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How To Tell If Your Boss is a Demanding Leader or an Actual Bully

Last month, I was interviewed for a Business Insider piece on determining whether or not your boss is a demanding leader or a bully. The main distinction is that a demanding manager is not out to be cruel to employees, but to criticize constructively for the good of the business. Read the article for my take on the difference between a boss who challenges and a boss who bullies, over at Business Insider.

Response to "Culture Still Eats Strategy for Breakfast"

This guide to create or change workplace culture is refreshing in that it offers a concrete and sustainable methodology based on philanthropy and volunteering. Giving back to the local community is one of the best ways for a company to build an internal community. Volunteering engages employees on a cross-departmental level, and imparts a real sense of teamwork and unification whose effects will be felt in the office. Read more at the Huffington Post.

Response to "The One Question You Should Ask About Every New Job"

As the New Year begins, and we start reconsidering the way 2015 has treated us, it’s interesting to note that one essential question people often forget to ask about their jobs is how the culture in their offices affects them. This article from the New York Times, which would be helpful for anyone looking for a different situation with the New Year, offers a narrative approach to judging the culture at any job, old or new. The right position, designation, and paycheck are important in securing employment, but the workplace environment is an essential element of well-being at work that deserves some reflection now that 2016 is here. Knowing that you’re entering a Stable Culture, rather than Disjointed or Dictatorial Culture, should be an important factor in any job-search decision. I go into more detail in my book, The Bully’s Trap, so check it out for more information. 

Leadership in Unique Workplace Cultures

It’s no secret that discrimination is not at all foreign to the workplace – but this particular case, with women integrating into Marie Corps Combat Units, is unique in that the cultural ideas about gender seem to operate differently in a workplace structured around traditionally male tasks. The women working to join these units are admirable, as are the leaders who try their best to keep harmful hazing and bullying from occurring. However, the negative reactions many soldiers have had to the integration cited in this article are cause for concern. This extreme case is evocative of a larger trend in the workplace at large – discrimination, preconceived notions, and bullying are oftentimes not discouraged by people in leadership positions. With stronger and more empathetic leaders at the helm of military and private industry cultures alike, there’s a chance that workplace (and societal) discrimination can erode for all historically disenfranchised groups of people. Read the full story at the New York Times.

Proof That Positive Work Cultures Are More Productive

The financial costs of psychologically unsafe work environments are self-evident: 60% of workplace accidents are due to stress, 550 million workdays are lost yearly due to work-related stress, and high-pressure companies spend nearly 50% more on health care than their positive-oriented competitors (American Psychological Association). These statistics are also compounded by the human cost – workplace disengagement, bullying, and in extreme cases, violence. Business leaders need to take note of how their corporate cultures create substantive effects on their bottom lines and on their employees. Read the full story at the Harvard Business Review.

Response to "He Was a JP Morgan Chase Whistle Blower. Then Came the Blowback."

The plight of whistle blowers cannot be understated. Time and again, I come across stories of whistle blowers who were retaliated against – in this case, a broker at JP Morgan Chase was essentially blacklisted from his industry for pointing out that certain corporate sales tactics that were not in his clients’ best interests. Business leaders need to realize that whistle blowers are assets rather than enemies – and that by revealing wrongdoing, they’re actually helping their company in the long run by preventing the types of massive scandals that come with dishonest business practices. Read the full story, about whistle blower Johnny Burris, at the New York Times.

Response to "3 Tips to Create a Workplace Culture that Employees Love"

It’s interesting and refreshing to read an article that outlines practical steps business leaders can take in order to create a more supportive workplace culture. An attitude of generosity and empathy needs to be top-down in corporate structure, and I think it’s one of the best ways to lay the foundation for a psychologically safe workplace. Read CEO Brian Scudamore's tips at Forbes

Domestic Violence and the Workplace Environment

Time and again, it’s been proven that what happens in domestic life has a huge impact on what happens in the workplace. The survey cited in this article states that one third of respondents had experienced domestic violence, and that half of those experienced some form of violence related to work. Creating psychologically safe workplaces is essential not only to our productivity, but to our ability to process and confront issues that may be impacting us elsewhere in life. Read more on this at the CBC.

Whistle Blower Retaliation

This is a classic example of workplace bullying being used as a strategy to minimize a potentially catastrophic issue, rather than working to fix problems with the help of whistle blowers. Nestle should have been supporting this whistle blower, using her information to make their food products safer, rather than resorting to frankly childlike tactics, like forcing her to sit in the back of a conference she was supposed to be leading. If she had been supported, they wouldn’t have to deal with yet another lawsuit that makes them seem irresponsible. Read more on this situation at The Economist.

Response to "Employee Engagement Isn't Getting Better and Gallup Shares the Surprising Reasons Why"

This post by Mark Crowley is really worth reading. Employee engagement has plateaued in the last few years, according to new Gallup data. When companies utilize ineffectual internal HR surveys and hire managers who care little about their employees, it’s no wonder that engagement hasn’t been growing. A focus on a psychologically supportive culture, starting from the top down, is the key way to improve engagement across the board.