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Repairing a Toxic Workplace
A toxic workplace is a breeding grounds for unsuccessful cringe moment conversations. Every company is unique. There is no one-size-fits-all solution for repairing a toxic workplace. Before you take action, you must first define and study your company's culture in...
Identifying a Toxic Work Culture
It is a hard thing to admit to a toxic work culture. Identifying the symptoms and finding the antidotes for them can quickly improve morale, engagement, retention, and productivity. Let’s get started with a quick pulse: Are your employees...
Downsize with Dignity
In my 30-year career, I've seen layoffs handled both brilliantly and disastrously. Mishandled downsizing has resulted in a great deal of anxiety, suffering, and humiliation, and has frequently prompted fired employees to retaliate through the legal system, as well as...
Job Insecurity & Employee Engagement
When someone loses their job, it's usually a sad and uncertain time, but it can be just as perplexing and stressful when a person comes to work every day fearful of losing their job. Does job insecurity affect the way employees work and is there anything managers can...
Reduction in Force A Better Way – Preparation
What do you say when you are laying off one of your subordinates? How do you keep morale alive for the remaining staff and allay their fears about job security? Equally important, how do you protect the organization from legal exposure in terms of the documents...
Navigating Difficult Work Relationships
Being upfront and straightforward is frowned upon in many cultures, especially when people have something unfavorable to say. There are issues that are taboo in practically every community. Forbidden topics are frequently concerning things that people believe are...
Indirect Aggressors: Navigating Button Pushers and Manipulations
Indirect aggressors, or “passive-aggressives” as they are labeled by psychologists, seem to be very agreeable on the surface. They seem cooperative; they always say yes. However, they have an enormous capacity to thwart you when they choose. During our careers, it's...
Indirect Aggressors: Effectively Handling Putdown Artists
In a recent article, I discussed indirect aggressors (also known as passive aggressives), specifically how to navigate button pushers and manipulations. This is an expansive topic. Passive aggression is essentially a self-centered,...
Appreciative Inquiry: Asking Powerful Questions
Powerful Question - What are they? We may not be able to express all of the features of a compelling question, but we know when we see one. A compelling question: Is thought provoking, invites reflection and finding deeper meaning Expands possibilities or,...
Culture Of Niceness
Organizations can suffer from a syndrome I call the "Culture of Niceness," in which everyone appears to get along and be glad to work together on the surface, but there are simmering concerns that can't be addressed because everyone is too nice! Being nice shouldn't...