Which type of harassment is most common in the workplace? Answer — The kind that never gets reported. Whether intensive harassment or just rude behavior – these are common complaints from employees, but they are often never officially dealt with as people fear retaliation. And often if confronted, employees and leaders are surprised – “we were just having fun….everyone does that.” Meanwhile others at work live in fear.

In today’s workplace it is tricky business striking the balance between a fun-loving, loose and creative atmosphere and one that also respects the needs and viewpoints of everyone employed. Leaders often lose their bearings and become unaware of harmful behavior and an unproductive environment. By either going along or looking the other way, they are contributing to a boiling, if not explosive, set of problems that they will be held responsible for in the end.

What can leaders and business owners do to build a respectful and trusting workplace? One that fosters creative and collaborative thinking for the long haul – not just fun in the moment? For sure they must establish the policies of behavior that all employees must abide by – that pay attention to both the legal and motivational aspects of employee needs. But equally important, they must be a model of respectful behavior. Here are a few key components:

Make sure you are constantly encouraging open communication. Listen to employees and other leaders, address issues head-on that might be hard to confront, question assumptions that your team makes — all this ensures that you hear the true concerns of people and focus on solving them proactively.

Be sure your words and your actions are in sync – that you are consistent. Be the model of your stated organizational values –even if that means stepping away from “the fun” at times. Be honest and follow through on commitments, both your own and the ones stated in the policy manual.

Outwardly show that you value the contributions and opinions of everyone – demonstrate, don’t just say that diversity is an advantage. Give due credit without bias. And don’t expect favors in return. Show confidence in others by advocating for everyone. If you do these things, you earn a lot of credit when the occasional bump occurs.

Harassment and other poor behavior are cues that the work environment has been ignored and left to the discontent to define. Creating and leading the culture of your organization is as important as any other business factor in running a successful enterprise. As the saying goes, “a little respect goes a long way.”