Creating a workplace where employees feel safe, valued, and respected is not just good practice, it’s essential for business success. Harassment in the workplace can damage trust, lower morale, and increase turnover. While many organizations have policies in place, prevention takes more than documents. It requires consistent action, leadership, and culture.

Here are five practical ways organizations can help prevent harassment at work.

The Smartest Leaders Don’t Do It Alone

Leading an organization is fun and exciting. But it can also be isolating, especially when the stakes are high, the pressure is rising, and tough decisions are on the line.

We’ve seen firsthand how valuable it is for leaders to have someone in their corner. Not a board member, not a direct report, not a friend, but a seasoned, strategic, and unbiased coach. Someone who understands business, understands people, and helps leaders think clearly under pressure.

Every leader needs a sounding board. And for one of our long-time clients, that sounding board helped save her company.

When Leadership Gets Lonely

Three years ago, we began working with a CEO who was facing one of the hardest moments in her career. Her business was in a financial crisis, payroll was uncertain and the high performing leadership team she hired was now underperforming. The weight of every decision rested squarely on her shoulders.

The hardest part? She knew what needed to change, but didn’t have the right people in the right seats to support and navigate the changes required to turnaround the business.

This organization had to make difficult, high-stakes decisions:

• Laying off employees to stabilize cash flow

• Restructuring leadership, accounting, and internal communication

• Rebuilding trust across the organization

She was leading alone, overwhelmed, and without anyone to safely think out loud with.

From Overwhelmed to Focused: Coaching for Busy Leaders

That’s when Meg Mayhugh, founder of People Architects and an experienced executive and business coach, stepped in.

As an outside advisor with no internal politics or personal agenda, Meg became the CEO’s trusted thought partner. They began meeting weekly, using each session to assess the business with fresh eyes, talk through challenges, and make decisions with clarity, not panic.

Meg helped her:

• Identify what was broken and what could be fixed
  
  

• Think through the financial implications of every move
  
  

• Make hard leadership calls with confidence
  
  

• Communicate more effectively with employees
  
  

• Hire stronger leaders to rebuild the team and culture
  
  

Dedicating a Space to Think

The turnaround didn’t happen overnight. There were long weeks and tough conversations. But today, ther CEO is leading a stronger, more stable business with a leadership team she trusts and a clear vision for what’s next.

And she’s still meeting with Meg weekly. Because even when things improve, the value of a coach doesn’t disappear. Weekly coaching sessions are a dedicated space to think.

She trusts her insight, her experience, and her ability to push her when needed. She’s her sounding board—not just in crisis, but in growth, in change, and in strategy.

Mid-Year Check-In: A Simple Step to Reenergize Your Team and Drive Results

Many small businesses are feeling the pressure this year—slower sales, tighter budgets, and rising costs. When growth is tough, it's easy to focus only on the numbers. But often, the key to turning things around starts with your people.

Now is the perfect time to pause and have a mid-year performance conversation with your team. These don’t have to be formal reviews or complicated processes. In fact, a simple conversation can go a long way in helping employees feel supported, realign priorities, and get motivated for the second half of the year.