All posts by leahhollis

Plenty of Bull to go around

bullying, Cultural Diversity Training Workshops

Plenty Of Bull To Go Around: Reflection On The Miami Dolphins Bullying Incident

Plenty Of Bull To Go Around: Reflection On The Miami Dolphins Bullying Incident

Plenty Of Bull To Go Around: Reflection On The Miami Dolphins Bullying Incident

In late October 2013, Jonathan Martin, second year starting tackle for the Miami Dolphins, abruptly left the team checking himself into a hospital because of relentlessly aggressive treatment he received from teammates.

Despite his physical size at 6’5” and 315 pounds, Martin was the target of workplace place bullying; a recent report written by Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton and Garrison LPP confirms team misconduct from Ritchie Incognito contributed to the emotional stress and departure from the team.

What is compelling about the report is the characterization of both men fit the classic bully/target relationship.

Martin was mild mannered; unfortunately he had endured a history of bullying during high school. He had been chided to “man up, “or “not punk out,” when faced with aggressive behavior. By his own admission, he “played it off,” when met with a barrage of nasty, humiliating and sexually explicit and racially charged remarks about his mother and sister. Reports reveal that Martin had discussed depression and suicidal thoughts with a psychiatrist and prescribed medication to mitigate the issue. Despite the stress, Martin never reported the abuse to the Miami Dolphin organization for fear of being labeled a snitch or “Judas.”

In contrast, Ritchie Incognito had a history of aggressive behavior prior to bullying Martin.

In college, he had suspensions and ejections from games. He was accused for spitting on a player and arrested for alcohol in several other incidents. He was suspended indefinitely from Nebraska’s team, then enrolled at Oregon, only to be released a week later (Paul, p. 60, 2014). Despite his athletic talent, the Colts, the Ravens, and the Patriots passed on Incognito. In 2005, he wasSporting News “Dirtiest Player in the NFL.”

Looking at the past behavior of both players, they are the classic target and bully pair.

An overly aggressive and troubled young person evolves to terrorize a particularly passive colleague and peer. The unique facts of this case include a “fine book” where Incognito memorialized fines coerced through intimidation, sometimes up to $10,000 of Martin and other players. The press releases in October characterized a type of friendship between Martin and Incognito; however the independent report states Martin’s “effort to befriend Incognito also is consistent with the reaction of a person who is trapped in an abusive situation… it is a common coping mechanism exhibited by victim of abusive relationships” (p. 18). The report also confirms that Incognito joined with two other players, Jerry and Pouncey who bullied another teammate “Player A” and an “Assistant Trainer.”

Anecdotal conversations over the past months have laid blame on leadership, on Martin for being “too soft,” or on team captains for not reporting the misconduct. Yet, the independent report confirms this problem which culminated in the locker room was years in the making.  Given the past behavior of Incognito, there is plenty of blame to go around regarding what an organization can accept from a player who has been previously suspended from not one but two college teams.

The recommendations are then for everyone in the environment.

There are many players in the workplace bullying scenario with the Miami Dolphins organization, just as there are many players in ANY workplace environment in which bullying and aggression are allowed to flourish. Any organization has a responsibility to vette out who is hired into the organization. High performers who are bullies, rule breakers and miscreants ultimately undercut the very high performance the organization once anticipated.

  1. The bully has a responsibility to seek help. Whether the bully is Ritchie Incognito, or any other aggressor, his personal reflection over the years riddled with arrests and suspensions should highlight a number of signals that need intervention.
  2. Bystanders and witnesses have a responsibility. By saying nothing, bystanders and witnesses allow the aggressive behavior to erode the organization. Saying nothing is a silent state of complicit support for the bully.
  3. The target has a responsibility as well. While this comment is not about blaming the victim, the responsibility is about self-advocacy. Just as a target of sexual harassment or racial discrimination has a legal responsibility to approach the offender, and then report the unwanted behavior to organizational superiors if necessary, the target of workplace bullying also needs to engage in self-advocacy to let his or her organization know when aggressive behavior has become a distraction to work performance.

This high profile Miami Dolphins workplace bullying case is proof positive that workplace bullying and aggression can emerge anywhere.

Bullying can take hold of an organization and ruin the careers and professional objectives of all those in the organization. For more information about the Report to the National Football League Concerning Issues of Workplace Bullying at the Miami Dolphins, written by Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton and Garrison LPP, please follow the link to http://www.nfldolphinsreport.com/.

Patricia Berkly at The Black Doctoral Network Inaugural National Conference

cultural diversity training

Leah P. Hollis, Ed.D.

President Patricia Berkly LLC

http://www.myconferencespeaker.com/

 

cornell 2aPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, the home of brotherly love and sisterly affection, was the proud host of The Black Doctoral Network Inaugural National Conference October 3 through October 5 2013, at the Double Tree Hotel.  This hallmark event was led by Dr. Maurice Green, Executive Director at the International Black Doctoral Network Association. The speakers throughout the conference were a literal Who’s who of the black intelligentsia focusing on the theme “scholarship, service and community.”

The opening session was introduced by Trabian Shorters of BMe.org. He asked for black scholars to choose a partner and look closely…. Then name everything wrong with the partner.  The connection is this is how the world looks at African American men, seeking first what is wrong.  His mission is to work with young African American men in the communities so society doesn’t perpetuate the loss of African American boys and men to the justice system.  The task was assigned to conference delegates to preserve the black community and advance the progress of its most squandered resource, the African American male.

The opening ceremony on Thursday evening continued with a compelling speech by Dr. Cornell West, imminent scholar and professor at the Union Seminary in New York City. West urged the audience of black scholars and advocates to find their original voice.  “Anyone can be a copy…” but one is always successful when he or she finds that authentic voice.  West reflected on the work of WEB Dubois, Angela Davis and William Julius Wilson as examples of original thought that propelled the African American consciousness.  He also commented on the spiritual center of our communities, or the erasure of such.  Churches, mosques and synagogues are seldom found in the black community; young people find transcendence through music, expressing themselves over a rhyme.

Moved by his remarks, participants in the crowd asked questions about how black intellectuals should poise themselves in a supposedly “post racial” society.  Other remarks included the reflection on the Historically Black College, and that the community college serves a great deal of African Americans.

The conference continued through October 4 and October 5 with key note speeches from Dr. William Julius Wilson and Dr. Julianne Malveaux.  With over 350 scholars in attendance from  institutions such as Cornell University, Morgan State, Duke University, the University of Pennsylvania, Howard University, University of Denver and Spelman, to name a few, the program was loaded with critical topics in academy.  Presenters offered their primary research and perspective on research methods, entrepreneurship, the academic job talk, the publish/perish process, violence in the workplace and community, and urban education.  The conference sessions were engaging, for African Americans, by African Americans.

Considered a solid success by conference organizers and participants, The Black Doctoral Network Inaugural National Conference had several sponsors including top university sponsors such as University of Pennsylvania, the University of Delaware, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Sponsor partners also included John Jay College of Criminal Justice, AmeriHealth Carita, African Ancestry and Bme.org with the Knight Foundation serving as the title sponsor.

 

Leah P. Hollis, Ed.D. is president and founder of Patricia Berkly LLC in greater Philadelphia. She presented her original work at the conference reflecting on workplace bullying and its impact on African American staff in the academy.

The Trayvon Martin Verdict… And The Healthy Workplace

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The Trayvon Martin Verdict… And The Healthy Workplace

The Trayvon Martin Verdict… And The Healthy Workplace

The Trayvon Martin Verdict… And The Healthy Workplace

(originally posted on JENNINGSWIRE)

We have been here before.

A country becomes divided over a controversial verdict with the Rodney King Trial, or the O.J. Simpson trial.

There is nothing like race and presumed murder that divides a country.

And when we return to our desks the day after the verdict, tempers can flare and teams can be divided.

This article is not about choosing sides, or analyzing the merits of the Trayvon Martin case or the verdict.

Of course prayers go out to Trayvon’s parents who lost their 17 year old son way too soon.  However, this article IS about office decorum in the face of media sensationalism.

Here are a few strategies to keep the peace when you go to work.

1: Don’t assume everyone has the same views as you.  I was once told God and politics are tough workplace topics. Controversial court cases should go on that list as well.  The workplace is for work, to focus on objectives and do such productively. Bringing up divisive topics and insisting people agree only yields division.

2: Don’t view everyone else as racist, bigoted unsympathetic because they don’t want to discuss the matter.  Such verdicts can be polarizing, and leave viewers projecting their angst on people and clients on the job.  Such projections are emotional, and unfair to those around you.

3: Don’t engage if asked about the case.  Of course there are always first amendment rights to speak out and speak up if one chooses. However, chances are that engaging in a hot conversation about this verdict can be divisive as well. Will it really make for a healthier workplace to have an argument about a court case decided in another state?

Again, this advice is not about right and wrong, justice for all, or just an angry response regardless of your opinion. This piece does reflect on the objectives when one returns to work, to remain focused, productive and collaborative.  If engaging in this, or any hot topic defeats those healthy workplace goals, think twice before engaging in verbal jousting to vent steam on your coworkers.

Is there Justice for GI Jane

Discrimination, Diversity Training, sexual harassment

Is There Justice For GI Jane?

Is there Justice for GI Jane?

Is there Justice for GI Jane?

Do you remember the hardships Demi Moore’s character went through to become the first woman to join Navy Special Forces in the 1997 film GI Jane?

The torment, the sacrifice and the even the frustration any woman endures to measure up to men in a men’s world should be enough to equalize that system on and off the field of battle for women.

Imagine further, that after such dedicated service, GI Jane and another 26,000 of her fellow service women face sexual assault while serving in the military. Often such assault goes unreported and unpunished, leaving the question, is there justice for GI Jane?

While GI Jane was fictitious, the pervasive level of sexual assault in the service is not. Unfortunately as Face The Nation* reports, a culture of power in the military leads to the pervasive abuse of women serving our country.

In the current system, the commander oversees such complaints; yet this can lead to conflicts of interest or lax oversight, especially if the commander is party to the complaint.

In civilian workplaces, employees are protected from retaliation when they voice concerns for civil rights as outlined in Title VII legislation.

Also, in civilian workplaces, employees can access a third-party in the EEOC and the court system if they don’t find justice internally with Human Resources.

However, it appears that the power structures in the military jeopardize this very right for women. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a Democrat from New York, has proposed legislation that takes the adjudication process out of the hands of commanders and instead brings such cases to a military board outside the chain of command.

She also reminded the senate that countries like the United Kingdom and Israel have already taken such steps to protect their service women.

The military reports that 97% of its service men and women go through sexual harassment prevention training. Another 9 out of 10 state they would encourage women to report such abuse.

Then why do 26,000 women face sexual assault?

As with any organization which subscribes to power structures as part of its management structure, when power is abused, those at the bottom of the food chain are the ones to endure such abuse.

This is not commentary on how the military should run its leadership training or functions, but it is a reflection on how the misuse of power corrupts. Whether military or civilian leadership, whether it is about abuse, assault, bullying or other corruption of power, it is leadership at the helm that sets the tone, who serves as the architect of the organizational culture.

*SOURCE: CBS News Report

Micro-inequities: Little Things Mean A Lot!

bullying, Diversity Training

Micro-inequities: Little Things Mean A Lot!

Micro-inequities: Little Things Mean A Lot!

Micro-inequities: Little Things Mean A Lot!

Layla, a 35 year old Latina woman (who looks ten years younger than her age) is starting her new job as senior director of her division, supervising over 20 employees.

Despite her corporate dress and swank presence, when she walks to her new desk, she is interrupted along the way to “fetch coffee.” Her own secretary while kind, comments under her breath… “Guess they hire them younger and younger…”

Layla recognizes that while she has her stellar MBA diploma hung proudly behind her in the office, all too often, people assume she is sitting at her boss’s desk fixing a calendar, or that she is inappropriately at the wrong seat.

During her first  division meeting, the vice president congratulates her with, “Gee Layla, you are awfully impressive in a meeting…”   Layla thinks, of course she is impressive. That’s how she got the job. That’s what $100,000 of graduate school was for. Why is being impressive so noteworthy while for others it was just expected?

“Micro-inequities can be like little paper cuts.”

 

Is this bullying? Favoritism? Racism? Sexism? Such terms don’t exactly describe Layla’s experience, though her race and gender inform the slights she receives. She is not being attacked over time or facing escalating discrimination. She isn’t in a hostile environment, and even is promoted for her work and merit. Yet these little dings and slights challenge her resolve and focus at times. Layla is experiencing what is called “micro inequities.” She endures comments and behavior that at times make her want to disengage from her job. From time to time, Layla has a wandering eye on the job board in search of an environment that is more inclusive and supportive.

How can an organization be more sensitive? The Golden Rule is a good start. Make comments that you would like to receive and reflect on your own behaviors as a leader. If you have a great idea, do you want your supervisor distracted with text messaging when you talk?  As a new hire, do you want someone commenting on your age, race, clothes or appearance is a less than flattering way How would you feel if people make inappropriate assumptions about your work duties based on age, race, gender etc?

Micro-inequities can be like little paper cuts on someone’s motivation. One or two might be overlooked; but even mild and non-verbal put downs over time can disengage even the best employee. Subtle put downs accumulated over time for employees can hurt staff productivity and compromise innovation.

Employers and coworkers can guard against micro inequities by reflecting on comments BEFORE such remarks are made audible.  Remember, everyone doesn’t have the same sense of humor. Lastly, an authentic discussion and request for feedback can cut through misunderstandings and micro-inequities.

 

ORIGINALLY POSTED on JENNINGSWIRE   JenningsWire-Globe-Logo