Changing Workplace Policies to Ensure the #MeToo Movement Advances Diversity in Leadership

Dr. Bernice Ledbetter and Dr. Michael Kinsman share their thoughts about ensuring the #MeToo movement advances diversity in leadership in a recent piece in Workforce. They believe the outcome of the #MeToo movement should be the creation of opportunities for all employees to thrive.

In their opinion piece they say "while there have been significant strides in reducing gender bias, harassment and sexual misconduct, clearly there is still work to be done. The #MeToo movement has been an important driver in bringing to light numerous cases of sexual abuse and misconduct. However, it has also had the unintended consequence of causing men to refrain from interacting with women for fear of retaliation. Considering that male executives play a key role in advancing women into higher levels of leadership, this fear must be taken seriously because if unaddressed it leads to workplaces where there are fewer opportunities for women’s career advancement and informal coaching."

Dr. Ledbetter and Dr. Kinsman assert that changes need to happen at the organizational level and say “it’s time to capitalize on that momentum and change our workplace policies—starting from the top down—so that we can turn the #MeToo era into a movement that is constructive, encourages human interaction and supports appropriate career advancement.