Those who follow the news will surely have noticed the increased number of reports of undesirable behaviour. Often, these reports revolve around the perpetrator, and occasionally around the victim. “But it's never actually about the people who witness it: the majority”, Petter notes. “It is precisely this group that holds the most potential: they can tackle undesirable behaviour. You cannot usually expect that from the person who has to endure the behaviour: they are vulnerable at that moment, regardless of whether there is an unequal balance of power in the working relationship with the perpetrator. And there may also be feelings of shame. Moreover, in all likelihood, you cannot immediately count on an empathetic response from the perpetrator either. Hence, in this training session, we focus on bystanders: they can change the situation because they are not one of those two parties.”
Getting stronger
However, the threshold for a bystander to address someone about their undesirable behaviour can still be quite high. “The aim of the training session is therefore to make you stronger and more skilled at responding to undesirable behaviour”, Petter explains. “We will give tools so you know what you can do from now on, and how to do that. The guiding principle here is: doing nothing is not an option. As a bystander, you are important in cases of undesirable behaviour: you can step forward.”
The training session therefore covers concrete examples: from bullying and scolding to ignoring, and from sexual harassment to implicit and explicit discrimination. “Undesirable behaviour is quite broad. Think of people who are treated differently because they have a different skin colour or sexual orientation, for example. Or colleagues who are never invited to the drinks after work. But also humour: often, when making jokes, people don't think about what impact it could have on others. The training session focuses not only on raising awareness about undesirable behaviour, but also on how to respond to it appropriately.”
Four techniques
Responding, according to Petter, can be done using four techniques that you can choose from as a bystander. “The first technique is direct action: you act immediately when undesirable behaviour occurs. Second, you can opt for distraction: you take the sting out of the situation and allow some air into the room, so to speak. The third thing you can do is delegate: for example, you discuss the undesirable behaviour with a confidential advisor or someone in a higher position. And the fourth option is delay: you don't act right now, but come back to the undesirable behaviour at a later time. These techniques and the tactics associated with them are all covered in the training session. And you can also use these if you yourself are unexpectedly the target of undesirable behaviour one day.”
Radboud University sees social safety as a crucial prerequisite for well-being, close collaboration, research quality and integrity, academic and otherwise. Petter: “Social safety is important. Because when you feel safe as an employee, not only does your productivity increase, but also your creativity and loyalty. If you are comfortable and happy, you are more likely to be your best self and stay loyal to your employer for longer.”
What makes active bystander training special is that it stems from the educational field: the concept was developed in 2017 and the first training session was held at Imperial College in London. A year later, in 2018, the training concept won the renowned British award ‘Universities HR Award for Organisational Development & Culture Change’. Due to the positive response and increased attention to social safety, the training concept also came to the Netherlands fairly quickly, where it is now taught in many organisations – including outside the educational field. Petter: “Before we proceed with the session, we always agree that everything discussed in the session stays within the group. And although social safety may seem like a heavy topic, we strive to cover it in a relaxed atmosphere during the session. And you may participate in the way you feel most comfortable. So, if you just come to listen, that's fine too.” According to Petter, feedback from participants has been mostly positive. “Although the training session is only an hour and a half long, many report afterwards that they learnt a lot and have subsequently used the interventions they learnt not only at work, but also privately. This is based on the understanding that by responding to undesirable behaviour with proven interventions, you can make a difference: to yourself, to your colleagues and to those close to you.”
Want to know more about the active bystander training, on which days it will be held at Radboud University and how you can participate in it individually or with your team?
* Roel Petter hosts the training session in Dutch on behalf of the Active Bystander Company. The English-language version is given by his colleague Marloes Siccama. Would you like to know more about participants’ experiences? Then visit www.activebystander.com