Harassment Solutions Inc.

There is no way anyone reading this has NOT seen a movie produced by Harvey Weinstein. He and his brother are about as big as you get in Hollywood, as well as big producers on Broadway. So when the New York Times revealed yesterday that Mr. Weinstein has settled sexual harassment claims from at least 8 women, it was news, but not a surprise. Sexual harassment can be prevalent when you have someone with a great deal of power, willing to abuse it. What caught me by surprise is that I thought, "hmm, a big liberal and Democrat."

Funny how my stereotypes will automatically think this has to be someone on the "right" of politics, like Bill O'Reilly or Donald Trump. Since I've read about, and written about sexual harassment for more than 25 years, you think my mind would tell me that anyone can take advantage of someone sexually, regardless of their politics or their social causes.

One of the most prominent examples is former U.S. President Bill Clinton. Technically his encounters with Monica Lewinsky might not have been sexual harassment, but the power imbalance certainly puts it in the ball park. And then a huge American Democrat is San Diego's former mayor, Bob Filner, who didn't last long as mayor due to his horrendous exploitation of women at work.

Most guys on the right, left or anywhere in-between are decent people. Even those who may be tempted aren't going to cross the line into sexual harassment. But for those who do take advantage of their power, politics rarely is a factor. Power, and the abuse of power, often makes it so much easier for someone to get away with sexual harassment.

Hello. I thought it's about time for me to get active on Facebook to help employees and managers create welcoming workplaces, free of harassment, bullying, discrimination and all the "weird" stuff that can happen at work. Having recently published my 3rd book, The New Norm, you might be interested in learning from the mistakes of others, and moving to "new norms." I feel like now, given the current climate of strange behaviours, that we should talk about workplace issues and how best to resolve them. I'll be posting live videos weekly, where you can ask questions and I'll help you navigate the best approaches. Stephen