Thanks for the question.
Early intervention is really key; it's really critical. I think it's unrealistic to expect that we'll never have inappropriate behaviours in a workplace. What we have to do is have that first line of defence, which is early intervention.
Early intervention sends a signal that this is not a place where we can act like that. It sends a signal that this is a place where we value everyone. It has to come first from leadership, but it has to move beyond leadership. It has to involve everybody in the workplace. Everybody in the workplace has to have that same sense that our workplace culture says, that our workplace culture absolutely requires, that everyone here is respected, that everyone feels safe, that everyone can contribute and reach their full potential as a worker in this environment. Early intervention sends all of those messages.
It also means that it's going to minimize the kind of disciplinary issues you're going to have. If you intervene early before things become serious, it's much easier to deal with the perpetrator. You don't have to implement really serious consequences. You can explain that this is inappropriate. You can give a warning. You can make it clear that the behaviour shouldn't be repeated. If you have the culture that supports all of that, you're not likely to see a repeat of the behaviour.