Includes index.

• Intro
• the drama-free workplace
• Contents
• Foreword
• Acknowledgments
• About the Author
• Introduction
• Part I. Diagnosis Drama: What You Can Do to Identify, Prevent, and Fix Workplace Drama
• Chapter 1. How to Blow Up an Organization (and Rise from the Ashes)
• #WorkplaceDrama: Identifying Problematic Behavior
• Root Causes of Workplace Drama
• Legal Compliance: Friend or Foe?
• The #1 Culture Problem in Organizations: A Lack of Authenticity
• The Courage to Be Different (and Therefore Effective): Focus on the Good
• Chapter 2. Why Is Sexual Harassment Still a Thing and What We Must Do to Fix It
• The Road to #MeToo
• Are We All on the Same Page? Key Legal Definitions and Clarifications
• Legal Definition of Sexual Harassment
• Real-Life Definition
• Why the Behavioral Continuum Matters
• The Law Is Your Friend
• Consider Making an Early Intervention System a Formal Program
• Leading Predictors of Workplace Sexual Harassment
• A Culture of Complicity
• Male-Dominated (or Male-Only) Leadership
• Compliance Blinders
• Other Factors That Contribute to Sexual Harassment
• The Harassers: Why They Harass and Who Is More Likely to Harass
• Issues Related to Targets: How Prevalent Is Harassment and How Frequently Is It Reported?
• Issues Related to Bystanders: Does It Affect Them and Do They Intervene?
• How Corporate Complicity Factors into This Reality
• Sexual Harassment: The Cure
• Promote a Culture of Precise Communication
• Develop a Culture of Courage
• Cultivate a Culture of Truth-Telling
• Foster a Culture of Equity and Inclusion
• Create a Culture of Continuous Learning
• Chapter 3. Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging . . . Not Just PC BS
• Unconscious Bias Explained
• Affinity (or "Like Me") Bias
• Confirmation Bias
• D, I, & B . . . What's the Difference (and Why Does it Matter)?.
• "Old School" Plans No Longer Work
• Why It Matters Now More Than Ever: Demographic Trends
• Best Practices and Emerging Trends for Creating, Executing, and Selling Your Initiative
• Authenticity
• Trickle-Down Effect
• Creative Communication and Branding
• Staying Current
• Measure, Analyze, Adjust
• Link to Your Business
• Design Creative Training Programs
• Relinquish Control
• Chapter 4. Ethics Lapses: They're More Common Than You Think
• Where Ethics Lapses Begin
• Leading Causes and Warning Signs of Unethical Behavior at the Corporate Level
• Cutting Corners on Policy
• Misleading the Public for Profit
• Unfair Treatment Leads to Theft and Unrest
• Best Prevention Techniques
• Adopt Ethics as Part of Corporate Conversation
• Anchor Values to Expectations
• Lead by Example
• Hire for Values First, Then Skills
• Link Performance to Soft Skills
• Establish a System of Checks and Balances
• Part II. "Hiking" to the Top of the Healthy Workplace Culture Pyramid
• Chapter 5. Reaching the Top of the Healthy Workplace Culture Pyramid: The Three Fs
• Getting Started
• Fearlessness
• What Are the Odds of a Company Being Sued for Sexual Harassment?
• Why Are We Persuaded by Fear, Even If It Means We Act Irrationally?
• How Do We Resist That Tempting Pull to Behave Irrationally?
• Fairness
• Actual Fairness
• Perceived Fairness
• What Corporate Decision Has the Greatest Impacton the Perception of Fairness?
• Freedom
• Step 1: Reinvent Rule-Making
• Step 2: Give Employees Freedom by Treating Them Like Adults
• Why Your Hike Requires Measuring Risk and Opportunity
• Chapter 6. Anticipating and Preparing for Drama-Causing Events
• Anticipating Workplace Drama
• Leading Drama Producer: Corporate Change
• Corporate Reorganizations
• Leadership Changes.
• Leading Drama Producer: Faulty Processes that Lead to Poor Decision-Making
• Bad Hiring Practices Lead to Bad Hiring Decisions
• Reintegrating Returning Employees
• Evaluating Performance
• Leading Drama Producer: Failure to Observe, Analyze, and Course-Correct
• Chapter 7. Make Your Journey Easier: Choose the Less Treacherous Path
• What We Can Learn from Companies That Embrace a Safety Culture
• Safety Programs: The Road to Success
• The Road from Legal Mandate to Cultural Mantra
• Translating Safety Accomplishments to Achieve a Healthy Workplace Culture
• Deep Commitment to Employee Safety and Well-Being
• Accident/Injury Reduction versus Drama Reduction: A Side-by-Side Comparison
• Tone and Content of Policies
• Prevention Techniques
• Addressing Injuries
• Chapter 8. Reduce Drama Through Precise and Persuasive Communication
• The Most Common Communication Failures That Lead to Drama
• Improve Your Emotional Intelligence to Communicate More Precisely
• Stories from the Trenches
• Using Emotional Intelligence to Keep Drama Away
• You Are What You Say, So Be Meticulous with Your Words
• Pivot from Defensiveness to Genuine Curiosity: Being Right Isn't Always Right
• Use Helpful Communication Tools
• The Cassandra Curse: How Not to Be Persuasive
• The Cassandra Curse: Workplace Edition
• Breaking the Curse: How to Be More Persuasive
• Lesson 1. Become a Master Persuader by Using the "P2 Filter"
• Lesson 2. Become a Master Persuader by Learning What Makes People Tick
• Lesson 3. Become a Master Persuader by Being Collaborative and Practical
• Part III. A DIY Roadmap for Creating and Maintaining a Drama-Free Culture
• Chapter 9. Policies, Schmolicies . . . How to Write and Enforce the Right Rules
• Policies Should Set Expectations, Not Restrict Freedom
• Top 10 Mistakes in a Typical Sexual Harassment Prevention Policy.
• Overall Tone
• Reporting Misconduct
• Investigations of Misconduct
• Fixing Problems
• Say Goodbye to Legal Jargon and Hello to Clarity and Positivity
• Chapter 10. Your Step-by-Step Guide to Designing and Delivering Effective Workplace Training
• What's Kept Training from Moving the Needle?
• What Does Work?
• Step-by-Step Guide to Implementing a Successful Training Program
• Step 1. Plan and Set the Tone
• Step 2. Design the Program Based on What You've Learned from Step 1
• Step 3. Design the Content
• Step 4. Map Out a Detailed Plan on How to Deliver the Content
• Step 5. Deploy, Track, and Celebrate
• Step 6. Collect and Analyze Data to Keep the Training Loop Going
• Chapter 11. How to Effectively Investigate and Resolve Claims of Workplace Misconduct
• Best Practices for Getting Started
• The Qualities of an Excellent Workplace Sleuth
• Determining Whether a Full Investigation Is Necessary
• Conducting Investigations That Get to the Truth and Fix Problems: A Step-by-Step Guide
• Step 1 Intake
• Step 2 Planning an Investigation Strategy
• Step 3 Gathering and Analyzing the Evidence: Interviews, Documents, and More
• Step 4 Analyzing the Evidence and Making Credibility Determinations
• Step 5 Reaching Conclusions Based on the Evidence Collected
• Step 6 Reporting the Findings
• Step 7 Fixing the Problem
• Step 8 Closing the Loop
• Appendix: Supporting Documents for Conducting Investigations
• Index
• EULA.

Eliminate sexual harassment, unconscious bias, ethical lapses and other HR nightmares! Companies spend millions on legal compliance training and initiatives to eliminate workplace drama and the resulting low morale and lawsuits, but don't always get the results they want. Most organizations understand that simply checking legal compliance boxes around sexual harassment, bias, etc. isn't enough, but are at a loss on how to implement solutions, especially in today's post-#MeToo world. Patti Perez is an attorney, HR expert, trainer, and former state regulator, who has conducted over 1,200 workplace investigations. In this unique book, she explains the secret to avoiding all forms of drama, legal exposure, and low morale: A healthy workplace culture. Patti combines the lessons learned from 25 years of professional experience with robust data from behavioral science research to debunk common myths, including the belief that a focus on legal compliance leads to a healthy workplace culture. (In fact, it increases the likelihood of getting sued). The Drama-Free Workplace includes a section with easy-to-understand causes, effects and solutions to problems related to: Sexual harassment Bias and diversity Ethics lapses The book also includes helpful information on: Becoming an organization that values and practices fearlessness, fairness and freedom Anticipating situations that give rise to drama, with detailed advice on how to prevent it from happening Using emotional intelligence to communicate more precisely and persuasively about sensitive, controversial topics in the workplace Finally, the book's DIY section guides companies on how to: draft and enforce helpful policies (that employees will actually read and *want* to follow) design and deliver powerful and effective training programs investigate and resolve claims of sexual harassment and other types of misconduct. Together, these practical tools will help all your employees feel valued and motivated, and keep drama, disengagement, and lawsuits, away.