There comes a time when talk ends and action begins. Call it an inflection point.
It separates what came before from what is now acceptable (and unacceptable).
Take sexual harassment.
In the ’60s and ’70s, it was considered the norm. That mindset has changed, but the pace has been glacial.
As late as 2016 and early 2017, Fox went through prolonged and public angst and hand-wringing before parting ways with Roger Ailes and Bill O’Reilly.
Fast-forward to today. Chronologically, it’s been only several months, but society’s sense of what’s acceptable has changed radically. Sexual harassment has become toxic, and the floodgates have burst.
Companies don’t want the taint. But don’t necessarily ascribe that to altruism.
Companies respond to dollars. They realize if they’re perceived as condoning sexual harassment, their reputation will suffer and some of those dollars might dry up. If the public has already reached its verdict, companies better jump on the bandwagon for safety’s sake.
As a result, reaction to such allegations is now swift and certain, measured in days, sometimes hours. Often it is preemptive — to insulate a company from the allegations before determining their validity. But even if the allegations are false, the accused’s career could be destroyed.
- Soon after the latest round of sexual-misconduct allegations, Harvey Weinstein was expelled by The Weinstein Company (his own movie company), as well as by Hollywood’s arbiter of propriety, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
- Netflix halted production on Kevin Spacey’s popular “House of Cards” program and is considering killing off his character.
- Warner Brothers reportedly is severing its relationship with filmmaker Brett Ratner.
- Top NPR news executive Michael Oreskes resigned a day after allegations against him became public, but management is under fire for not acting faster when employees first filed complaints internally two years earlier.
Once an inflection point is passed, events move fast. While you’ll feel the need to move faster just to keep up, make sure your actions are aligned with your goal.
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You can reach Roger Gillott and Eden Gillott directly at 310-396-8696.
Gillott Communications is a Los Angeles-based public relations firm that specializes in high-stakes Crisis & Reputation Management with more than 50 years of expertise in strategic communications, corporate public relations, and working with the media.
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