Courageous Conversations

What is new? - February 2009

Four new items to consider:

• 2009 is a Sexual Harassment retraining year.
  For employers with 50 or more employees, who do business in California, you are required to provide 2-hours of harassment prevention training to your supervisors in 2009.
• U.S. Supreme Court expands the definition of "retaliation."
  Supreme Court ruled that an employee cannot be retaliated against because he/she truthfully answers questions during an investigation. Even if the employee did not raise the harassment complaint.
• Webinars
  Check out our video webinars to build your employees skills while saving time and money.
• Video Podcast Training
  One-hour Courageous Conversations lesssons on your video player. Includes the training slides, a recorded conversation and a Courageous Conversation assignment. One of the most cost-effective methods yet to spread the skills and reinforce the learnings.

  View as Quicktime (03:25)

  Talk to you soon, Tim.

"I don't think he needs to hear that"

Steve is one of the only two men in the group.The rest of the mostly female team is very vocal about talking about their personal lives and the issues they face as women in the workplace, in the world and at home. Barb, has noticed that Steve squirms in his seat, looks at the floor and generally becomes very quiet during these intervals.

Barb decides to talk to Margie, one of the biggest "offenders", about their conversations to see about making a change in the tone of Margie's comments.(14:35)

Click here to download as an MP3

Lessons Learned:

• Stay calm - Even if you want to scream.
• Ask Steve - The only sure way to find out if Steve feels excluded.
• Be the change you want to be - Don't have to convince Margie, just let her know what you are going to do.
• Avoid words like "violator" "no sympathy" - Stronger words than are needed and characterize behavior.

Download Lessons Learned