When someone has been “canceled,” it means they cease to exist to that person. There is no communication with them or about them. In the case of a nationally or internationally known figure or institution, there is a cut-off of any attention, money, or promotion. The term “canceled” is relatively new in use — the closest approximation is being ostracized. Social media has had a hand in the increase of “canceling,” as there is a great deal of power in getting a message across is such a short period of time.
Today’s high schoolers hear about “canceling” on a daily basis. There are also the concepts of being “called out” or “called-in.” Being called out is a direct way of saying “I’m not tolerating this and you should feel at least some shame about your behavior.” Being “called-in” is when you explain to a person why their behavior was inappropriate, and possibly open a discussion as to how to rectify the behavior in the future.
Some feel that “canceling” is necessary - it’s an immediate way to let someone know his or her behavior is not acceptable. In some cases, the “canceled” person is seen as a person who has displayed such an egregious violation of decent behavior that the only way to get the message across is to ostracize him or her. Others feel that “canceling” doesn’t allow people, particularly younger people, to make mistakes or errors in judgment. A behavior that was once accepted as an error in judgment worthy of an apology is now seen as a reason for ex-communication — and that ex-communication can now be announced around the world in seconds via a post on social media. And here’s a catch — expressing strong emotions in social media, studies have found, gets more follows and more sharing.
“Canceled” people have formed networks to find support and advice. This is particularly the case when your “canceling” was initiated by someone you feel did the “canceling” purely out of jealousy or spite, and in the case of social media influencers, the “canceling” led to a significant loss of income and employment. In at least one case, an author pulled his debut novel before it was released due to a backlash on Twitter accounts - many of whom had not read the novel.
There is an argument that “canceling” does not change a person’s behavior, and that it denies the inherent nature of human beings — people are rarely all good or all bad. People are flawed. It has been posited that “cancel culture” may be propagated by some as a way to gain a sense of superiority. Others say they have been quiet for too long, and “canceling” is a way of taking back their power.
When does “canceling” cross over from standing up for what you believe it into a form of bullying? Does the nature of the inappropriate behavior matter? And what do you do when you are a leader at a company where “canceling” is being used to ostracize others?
If you hear around your office that an employee has been “canceled,” it is important that you directly address the issue. “Canceling” at the office can range from a group purposely excluding a coworker from a project and withholding important communications to posting pictures and video of the coworker on social media. “Canceling” is a very public form of shaming. Once a person is shamed on social media, it is easy for others to gang up, particularly when they are anonymous. The court of public opinion has already made its judgment.
First, identify who has engaged in the “canceling” behavior, and who is the focus of that behavior. What was the original behavior or behaviors that resulted in the “cancellation”? Keep in mind that if the “canceling” or the behavior that precipitated the “canceling” qualifies as harassment by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, your company may be held responsible.
Sometimes “canceling” is a result of people not being heard by management when they have raised objections to a person’s inappropriate behavior. Do you have procedures in place for reporting offensive behavior? More importantly, does your company actually follow those procedures? There are also cases where an intended target didn’t engage in behaviors that would warrant “canceling.” Pretending like someone doesn’t exist, and then getting others to join in, is a way to wield power. Is there a power structure in existence at your company amongst coworkers? Is there one employee especially that may derive power and satisfaction from pitting people against each other?
Are their members of your board or management that exhibit bullying behaviors? Are some of your employees learning that this is acceptable behavior? How are supervisors treating employees? If oppressive or bullying behavior is being practiced by a supervisor, employees will respond in forms of protest like “canceling” if they feel they are not being treated fairly or are being demeaned. Again, “canceling” can be seen as a way to take power back.
Even if it is not clear what behavior initiated the “canceling” and who initiated the “canceling” itself, it is important that the entire company is educated about how people should be treated in the workplace. This training should include the proper protocol for reporting bullying or harassing behaviors. It should also include information on appropriate social media behavior. Many companies have a rule that employees are not to represent their company whatsoever on social media, including forbidding the posting of any photos or videos of the workplace or its employees. Because social media is a relatively new phenomenon in the history of business, many companies find that their employee manuals have failed to address it.
Now your company has to stick with those protocols. Having an organizational psychologist come in and review the culture of your company and your existing protocols for appropriateness can help your company create an atmosphere of acceptance and respect.
An open dialogue between parties can be helpful if that dialogue is mediated by a trained, unbiased party. Again, it is important for the company to take responsibility for their part in knowingly or unknowingly propagating disrespect amongst employees.