the chance to leave that hotel room… at all.

This complex topic is trending at the moment. What will come out of this heightened level of awareness and attention both for men, for whom it was a deeply buried dirty secret, and, for women who have the chance to share their stories, stake their claim and design a better workplace for everybody?

End of Part 2.

Next Time – Part 3 – What is being done? And, What can be done?

Part 1: Where did it come from?

Part 3: What is being done? and What can be done?

About the author, Susanne Schuler is an Intercultural Mediator working at the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution in London. She has written the book Intercultural Mediation  At Work, published by Bookboon. To buy the book click on the link;

https://bookboon.com/en/intercultural-mediation-at-work-ebook

What is required to deliver a GOOD Training? Train the trainer – The 3 S’s of TTT – State, Style and Structure – An overview by Matthew Hill

#train #training #trainer #virtual #classroom

When junior trainers are about to start their day shadowing me in the virtual corporate classroom, they will often ask, “What is required to deliver a good training day?”

Great question.

My answer is to highlight the 3 S’s –

The Good Old Days! – A Small Classroom

1. State – The energy and focus in the virtual space and what you wish to do with it.
2. Style – What is the preferred learning style of the overall group and each individual? And,
3. Structure – How are you going to set out the day to land your material, and, take the participants on a constructive learning journey, in such a way, that the lessons from your content are going to stick?

Let’s develop this and see what’s important…

**1. State – A 1,000 external factors affect the state of the virtual space at the beginning of any facilitated session – internet connectivity, infection rates, the economy, day of the week, company performance, the politics of the company – redundancies / rapid growth / merger or acquisition prospects, etc.

And, if you have a virtual classroom full of introverted people or workers that do not see your topic as vital, interesting or even relevant, then you can assume that the “room” will feel cold and distant. So, what can you do about it?

The simplest method and one that has yet to fail is the solo – 2 group – speak out as one of a group, formation. It starts with you asking something simple such as, “Working on your own, remember back to your worst customer experience from last year. What were they like and what was difficult about them?” If they are an extremely withdrawn group you don’t even have to debrief the exercise by asking for comments.

This will engage the participants whilst maintaining their sense of security as their work will be safe, private and kept in their heads.

Next phase, “Those with given names beginning with A to L, share your stories about SUBJECT 1 in the comments. Those with given names beginning with M to Z share your stories about (related) SUBJECT 2 and compare and comment on the OTHER group. This will see them asking and looking to see if there are any common themes.” Here you have overcome most of the reluctance to speak as everyone (and Other people) have generated content that they can talk about. Facilitating to bring out a comment or two or unmuting someone to comment works here as they are commenting on someone ELSE’s content. A share or two in the debrief can start to get the crowd moving.

Then, the big one. Arranging the delegates into breakout groups of 3 (for the quietest of groups) up to 5 or 7 people, ask them to discuss actions, brainstorm suggestions or analyse what is going on – either using one of their generated scenarios or a case that you have prepared that has some obvious treasures in and some hidden gems as well.

**2. Style – When it comes to how we take in information, process it, use it or remember it, people react differently. There are 4 main styles emerging from the research of Kolb, Honey and Mumford. The main types can be responded to in your training to make sure you catch everybody and create a successful day.

            Activist – Doer – An inductive and practical person that learns as they do. They will be best engaged with a brainstorming, divergent thinking exercise, solving a problem, discussing in a group, attempting a puzzle, or being given a competition or role-play to perform.

            Reflector – Watcher – An observer, chewing over that has happened – Their favourite activities in the virtual classroom will include a self-analysis audit or questionnaire, taking on the official observer role in a game, being the feedback giver to others in a group, or, using the interview format.

            Theorist – Thinker – Probably a deductive thinker. Theorists are best engaged when the facilitator provides a model, facts or statistics to crunch. They appreciate plenty of context and background information and then being given the chance to apply this newly learnt theory to a particular scenario.

            Pragmatist – Feeler – The opposite of Theorists and Reflectors, these inductive thinkers like to get stuck in and do something, experiencing the world and coming up with theories as they go. For them a practical application such as a simulation will work well, or a case study that they find relevant. They appreciate the opportunity of getting down and dirty with a problem and figuring things out for themselves. Get them building a tower with multiple iterations and you will hit the spot.

An intake form sent our before the training can help you assess the largest style present in the group, thus, allowing you to adapt your material and exercises accordingly.

**3. Structure – Whilst the design of your virtual classroom day will be tailored to the mission, the company, and, the group in the room, there are common elements that can help you get your group to a great learning outcome.

            Introduction – Meeting the audience where they are NOW, promising a specific benefit to them as an outcome and, vitally, agreeing the rules of engagement for the day, especially with a more volatile or testing group.

            Warm up – Something to get the brain going and for you, the facilitator, the chance to assess their styles in real time. How many activists, reflectors, theorists and pragmatists are showing up in the room?

            Win – You do need to make an impact as “the teacher” fairly early on – Saying something profound, uncovering the cause of some strange behaviour within the group, or introducing a life changing model, shortcut or a new way of tackling an old problem.

            Model – Framing your main input within a robust structure that the delegates can relate to, understand and remember.

            Feedback – This is a confident move. After about an hour of class, ask the group, “What should I change? Do you want me to start something, stop something or do more of something?” Best to find out if you are missing the mark as a facilitator with plenty of the day left to reboot and go again.

When you do this and get some stinking feedback – not to worry. In the worst case, say thank you and take a 10-minute time out to restructure your approach and get back on-side with the group before they mutiny.

Best case – they appreciate the chance to give input on their needs and will rate you more highly as a confident and flexible trainer.

            Practical – Activity is the key for all types to connect the theory with their particular situation. I do favour gaining real company cases to work on here, wherever possible. Made up cases never ring totally true and will not gain 100% engagement with your cohort.

            Investigation – Handing over control to the group is an important stage in any training. Letting them explore, self-organise, access materials in the own way and even storm a little will make them feel they have had a deeper and more significant experience.

            Reflection – The oldest teaching trick in the book is to ask (just after a break or lunch), “So, what have you learnt in the last session that you will apply in your day jobs?”

            Application – An entertaining training day with no impact on work will be remembered as just being a shallow jolly and may prove harmful to your professional reputation. Transfer from the classroom to the shop floor is what is required. Flipping the virtual classroom and asking the participants to come up with great behaviours that everybody agrees to and wishes to encourage and reinforce and a list of undesirable and destructive behaviours that are to be extinguished from the company’s workplace can be profound.

            Summary – Telling them what you are going to tell them, telling them it and then telling them what you have just told them is sound advice (from the Army.)

And

            Follow up – I like to get a conference call going to debrief with the participants a couple of days or weeks after we training day. I ask 3 simple but important questions, “What do you remember?” “What did you learn, try out, and, it’s working?” And, “What did you learn, try out, and, it is NOT working?”

So, what have we talked about today?

To summarise, you will inherit a state when you fire up the virtual training room and it is your job to decide what to do to build their energy level and engagement dynamic to get the job of teaching done.

People have individual preferences for experiencing activities, taking in knowledge and applying themselves to tasks. You will also find a predominant style in one department that will colour your choice of task and exercise selection.

Finally, Structure – these are the elements that must be included in your training day, if you wish to get good feedback, achieve a learning outcome and transfer the key behavioural change elements to the delegate’s workplace.

Good luck with your next training day.

Matthew Hill has 10,000 hours of training, facilitating, coaching and speaking experience and has worked in 30 countries with some of the best corporations in the world. Matthew Hill +44 7540 65 9995 

Utrecht Summer School – Operating Effectively Across Cultures, 20th to 24th August, 2018

Jackie van der Kroft,  Peter-Ben Smit and Nicole Kienhuis bring you this high energy, interactive and important course.

Night view Utrecht, Netherlands

Are you interested in and/or already working across cultures, either at home or abroad? This course will support you in operating more effectively across international and intercultural borders. You will familiarize yourself with culture as a concept, become more aware of cultural differences and you will acquire insights in how (cultural) assumptions have an impact on your own thinking and behaviour. Moreover, you will be able to use the Intercultural Readiness Check© to assess your current competencies in intercultural sensitivity, intercultural communication, building commitment and managing uncertainty. During the course you will reflect on these intercultural competences and strengthen them.

This summer Utrecht University offers you a challenging course on “Operating effectively across cultures”. Therefore knowledge about cultural differences and intercultural competencies become even more crucial in our globalizing world. Performing well in one’s own familiar context or culture doesn’t automatically equal studying or working effectively in an international context or in a multicultural team. Even though we live and work in an increasingly globalized world, in which we seems to look, sound and think more and more alike, we are faced with deep layers of cultural differences. Not only on a national level, but also in many other, sub-cultural ways: e.g. origin, education, gender, age or sexual orientation

Outcomes

• Have discovered different frameworks to come to an understand of the concept of culture
• Are aware of your own (cultural) identities and how this has an influence on how you perceive others;
• Are able to signal and describe how cultural misinterpretations can arise (intercultural sensitivity);
• Are aware of the complexity of intercultural communication and discover different communication frameworks;
• Know about the effects of your cultural background and personal characteristics on communication;
• Learned about and are able to vary in communication styles according to the cultural context, e.g. to give and receive feedback in a culturally sensitive way (intercultural communication);
• Learned different approaches in dealing with (cultural) differences
• Know about the importance of investing in relationships and networks and developing win-win solutions (building commitment)
• Are aware of the potential of cultural diversity to innovation and learning (managing uncertainty);
• Have gained in-depth understanding of your own cross-cultural qualities, possible pitfalls and ways to enhance your intercultural competences in your own international or intercultural work environment.

For full details and instruction on how to apply please clink on the link;

https://www.utrechtsummerschool.nl/courses/culture/operating_effectively_across_cultures

or Contact Jackie directly;

E: info@jackievanderkroft.nl

T: +31(0)615823786

Internship Opportunity – 3-month Full time CEDR Foundation internship to work on research projects on Diversity & Inclusion and consumer understanding of Fairness

CEDR – The Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution Role.

SIETAR UK Friend CEDR – The Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution is looking for a full-term intern for a Diversity and Inclusion Research project for 3 months in the period from mid-May to August 2018 and will pay up to £4,500 for five days a week of work.

The projects are the intern will be working on are:

• A project looking at understanding the barriers to Diversity & Inclusion within the UK mediator profession (3 days per week);
• A project looking at understanding how consumers perceive fairness and acceptance of decisions within alternative dispute resolution (2 days per week).

Who are CEDR?

The Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR) is an independent, non-profit organisation with a mission to cut the cost of conflict and create choice and capability in dispute prevention and resolution.

For over 25 years, CEDR have set the standard for dispute resolution and conflict management with our leading mediation, consultancy and training services:

CEDR Skills offers leading expertise in consultancy, training, and coaching to enhance skills and capability in negotiation and conflict management, including the leading internationally recognised Mediator Skills Training and Accreditation programme.

CEDR Dispute Resolution Services – Commercial, the largest independent alternative dispute resolution body in Europe.

CEDR Dispute Resolution Services – Consumer, provides adjudication for many thousands of consumer complaints each year.

Our Foundation undertakes innovation and research in the area of conflict, as part of our not-for-profit work.

CEDR employs around 60 people, and we also work with well over 100 self-employed mediators, trainers and consultants on a regular basis.

The Role

The intern will be working closely with the Diversity and Inclusion project team. The primary function of the intern will be to focus on a literature review of Diversity and Inclusion research within the legal and alternative dispute resolution fields with the aim of providing a report to inform the next stage of the project. This role includes a variety of tasks and duties including:

Data Analysis


*Desktop research

*Review of literature

*Review of other data sources, such as surveys etc.

Content Creation
 – Producing of regular summaries of the research outcomes
Creation of a report on the research outcomes

Experience and skills required;

Interest in pursuing diversity with ideally previous experience in researching this area (eg. university dissertation/essay in area; or work report)

*Interest in in pursuing diversity with ideally previous experience in researching this area (e.g. university dissertation/essay in area; or work report)

*Strong expertise and skills in research methodology and report writing, including excellent use of English

*Impeccable organisational skills, including the ability to plan ahead and anticipate potential problems

*Ability to prioritise and adhere to deadlines and work under pressure

*IT literacy (Windows XP/Microsoft Office/database/E-mail)

*High level of accuracy and attention to detail

*Good communication skills and able to engage with different stakeholders on the project

Personal requirements

The successful candidate will be professional in attitude and appearance with excellent interpersonal skills. They must maintain strict confidentiality in performing their role since a large proportion of data is highly sensitive. It is also essential that they have the following:

*Capable of working using own initiative with minimal supervision, but also able to be an effective part of the team

*Flexible attitude to a workload that might change and develop

*Good time management

*Proactive approach to work

CEDR is an equal opportunities employer and encourages applications from all sections of society

Duration

Start: early May (as soon as possible)

Research phase completed by Mid August

Full time role.

For full details and instructions on how to apply click on the link;

https://www.cedr.com/docslib/CEDR_Foundation_internship_-_May-August_2018_.pdf