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In our last Ask HR! episode, we addressed a question from one listener who asked,
I work in a place I mostly enjoy, but there’s one coworker who’s consistently abrasive and mean-spirited. She avoids helping or engaging with people from different cultures. So it makes me wonder—am I dealing with an individual who may be racist?
We provided tips about how to handle conflicts like a PRO using a framework by the same name. (If you missed it, you can read it here Is It Rudeness or Racism? Navigating Problematic Coworkers at Work!). In this post, we’ll focus on how leaders can use the HUMAN framework to follow up with employees who have concerns about racism, bias, or toxic behavior in the workplace.
Encourage Employees to Use PRO
First, let’s re-examine the PRO approach to addressing potential workplace toxicity. In order for you to address employee concerns with HUMAN, you’ll need your people to gather some crucial information.
The PRO framework (Point of View, Reactions, Outcome) is a simple yet powerful tool employees can use to document patterns and turn observations into clear, confident action.
The PRO framework works because our brains are wired to remember in threes. By breaking workplace challenges into three clear steps—
- Point of View (objectively document what stood out most from your vantage point),
- Reactions (how others responded), and
- Outcome (decide next steps and document results)
—it makes tough situations simpler, more memorable, and easier to act on.
Encourage your team to adopt the PRO approach to addressing workplace conflicts; and as a people leader, you’ll follow up on that approach by addressing employee concerns with the HUMAN Framework.
Address Workplace Conflicts with HUMAN
Employees may use the PRO approach to document what they’ve experienced or observed. But once that documentation comes forward, leaders step in with HUMAN. The HUMAN framework provides clarity and structure for leaders when addressing complaints about toxic behavior.
YPPMC Suggests:
- Hear: Hold a private meeting with a concerned employee. Listen to their concerns without assumptions, take detailed notes, and focus on facts.
- Understand: Review the multiple perspectives that they’ve documented, look for patterns, ask questions to gain clarity, and assess whether organizational culture may be enabling certain behaviors.
- Mobilize: Decide the right intervention (e.g. coaching, feedback, mediation, or HR escalation), acting quickly and fairly while keeping employees informed.
- Act: Model respectful, inclusive behavior, reinforce company values, and recognize positive behaviors that support professionalism and inclusivity.
- Normalize: Whether a claim turns out to be racism, bias, or any other form of toxicity in the workplace, embed accountability into daily operations, provide bias-awareness training, encourage open dialogue, and regularly review policies to ensure fairness and transparency.
Let YPPMC partner with you today to create a thriving, resilient workplace culture. At YPPMC, we help you address toxic workplace issues—and help transform them into opportunities for growth and lasting change.
Final Thoughts
Leadership isn’t just about managing tasks—it’s about shaping culture. By modeling respect and taking thoughtful action, you turn challenges into opportunities to create a workplace where every employee feels valued, heard, and empowered.
In short:
- Employees use PRO to document.
- Leaders use HUMAN to address.
This keeps the process of addressing workplace toxicity, and potential racism or bias, clean: documentation fuels awareness, and leadership action drives change.
Listen to the full episode now on Spotify, YouTube, or your favorite podcast platform.
By Youseline Poteau-Young | Renide Jean, EdD, Contributor | Krystle Medina-Arias, aPHR., Contributor | Shari Isaacs, M.Ed., Editor. AskHR! Blog, Lead Like a HUMAN!, 20 September 2025. https://yppmc.com/blogs
