Case StudiesIn this Together
By Michele Eby
Most companies are aware of the liability and potential for staggering losses such as these, resulting from sexual harassment complaints that aren't taken seriously. But it's easy to feel distanced from those headlines. It's easy to label them as another company's problem. Certainly, a company that has a philosophy of mutual respect and communication among associates, for example, doesn't have to worry about harassment. A company like The Town & Country Trust, which has a history of employees treating one another with respect.
Jim Ruff, vice president of Training and Organizational Development at The Town & Country Trust - a company that owns, operates and redevelops large multifamily apartment communities - learned a long time ago that liability concerns and the potential for harassment isn't solely a management issue; it rests on the shoulders of each and every employee.
ALL IT TAKES IS ONE EMPLOYEE
"It was one associate in one community," said Ruff, referring to a problem that came up last year. Ruff knew he needed to address the problem head-on and decided Media Partner's In This Together would help him do just that. He said he had learned about the video training program from a colleague at a national conference a couple of years ago and had already decided to include it in the company's orientation program. When asked why he selected In This Together, Ruff stated
done and that really hits the nail on
the head like this program."
IT'S NOT ABOUT BEING POLITICALLY CORRECT, IT'S ABOUT BEING RESPONSIBLE
In This Together: An Engaging Look at Harassment and Respect is based on the premise that disrespect is at the root of all harassment. The program brings together a hip, casual, and believable group of employees to discuss basic issues of respect through an opinion survey that engages the viewer. It addresses issues of common courtesy and respect and offers a holistic approach to preventing harassment by encouraging employees to think about their own behaviors and the impact those behaviors can have on fellow employees.
Ruff said he decided to present the training to the whole community. "We wanted them to realize we were serious about harassment and handling complaints should anything come up. We also wanted to reinforce our expectations for a respectful working environment and the video was a great springboard for discussion," he added.
COMPANY-WIDE IMPLEMENTATION
What began as a way to address a specific problem in one community turned into a company-wide rollout. "We found that In This Together is a great way to reinforce how we expect our employees to behave and act toward one another," Ruff said.
The company has included In This Together in it's new hire orientation for several months and has just started the company-wide implementation for current associates. "The property managers introduce the training by emphasizing the importance of respect and then let the video program speak for itself", Ruff explained.
"In other training workshops, respect and communication so often come up as something that associates believe is important. By offering In This Together to all employees, the company is reinforcing that idea," Ruff said.
Historically, Town and Country Trust's number of harassment complaints is quite small, and they want to keep it that way. "We want to be proactive," Ruff explained. "In This Together helps us do that while giving harassment prevention and respect issues a positive frame of reference."
found it to be excellent and very well received."
COMPANY BELIEVES PROGRAM SCOPE IS BEYOND MEASURING
Ruff said that he doesn't envision measuring the effectiveness of the program because the importance of the topic is good enough. "Presenting In This Together to each and every one of our associates is a great way for us to reinforce our expectations," he explained. "In This Together is a proactive approach toward something we already feel is important."
He said he learned of Media Partners through word of mouth a couple of years ago and has consistently found that "everything about Media Partners is first-class."
...go to IN THIS TOGETHER VIDEO product page
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