In the midst of a meeting, a member utters a joke or makes a comment that directly or indirectly demeans a member of a certain gender or race. Some members consider the utterance funny and laugh wholeheartedly. Others are visibly uncomfortable or hurt by the remark and stop talking.

Whether inadvertent or deliberate, racial or sexist slurs effectively "poison the air" and make a meeting environment unsafe. They may be upsetting or even shocking to some members, who may be so disturbed and distracted by them that they will not be able to focus on the discussion that ensues. They will effectively be stifled, and without their input and participation the likelihood of flawed decisions will rise.

More seriously, racial or sexist jokes or slurs can divide a group and build resentment and mistrust, thereby eroding the group's ability to work together as a cohesive and effective decision-making body. Worse yet, if an individual whose gender or race was slighted feels sufficiently offended, it is not inconceivable that he or she will go as far as launching legal or human rights action against the organization or its leaders for discrimination or harassment. Regardless of the outcomes, such actions are bound to be demoralizing and expensive.

Clearly, racial or sexist slurs pose substantial risks to an organization, and a group cannot possibly afford to tolerate them. If and when they are uttered, the Group's Chair is usually the person who is expected to intervene. But if the Chair ignores the breach and carries on, another member should not hesitate to speak up in defense of the process. Risk prevention is not exclusively the responsibility of the Chair or any person. Everyone must understand how the process works (i.e.: discussions must be respectful of all genders and races). Secondly, everyone must respect and adhere to the process. And lastly, everyone must be prepared to defend the process if it is breached.

What are your options? The first is to stop the discussion immediately and call a short break. During the break you can do two things: First, reassure an obviously offended person that you are doing something about the breach. Second, speak to the offending party in private. For example: "Jack, do you know why I stopped the meeting?" If he does, still make sure the point is clear: "I did not want to confront you in front of everyone else, but the comments you made were very hurtful to some people and are clearly not appropriate. Did you see how Rob reacted? Now, what do you suggest we do when we return to address this problem?" Hopefully the person will offer to apologize.

When the meeting resumes, you could say: "Before we carry on, I need to explain why I stopped the meeting. It was because of the joke about colored people. I understand people wanting to be funny and lighten things up. Our meetings are sometimes very serious. But we need to be sure that, while trying to be funny, we do not inadvertently hurt some people. A wise person said this about jokes: If in doubt, leave them out. Does anyone want to say anything about this before we move on? Jack? Anyone else?"

There may be times when calling a break is not an option, e.g.: you just returned from a break, or the meeting is just too short for one. In such a case, your intervention will need to be immediate and decisive: "Ruth, these jokes are not appropriate in a business setting. I'll apologize on your behalf to anyone who may have been offended. Is everyone OK? Does anyone want to say anything about this? (allow reactions) Can I count on everyone to be more sensitive and respectful in the future? (pause and look for those definitive nods) Alright, let's move on."

Finally, your best measure is the preventative one. When a group is formed, establish rules of interaction, some of which may state that discussions must focus on issues (not people), that everyone must be treated with sensitivity and respect, that a safe environment must be maintained, and that anyone who observes a breach must not hesitate to speak up and bring attention to it.