Bully or News Host? Bill O’Reilly Can’t be Both

Bill O’Reilly makes being a bully look glamorous. No matter how many women bring lawsuits against him for sexual harassment, lewd behavior, unwanted advances or abusive language, Fox News puts up with his conduct. Sure, the public relations people at Fox News generate the correct human resources babble, insisting that they won’t tolerate behavior that “disrespects women or contributes to an uncomfortable work environment”—according to an article in the New York Times—but frankly, that’s BS. As long as O’Reilly stays atop his throne as the network’s number one news anchor, nothing changes.

O’Reilly is no different than disgraced former network chairman Roger Ailes when it come to this sort of behavior. According to the New York Times, a total of five women have received settlements in exchange for their silence about O’Reilly for a whopping sum of $13 million.  And two of these cases arose after the departure of Ailes. This is quite a lot of cash for accusations that O’Reilly repeatedly insists are without merit.

Fox News’ parent company tried to back him up by alleging in a written statement to the New York Times that “no current or former Fox News employee ever took advantage of the 21st Century Fox hotline to raise a concern about Bill O’Reilly, even anonymously, we have looked into these matters over the last few months and discussed them with Mr. O’Reilly. While he denies the merits of these claims, Mr. O’Reilly has resolved those he regarded as his personal responsibility. Mr. O’Reilly is fully committed to supporting our efforts to improve the environment for all our employees at Fox News.” How can anyone be expected to report wrongdoing when the former boss was the chief predator?

The victims of O’Reilly tell a different story. Former guest commentator and adjunct professor of psychology Wendy Walsh is calling for an independent investigation into the culture at Fox News. Walsh was promised O’Reilly’s help in becoming a paid contributor but when she rebuffed his advances he turned angry and dropped her from his show. The allegations seem to have had little effect. Walsh’s attorney told Variety that Fox News’ renewal of O’Reilly’s contract made it clear that “apparently Fox News does not think that anti-discrimination laws apply to them.”

So O’Reilly will go on broadcasting his particular brand of bigoted ideology, which frighteningly does a lot to normalize the abnormal. The irony is that he is supposed to be some sort of newsman. How can he possibly criticize the wrongdoing of others when he clearly won’t take responsibility for his own actions?

Photo credit: Fox News

Is Promising Jobs for Coal Workers Trump’s Biggest Lie?

On Tuesday, Donald Trump promised he was about to bring back coal mining jobs when he signed an executive order to undo President Barack Obama’s efforts to protect the environment from climate change. The truth is that the jobs Trump imagined no longer exist. According to an article in the New York Times, cheap and abundant natural gas, increasing renewable energy sources and an industry that is increasingly replacing coal miners with machines have drastically reduced the employment opportunities for workers.

In my book, From Bully to Bull’s-Eye: Move Your Organization Out of the Line of Fire. I discuss the attraction and retention of talent because it is quite clear—within five years this will be the biggest challenge for most employers. Retention might not be the problem in the case of coal miners, but the truth is that there are almost as many jobs going unfilled as there are workers going unemployed.

According to the Wall Street Journal, “Demographic trends coupled with a skills mismatch have resulted in a frustrating economic paradox: Millions of workers are underemployed even as millions of jobs go unfilled. The U.S. workforce is also graying, presenting a challenge for industries that entail manual labor.”

In construction, skilled workers are aging out of their industries and younger workers just aren’t getting the technical training they need to replace them. In agriculture immigration restrictions keep skilled farmhands from arriving in time to save crops from rotting in the field—and American workers can’t be enticed to do the backbreaking work even for $20 per hour and benefits. Without innovative solutions and psychologically healthy, safe and fair workplaces no amount of deregulation will make a difference.

It’s clear that Trump’s executive order does nothing to help workers and everything to harm the environment.

Photo credit: BIGSTOCK

Liar, Liar, Bridge on Fire

One of the traits that mark an adult bully is his tireless efforts to deflect blame onto others, most frequently subordinates and coworkers. That is certainly the case with New Jersey Governor Chris Christie whose former deputy chief of staff, Bridget Kelly, and former ally, Port Authority executive Bill Baroni, have been sentenced to prison for their roles in the 2013 George Washington Bridge lane closures that led to days of traffic gridlock.

Christie, an early supporter of Donald Trump who at one time seemed poised for a position in the new cabinet, appears to be back in the administration’s good graces. It is a bitter irony that at the same time his scapegoats were convicted of public corruption thanks to a mission of political revenge on Christie’s behalf against Mayor Mark Sokolich of Fort Lee for not backing the governor’s reelection.  Christie showed his support by being in Washington while the pair was sentenced.

While Christie may have escaped unscathed, others aren’t fooled. According to an article in the Wall Street Journal, Judge Susan Wigenton said, “It’s very clear to me that the environment in Trenton created a culture of either you’re with us, or you’re against us.”

The response from a Christie spokesman wasn’t surprising. He tried to explain away the judge’s comment by saying that her “ill-advised remark is based on the perjurious testimony of three convicted felons.”

Not unlike the case with the executives at Wells Fargo, Christie feigned ignorance and threw others under the bus. There is no scenario in which this conviction exonerates Christie; either he was lying and corrupt, or he was inept and refused to hear what was going on around him. Either way, he reveals himself as the worst type of bully boss. It amazing it took this long for him to get back into favor with the Bully-in-Chief.

Illustration credit: Chip Bok/Bokbuster.com

What it Really Takes to Demand Equality in the Workplace

I have written a lot about why diversity programs usually fail—you cannot overlay change on a culture that is rooted in discriminatory practices. The only way to make substantive and lasting improvement is to change the entire system, which I discuss at length in my new book, From Bully to Bull’s-Eye: Move Your Organization Out of the Line of Fire. That’s exactly what the resisters of the championship U.S. women’s national hockey team did when they took the risk to demand equal rights from USA Hockey and began a boycott right before the World Championship.

I’m from Canada where ice hockey is practically a religion and I’ve been appalled at how the women’s team—which has won a medal in each Olympics since it became an official event in 1998 and finished first or second in every world championship since 1990—was mistreated. There were numerous injustices. The women’s team received half the meal money stipend the men were allotted ($24 vs. $50), they were only paid to practice right before the Olympics, which meant making $6,000 for six months of work, they received substandard travel and championship rings often took years to arrive. Many of the women had to hold second and even third jobs to make ends meet.

Like Matthew Christiansen who was profiled yesterday for his brave stand against anti-gay bullying at work, the women had to take a calculated risk to affect change. It was widely reported that USA Hockey was scouting for scrubs to replace them at the World Championship—and perhaps permanently—and vitriol was hurled at them on social media.

But they had their allies as well, something that is of key importance when dealing with toxic workplace culture. Players unions from the National Hockey League, the NBA, the WNBA, the NFL, Major League Baseball and the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team all rallied to their side. Twenty U.S. senators signed a letter of support.

Team veteran Hilary Knight told the New York Times, “We’re strong, powerful women, but it’s tough. Some of the comments were tough. Standing for what you believe in isn’t always the easiest thing.” 

Now these elite athletes can have the careers they’ve earned and be able to support themselves and their families. According to the terms of the agreement, they will now receive fair pay, be rewarded for winning championships, enjoy the same travel arrangements and insurance as the men, get maternity support, and pave the way for the great women hockey players of the future, thanks to the newly created Women’s High Performance Advisory Group that will help advance youth league  players.

I wish U.S. Women’s Hockey the best of luck in their careers and at the World Championship—after Canada, of course.  

Photo credit: The Nation/Reuters

Brutal LGBTQ Discrimination Leads to Historic Court Ruling

One man’s courage in the face of brutal sexual discrimination has led to a court precedent that may make it illegal for employers to discriminate against workers on the basis of sexual orientation. According to this harrowing article in Slate that describes the abuse he suffered, Matthew Christiansen won the right to sue his employer from the U.S. Court of Appeals 2nd Circuit. For resisting the horrific workplace bullying he suffered, and taking a stand as a resister, a defender, a protector and an activist, Christiansen is our Revolutionist of the Week.

According to Mark Joseph Stern on Slate, Christiansen has earned the right to sue his employer under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which bars sex stereotyping against employees who do not conform to gender norms. Chief Judge Robert Katzmann wrote that recent legal developments support a greater interpretation of “sex discrimination” and that Title VII should already protect gay employees from bullying in the workplace. There seems to be growing consensus among federal judges on this matter.

None of this would have come to light without Christiansen’s bravery in the face of relentless cruelty at work. The Chief Digital Officer at his place of employment had targeted him from the very beginning and drew obscene pictures of Christiansen that he shared with colleagues throughout the office, spread rumors about his HIV status, referred to him using homophobic slurs and made crude references to his sex life during business meetings. Christiansen couldn’t take the abuse anymore and reached out for legal advice. When lawyer after lawyer turned him down—and some even questioned if he was to blame—he persevered and finally found an attorney who wanted to empower LGBT employees facing similar prejudice.

Getting help wasn’t easy. Fighting this battle meant that Christiansen had to report to work every day and even accept assignments that were personally challenging, but sticking with it brought surprises. According to Christiansen’s attorney, Susan Chana Lask, “After his name was in the papers, he said, ‘Susan, I’m so freaked out to go to work.’ But when he did, people he didn’t even know came up to him and hugged him. They just said, ‘thank you.’”

I’ve written at great length about what to do if you find yourself the target of bullying in the workplace in my columns, as well as in my book, From Bully to Bull’s-Eye: Move Your Organization Out of the Line of Fire. First, and most importantly, do not try to do it alone. It took awhile, but Christiansen found support from his lawyer, and later from his coworkers. My research has shown that organizations that make horrific bullying possible have a systemic problem and there are other victims. By banding together they can offer one another support. Other key tips to survival are:

·       Build your sense of self: Don’t let the bully break you.

·       Don’t become a bully: Don’t let the bully turn you into someone who targets others.

·       Understand the motivation: Learn why you are targeted. It will help you fight.

·       Avoid the Bully’s Trap: Don’t let the bully set you up for a confrontation or failure.

·       Call the bully out: Let the bully know if front of supervisors the harassment must stop.

·       Get professional help: Attorneys and therapists are equipped to help you.

·       Become a revolutionist: As someone who has called out bullying, you are now in a powerful position to change things for the better. Accept this challenge to build a better workplace and a better world.

Christiansen hasn’t yet had his day in court, but we will be watching to see how it goes and cheering on this brave revolutionist.

Photo credit: Susan Chana Lask

Where’s the Beef? DC Dumpster Fires Steal Focus from Tainted Meat

The endless reality television drama that is Washington is pushing news headlines alerting us of real danger down below the fold. Lost in the revelation-per-minute scandals recently was news of a major Brazilian federal police investigation into tainted and adulterated meat that was being exported by Brazil’s largest meat processors. While the United States gets only a small fraction of meat imports from Brazil this could have become a widespread human tragedy if it had gone unrecognized. Among the places that purchased this unsanitary product were schools and retail chains including Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

When dishonest practices happen on such a large scale, I have to wonder what workplace conditions were like that made corruption—in this case bribing government officials to loosen regulations—possible. What was it about the culture of JBS (the world’s largest beef exporter) and BRF (the world’s largest poultry exporter) that would enable such behavior as mixing healthy meat with tainted product, chemicals and/or foreign matter? Clearly there was a culture of fear that kept insiders from revealing what they knew or sharing that information with a superior who would be motivated to stop the practices.

From my experience working with embattled companies, I find when this happens, no amount of classes, awareness seminars, pleas for employee communication or morale building makes any difference. Bad practices are built into this sort of culture and cannot be changed. The only way to save the company is to dismantle it and rebuild it into a culture that has transparency built in from the foundation.

Based on the reported decline in export revenues, it’s all too likely that not just the country’s reputation but the economy of Brazil has been severely damaged. I have to wonder if the beef industry will recover from this scandal.

This is all too reminiscent of the ongoing tragedy in Flint, MI or the banking debacles at Wells Fargo and TD Bank. Leaders need to wake up and realize that they must create a workplace culture that allows employees to report devious and dangerous practices without fear of reprisal. It’s only by enabling workers to resist bad practices that C-suite executives can sleep soundly at night.

Photo credit: Reuters

The Art of the Bully

All the king’s threats and all the king’s ultimatums couldn’t put this humpty-dumpty of a healthcare bill back together again. As of 4 p.m. Friday afternoon House Republicans scrapped the American Health Care Act, aka Trumpcare, after House Speaker Paul Ryan made a hasty trip to the White House to inform Donald Trump that they just didn’t have the votes.

It looks like endless threats and ultimatums weren’t enough to overcome poor planning, the evisceration of medical benefits, and the steadfast determination of an electorate that called, wrote, emailed and even faxed their pleas to save the Affordable Care Act to their elected officials. In the end, the Republicans decided to save themselves from embarrassment, and save members in divided districts from losing re-election, by not allowing the bill go to a vote.

The magnitude of the bullying involved with the ACHA has been mind boggling. Trump’s last-minute visit yesterday to the conservative Freedom Caucus included forcing chair Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC) to stand and declaring, “I’m going to come after you” because “honestly, a loss is not acceptable.” This is how bullies—not talented businesspeople—cut deals: through threats and false promises.

The Republicans tried to make excuses for Trump’s behavior or laugh it off, but the Democrats weren’t having it. U.S. News & World Report quoted House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer as saying, "When Trump threatens people, he usually means it. I see no reason to believe he was kidding… that was a threat, not a wink and a nod."

In the end, credit goes to Americans who are resisting Trump. In my book, From Bully to Bull’s-Eye: Move Your Organization Out of the Line of Fire, I devoted a chapter to how people can fight back against bullying in the workplace. The most important thing to know is not to try to do it alone. You need allies who will support you and back you up. Today the American people and the caring members of Congress teamed up to resist the gutting of the ACA. None of the bullying made a difference.  Perhaps Press Secretary Sean Spicer put it best when he told the press, “At the end of the day, you can’t force somebody to do something. At the end of the day, this isn’t a dictatorship.”

Let’s hold him to that. This is just one victory, but resisting tyranny is never a race—it’s a marathon. Rest up. We have a lot more work to do.

Photo credit: Associated Press

How NOT to Fix Workplace Culture

In February I wrote about the reports of sexual harassment at Uber and how CEO Travis Kalanick had created a culture that promoted this sort of behavior. However, I was enthused to hear that high-profile board member Arianna Huffington was stepping in and vowed to make sure that Uber would no longer be at the mercy of “brilliant jerks.”

Sadly, my rejoicing was premature. Huffington told CNN today that she and the head of human resources at Uber had spoken to hundreds of women at the company and they had found only “a few bad apples” but “this is not a systemic problem,” she said.

This is an amazingly shortsighted. Employees who work for bullies are highly unlikely to confide anything in the HR department, which is generally seen as being on the side of management. Nor are they likely to confide in a celebrity whose chief goal is damage control. An independent investigative team should have been called in that could guarantee anonymity for the people with whom they spoke. It’s already been shown that HR failed the young woman who reported her experiences on her personal blog, which went viral.

The fact that Huffington reported all of this on national television brings home how self-serving this report was. Even if, as Huffington indicated, Kalanick has “evolved,” and Uber does hire a chief operating officer to help Kalanick run the company, it is naïve to assume that this would do anything to change behavior is ingrained in the workplace culture.

It is perhaps ironic that this report dropped the day after the sitting president of the United States was proven to be a liar. I would imagine that the employees of Uber are like the rest of America—they have no idea who in power they can trust.

Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Death in the Family

I have gone through many emotions since the last election. Last night, after listening to Press Secretary Sean Spicer desperately defend his boss, it suddenly hit me: I am going through a stage of mourning.  I lost my father when I was 26 and I now feel a similar enormous loss, but this time the loss is one of confidence. We cannot believe the person who acts as the American paterfamilias, the person we look up to protect and defend the Constitution of the most powerful nation on earth. 

Spicer was on television yesterday trying to walk back Trump’s accusation of the Obama administration wire tapping Trump Tower during the election. This is just the latest conspiracy theory trotted out by the Commander in Chief. Lest we think this is just the prattling of a warped mind, the increase of conspiracy theories in the news cycle is a reason for alarm. Ivan Krastev discusses this in his op-ed, “The Rise of the Paranoid Citizen,” in the New York Times.

“Conspiracy theories disempower people. In a worldview shaped by conspiracy theories, political leaders can get away with making bad decisions by simply blaming invisible, putatively powerful enemies conspiring against them. What makes conspiracy-theory politics more dangerous than ideological politics (and lest we forget, the 20th century showcased just how deadly extreme ideologies can be) is that conspiracy theories can be dazzling in explaining what has happened and who should be blamed. But they lack any kind of vision for the future or any claim about what kind of world we want to live in,” Krastev writes.

If that isn’t worrisome enough, Trump’s other actions continue to make sure that our respect for his office remains moribund. Certainly cutting programs that provide food to hungry schoolchildren and seniors has done no good for our confidence in him as a caring leader—especially when his wife cheerfully pretends to eat diamond jewelry on the cover of—wait for it—Vanity Fair Mexico.

I feel a tremendous loss. My only comfort is that I’m not mourning alone.

Photo credit: BIGSTOCK 

Is America Becoming a Dictatorship?

There’s a lot of hyperbole being tossed around these days to describe the current unprecedented assault on American democracy from the Trump administration. But how do we really know what to believe? What is the benchmark that will tell us when an aspiring authoritarian president has tipped us over into a dictatorial culture?

I define a dictatorial culture as one that strictly enforces control over its citizens or employees. Bullies thrive in this culture and are considered heroes. People under such a regime live and work in fear. Dictatorial cultures have a severe emotional and psychological impact on human behavior and people often change their behavior to survive—rationalizing, blame and denial become coping mechanisms while under assault.  According to Leon Festinger in A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance, “people can be highly impressionable and obedient when provided with a legitimized ideology and social and institutional support, especially when it is done through coercive means by and authority.”

Signs of a dictatorial culture include:

·       Bullying is a means of survival and advancement

·       Blind obedience is expected

·       The boss is not told what needs to be heard

·       People who “suck up” are favored

·       When things go wrong, employees are blamed and punished

·       Innovation, loyalty and goodwill are nonexistent

·       There is little transparency and an obsession with secrecy

Fortunately, there is something that can be done when you find yourself under a dictatorial culture, which I discuss in my book, From Bully to Bull’s-Eye: Move Your Organization Out of the Line of Fire.

Continuing this three-part series, I will also discuss living in disjointed and stable cultures, how to recognize them, and what they mean for our future.

Illustration credit: BIGSTOCK