Safe at Hopkins Process
Safe at Hopkins offers a safe place for people to report unprofessional and disruptive behavior and to discuss concerns about a safe academic and working climate. We are committed to fostering a culture that is safe and professional, tolerant of differences, yet void of disruptive behaviors and bullying. To this end, we support the Speak Up Speak Out initiatives by providing a place for consultation where concerns are heard without judgment and guidance is offered.
Safe at Hopkins provides a number of services including: consultation; exploring reports of disruptive behavior and offering guidance; leadership support in understanding disruptive behavior and bullying in a specific work area; and awareness building through training and education.
Report Disruptive Behaviors
Safe at Hopkins offers a simple and safe way to seek guidance. Individuals may report disruptive behaviors to Safe at Hopkins using the red, orange, and blue buttons. All reports are reviewed and considered without judgment.
Some people may report anonymously. Depending on the amount of information given, Safe at Hopkins may note the report, file it, and continue to observe whether or not similar reports are made in the same work area. Some anonymous reports have ample information in which case Safe at Hopkins may reach out to Human Resources or the academic area to question a greater awareness of similar concerns.
Many reports include ample information as well as the reporter’s interest in being contacted. In these situations, reporters are contacted to learn more about their experience and history of disruptive behaviors. Frequently, we will ask the reporter what initiatives have been taken previously, if any, and then discuss a go-forward plan that feels comfortable to the reporter. Just like the risk assessment process, Safe at Hopkins works collaboratively with multidisciplinary partners who share a focus and concern about disruptive behaviors in the work environment. Typically we will partner with human resources for staff situations, the vice dean for faculty for faculty situations, or the director of student affairs for student situations. Through this partnership, Safe at Hopkins can better determine how to elevate the concerns and make appropriate recommendations for further exploration when necessary.
Interview Process
In some situations Safe at Hopkins will recommend an interview process to better understand the scope of disruptive behaviors that appear to be of a bullying nature and of significant concern. The interview process is a tool to support leaders in better understanding reported concerns in a work environment that is under his or her leadership.
This process is initiated by Safe at Hopkins reaching out to a leader to notify him or her that reports of disruptive behavior have been received and explored to the extent that we chose to elevate concerns to the leadership level. In these circumstances, we will meet with the leader to explain the nature of the reports and listen to leadership input and awareness of the climate. We strategize with leaders about an intentional way to proceed that supports a safe and professional work environment. One such way is for the leader to invite Safe at Hopkins to explore the breadth and depth of disruptive behaviors and report back on findings and recommendations.
When Safe at Hopkins explores disruptive behavior in a particular work environment, we strategize with the leader and other designees on the names of appropriate people who should be interviewed to lend perspective on the reported concerns and overall climate. An initial list of interviewees is compiled, and may be expanded as needed throughout the process.
Next, the leader will coordinate an introduction of the Safe at Hopkins program manager to interviewees. Safe at Hopkins will then move through the interview process, expanding the list of interviewees if needed. The key question to be answered in an interview is “Have you experienced disruptive behaviors in your work environment?” Safe at Hopkins is interested in collecting the experiences of multiple individuals over time to understand if a dominant style or pattern exists.
The Johns Hopkins Continuum of Disruptive Behaviors is the anchor for this work and informs the themes that are communicated by interviewees’ experiences. When interviews are complete, Safe at Hopkins considers the information according to the continuum and in aggregate. We do not communicate specific examples back to the leader nor do we communicate “who said what.” Safe at Hopkins considers findings that are thematic in nature and examines the breadth and depth of the problem; Safe at Hopkins will indicate whether or not we understand the concerns to be a dominant style and /or pervasive behavior.
Assessment Conclusion and Recommendations
The process concludes with a report-out meeting to the leader where we communicate the details of our findings and discuss initial recommendations. Once recommendations have been agreed upon, a final report, brief in nature, will be given to the leader; the report summarizes the process, highlights the themes and findings, and concludes with recommendations.
