Karen Ellis | Tall Poppy Theory

When excellence makes you

a TARGET

Research-backed guidance for high-performing

women navigating workplace bullying,

harassment, targeting, and retaliation.

 

Start with the Free Assessment

What the research shows

In a two-year study of 76 women across 6 countries, the single strongest predictor of outcome was not which strategy a woman chose. It was how visible her response was before she understood her situation fully.

  • 47% of women who responded visibly were involuntarily terminated within 12 months.
  • Only 6% of women who responded covertly were terminated.

 

What you do in the next 72 hours will either

protect your options or narrow them

 

The first 72 hours are not about solving the problem. They are about protecting what is still in your control before the situation narrows your options.

The 72-Hour Stabilization Protocol is the research-informed first step for women who believe they are being targeted at work.

  • Understand how serious your situation is
  • Identify what is already visible and what is not
  • Protect critical records, relationships, and options
  • Avoid the early moves that most often make things worse

Three lessons. One working document. Completed in a single sitting.

 

Research accepted for presentation at the International Association on

Workplace Bullying and Harassment conference, Canberra, Australia, 2026.

 

Get the 72-Hour Protocol - $47