Right around this time of the year, many people start to abandon their New Year’s Resolutions. According to a 2020 survey from New Plate and Ipsos, the end of January and beginning of February is when the first 11% of people fall off—out of a total of 55% of all people whose resolutions won’t make it to the halfway point of the year.
At RALIANCE, we help employers and companies make and stick to long-term commitments to improve their workplace by preventing and addressing sexual harassment, misconduct and abuse. Here are some tips for how you and your organization can stick to professional resolutions and build up the infrastructure to keep going.
–Set specific goals in changing the workplace. As we discussed in a recent blog, a mandatory staff training or two is often not enough to create a sustained shift in the work environment. First, it is important to determine the current challenges so that the appropriate resources can be targeted at changing it. Second, like many New Year’s Resolutions, there must be a repeated, demonstrated commitment; there should also be regular discussion promoted throughout the year on this issue.
–Install infrastructure that supports the goals. There needs to be a standard for everyone in the organization to be able to hold each other and themselves accountable. For example, if the goal is to reduce instances of sexual harassment by 50%, then something that may help is implementing a sexual harassment taxonomy. RALIANCE’s Sexual Misconduct and Violence Taxonomy is a transparent tool that sets a threshold to help measure incidents of sexual violence. With the tool, organizations can fully understand the scope of the problem and set specific interventions.
–Remain adaptable through unexpected challenges. Changing a corporate culture after years—or even decades—of the same behavior is part of a process. There will be unpredictable trials that come along; it is normal, and everyone should expect the unexpected. However, with the right facilitator—who can also serve as an accountability partner—those hurdles can be overcome to help reach the end goals.
As a final note, please remember it is never too late to make resolutions. Resolving to improve the work environment can take place at any time, and that is how all workplaces can become safe spaces.
RALIANCE is a trusted adviser for organizations committed to building cultures that are safe, equitable, and respectful. RALIANCE offers unparalleled expertise in serving survivors of sexual harassment, misconduct, and abuse which drives our mission to help organizations across sectors create inclusive environments for all. For more information, please visit www.RALIANCE.org.