Inappropriate behavior toward women in the workplace has sparked a national conversation about sexual harassment. The #MeToo movement exploded on social media, celebrities were embroiled in allegations of sexual misconduct, employers were sued, and employees dismissed. 

While this tidal wave of public attention has generated some positive change, business leaders and work-culture observers wonder how the fallout will affect male-female working relationships down the road, including within the mentoring dynamic.

As a business owner and attorney, I think it’s time to turn the conversation positive and view how male-female mentoring has successfully impacted careers and companies. This time of raised awareness provides the chance to improve mentoring and make it even more meaningful.

I would like to encourage my business-owner peers to change the tone of this conversation and focus on the many successful male-female work relationships we have each seen, fostered, and benefited from forging. A workplace is super-charged by having a mix of well-mentored men and women. 

At a time when men might be pulling away from mentoring to avoid any hint of impropriety with a female colleague, we need more men to mentor women because they’ll be helping to positively change the workplace.

Here are four tips for male business leaders when mentoring women:

Focus on professional progress 
Rules for mentoring should be the same for a woman mentoring a man or a man mentoring a woman. What’s the mentor or mentee’s motivation for entering into this mentoring relationship? You focus on skills, talents, goals, and competencies. Feedback is constructive. You keep it real by not veering off the track of professional growth.

Think of mutual growth 
Well-planned and executed mentoring is a win-win for both the mentee and mentor. Both individuals can grow substantially from the relationship. Focus on developing the women and men on your teams through impactful mentoring that elevates both the mentor and the mentee. As a male business owner, I owe a tremendous amount of my own success to the incredible mentorship of my female colleagues. Male business owners need to seek out their female mentors as they add a different dimension to how we plan, execute, and build our business.

Ask, if you’re unsure 
Colleagues can help you understand what is considered inappropriate behavior and what is acceptable. Something that was a compliment years ago might be considered an inappropriate comment today.

Practice common courtesy, respect
Treat a female colleague as you would any other colleague. Men should take the extra step of educating themselves on the definition of sexual harassment and what it means to women in a professional setting. Be a good listener and exhibit common courtesy, as you would show any person.

Male business leaders have a great opportunity here to be great role models, impactful mentors, and help women continue to diversify the talent of their companies. 

Peter J. Strauss (www.peterjstrauss.com) is an attorney, captive insurance manager, and author of several books, including most recently “The Business Owner’s Definitive Guide to Captive Insurance Companies.” 

Lots of money, effort, and time go into acquiring customers, but not nearly enough thought goes into keeping them coming back. Sure, there’s the occasional offer or the “We’ve missed you” discount. All too frequently, we don’t pay attention unless they’re unhappy or turn up missing. Then, we get busy to try to get them back.

Such business behavior has unintended consequences. The cable companies are an example. Customers have learned to complain and threaten to leave unless they are given concessions. And how do you feel when a company unleashes the sweet talk after they haven’t heard from you? This is when you say, “Why didn’t you take care of me before I left?”

Sure, there are so-called loyalty programs. But their track record is spotty. At the moment, Macy’s appears to be having some success. But today’s customers are always alert for the next “best deal.” And it’s not just retail, it’s everywhere.

Whatever the business, the barriers to making a change are crumbling, as a recent Capital One TV ad depicts so graphically. No matter where they are, it only takes five minutes to change, viewers are told.

Customers get it. Nothing holds them back. “I really like doing business with you, but I’m making a change,” they say. Many businesses pass it off as just the way it is today; few have a clue what to do about it.

So, let’s get specific as to why customers leave. Here are four main reasons. 

1. Some are easily bored
They constantly prowl the Internet for what’s new and different, which one survey pegs as between one and three hours a day just at work.

2. Others lose interest almost instantly
Studies indicate attention spans are getting shorter — and shorter. You may recall a Canadian media consumption survey by Microsoft that found the average attention span was 8 seconds in 2015, down from 12 seconds in 2000.

3. Many don’t get the help they expect, particularly with decision-making 
A patient in a medication ad wonders if what he’s taking is the best for him. He wants the best so he talks to his doctor and makes a change. We’re confused after poring over online reviews and items with Amazon, and “Best Seller” grabs our attention.

4. They feel they’re being taken for granted 
They place orders, pay on time, and don’t complain. Sounds like the perfect customer. And then they’re gone. Why? They feel neglected — and chances are they’re right.

Is there a common thread running through the list? If anything, it shows how fragile customer relationships are today. It doesn’t take much to harm them, but it does take effort to strengthen them. Here are seven ways to do it.

1. Communicate value 
Of course, customers chase the lowest price for auto insurance. They view it the same way they buy milk or bread and a lot of other stuff. Keep the attention directed on why what you sell makes a difference in your customers’ lives. 

2. Focus on the front line 
Person-to-person contact is the weakest point in most businesses. It ranges from lack of attention and inaccurate information to surliness, being ignored, and lied to. Like it or not, this is the company. It’s the place of truth, no matter what the CEO says.

3. Act on feedback 
Whether a business wants feedback or not, they get it today, often from many directions. Encouraging feedback should be a company’s primary message, not tacked on somewhere: “We want to be better. We depend on you to show us how.” Then let customers know how they helped. 

4. Make messaging personal 
Customers must feel that the business experience is about them. Too much is either too general, inappropriate, or what you want customers to buy. Forget it. It doesn’t work and that means it wastes time and money. To do it right takes data.

5. Customize loyalty rewards 
Everyone isn’t moved by a singular incentive. Give them options so the decision is theirs. Sure, it’s more complicated, but a key to loyalty is recognizing customers as partners.

6. Listen to their story
Share complaints and what you’ve done about them; show how complaints make a better company. Customers want to talk about their situation

7. Do something special 
Surprise them. Let them know you noticed them. A few days after having brunch at a restaurant, the manager emailed a guest. He said they were pleased to prepare the meal to meet dietary restrictions.

Now, here is the point. Just as a thread runs through the reasons why customers leave, there’s also a thread that helps explain why they stay: They feel appreciated, understood, and wanted — not just when they come aboard, but consistently over time.

Is a retention effort worth it? “The companies that have a difficult time,” says Wharton researcher Dan McCarthy, “are the ones that don’t do a good job of retaining the customers. They are never able to dial back on customer acquisition, which makes it very hard for them to get out of that loss-making situation.”

In summary, we can say that just as customer acquisition is habit-forming, so is customer retention.                                  

John Graham of GrahamComm is a marketing and sales strategist-consultant and business writer. He is the creator of “Magnet Marketing,” and publishes a free monthly eBulletin, “No Nonsense Marketing & Sales Ideas.” Contact him at jgraham@grahamcomm.com, (617) 774-9759, or johnrgraham.com