I returned to work after my psychotic break, but my bipolar disorder did, too.

In his article in the New York Times, Zack Mcdermott shares the story of his challenging return to work after a psychological leave of absence. This experience happens to more people than we like to think. My book, From Bully to Bull’s-Eye: Move Your Organization Out of the Line of Fire, is a story of hope for so many people who suffer symptoms of mental illness with virtually no support in the workplace.

Given that one in five people have a mental health condition in any given year, everyone has someone close to them who is affected. Empathy, support and appropriate interventions are the prerequisite keys to being able to overcome most conditions. Workplace culture is also critically important, where the signs of a problem are usually always evident. Rather than just be a bystander to this, we must take action because early interventions can and do save lives.

To understand the magnitude of this reality, consider the 2016 Harvard/Stanford University study, which found that 120,000 deaths annually could be attributed to workplace stress. Given the fact that these are premature deaths, workplace stress is the number one killer.

Saving lives, for example, means sending people to the hospital when a heart attack is occurring or symptoms are present. In one company, I heard from an employee who was actually contacted while in the hospital being checked for a possible heart attack by HR to reschedule for the next day for the time lost while in the hospital. This went against the company’s own policy, but nonetheless was the action they chose. If this insulting behaviour were not bad enough, they followed up by penalizing the person with graveyard shifts for the next month despite the employee being their top producer. My hopes for the future for this company and companies like it are dim. They will likely lose their best employees and suffer above-average turnover.

If your situation resonates with either of these stories, it’s time for you to take action, which may mean standing up for what is right or possibly changing employment. The ethic of reciprocity suggests that we do unto others, as we would have them do unto us. Enacting this principle into the workplace works wonders!  

Predator Bullies Turn the Victim Into the Villain

Whenever someone, in this case a man, makes someone else, in this case a woman, feel unsafe in any way, they have crossed the line. When confronted about this act and told that you are a liar, it reminds you of all the people who have ever doubted your word before. By calling the victim a liar, the predator bully is attempting to turn the victim into the villain - a very common tactic used by bullies. This dynamic has reached epidemic proportions in workplaces across North America.

Finally, Amber Tamblyn is taking the bull by the horns. In her opinion piece in The New York Times, she articulates what people who are abused go through. My advice to people who feel vulnerable is to invest in a discrete body camera with a listening device. It is legal to record as long as one of the parties agrees; and, they are one of the parties.

As unconventional as this may sound, this is the kind of action that is required when such injustices occur. There may be discomfort transitioning from being a bystander, where you are expected to endure this abuse, to becoming an activist, where defending your dignity is the right thing to do despite the fear of retaliation.

Stories like Amber’s serve to give hope to women who have been beaten down for generations. In my book, From Bully to Bull’s-Eye: Move Your Organization Out of the Line of Fire, I encourage women to stand up for what is right. As she reiterates, “The women I know, myself included, are done, though, playing the credentials game. We are learning that the more we open our mouths, the more we become a choir. And the more we are a choir, the more the tune is forced to change.”

Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons

Vatican’s Cultural Revolution is Fizzling

In his New York Times article, Jason Horowitz writes about a priest working as a diplomat in Washington who has returned to the Vatican amid suspicions by American officials that he possessed child pornography.

I have featured the Catholic Church in my book, From Bully to Bull’s-Eye: Move Your Organization Out of the Line of Fire, as a "Disjointed Culture", which means that there are a number of subcultures because of the autonomy given to Bishops and Cardinals around the world.

Pope Francis’ elevation provided some hope that the church would become an example for a cultural revolution, which would correct the many sins of the past. Sadly, Pope Francis is failing miserably at this, which is reflected in the continued decline in parishioners, clergy and as a result influence. This is unfortunate, particularly in a time when we need individuals and groups to provide guidance, hope, charity and most of all moral authority.

Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons

Resistors, not Trump, Will Make America Great Again

In his latest op-ed piece, Charles M. Blow, in his New York Times article, explains exactly how our very democracy is being dismantled.

I share Charles Blow's extreme frustration and admire his consistency in building resistance, calling on people to resist what is now painfully obvious - the systematic destruction of democracy. A few months ago I wrote a book review on Eric Larson's "Beasts in the Garden of Evil”, which describes how in just eighteen months Hitler dismantled democracy in Germany. I predict Trump will break this record. The only way to stop him is resistance. 

In advance of the Athens Democracy Forum, The Times solicited essays on some of the challenges facing nations today. In this piece by Serge Schmemann, we can see yet another perspective showing that American democracy is under attack.

In another article by Kishore Mahbubani, it becomes abundantly clear that the Western ideology is being replaced by nationalistic positions by such powers as Russia, Japan, China and Turkey.

As new heads of state emerge on the international stage, the future of geopolitics is changing hands. Cooperation will likely prove to be far more successful than upheaval.

I have written about the necessity for people to take action in my book, From Bully to Bull’s-Eye: Move Your Organization Out of the Line of Fire, pointing out that bystanders help perpetuate the crisis by not becoming involved in resisting those who created it in the first place.

Author: Andrew Faas

Photo credit: Titanus

Sexual Harassment Eludes Yet Another Board of Directors

Katie Benner and Nathaniel Popper write in the New York Times that Mike Cagney, a co-founder of Social Finance, is stepping down as chief executive and chairman after sexual harassment claims at the start-up Silicon Valley investment firm.

Boards of Directors would be wise to become more proactive in finding out what is actually going on in their organizations. In the many situations I have dealt with on harassment, wrongdoing and workplace culture, it never ceases to amaze me on how long this goes on before it is exposed; and how boards take cover by claiming ignorance. More often than not, feigning ignorance is not the real reason; rather it is gross negligence and/or a cover-up.

I have written about this dynamic in my book, From Bully to Bull’s-Eye: Move Your Organization Out of the Line of Fire, pointing out that boards need to be held accountable for breaches of workplace safety, especially psychological safety. 

Photo credit: Wei Tchou

When We See the Worst of Mother Nature, We Also See the Best and Worst of Human Nature

The incredible outpouring of support for the victims of the recent hurricanes Harvey and Irma, whose names will be retired into the history books, has been exemplary. The true humanity that we all possess rushes to the fore whenever our basic safety and survival needs are brought into question. Thanks goes to all of the first responders and the thousands of kind souls who bravely stepped into harms way to help rescue those in need.

 In contrast to this dynamic, the law of reciprocity, in the New York Times, Justin Sablich comments about a tweet that went viral earlier this week that sparked outrage over suspected price gouging by airlines of Hurricane Irma evacuees. We should not applaud this act of greed despite some rather cold-hearted arguments by dry economists. Companies who find justification in compounding insult to injury during such trials and tribulations brought on by Mother Nature should be branded for their meanness.

Employees who work for such companies are likely being forced to compromise their own good principles, such as following The Golden Rule. This creates angst and profoundly negative feelings in people who are forced to act against their will. I have written about this dynamic in my book, From Bully to Bull’s-Eye: Move Your Organization Out of the Line of Fire, pointing out that employees act against their will due to fear of retribution.

It seems a shame that more companies do not take advantage of this unfortunate act of God to do the right thing for their fellow human beings, rather than default to greed as a fair response. 

Photo Credit: NASA - public domain

Civil Rights and Diversity: Slip Sliding Away

Rebecca R. Ruiz, in her article in the New York Times, discusses the conflicting points of view of Eric S. Dreiband, Trump’s nominee to run the Justice Department’s civil rights division. Despite pledging to uphold the division’s mission, he has defended (unsuccessfully) Abercrombie & Fitch over its firing of a Muslim woman, and fought the agency over transgender bathroom access in North Carolina.

Nominating Mr. Dreiband reinforces Trump's intent to erode civil rights and diversity. Period! Never before has it been more important to embrace the rights of all people of all persuasions if we are to protect and strengthen the dwindling civility in today’s society.

In my book, From Bully to Bull’s Eye: Move Your Organization Out of the Line of Fire, I discuss the value of considering many perspectives before reaching conclusions on any important matter. It is doubtful that Mr. Dreiband appreciates the importance of this dynamic.

Photo credit: Public Domain

Measure Productivity by Output, Not by Attendance

In a report recently published by Will Martin in Business Insider, ranking the world’s most productive countries, US ranks 9th out of 35, while Canada ranks 15th. Luxembourg and Norway are first and second, being more productive, yet with their labor force working fewer hours.

In a recent opinion by Dan Lyons in the New York Times, the argument is put forward that working longer hours is not only expected to be successful, the 40-hour work week ‘is for losers’.

As I look at these two articles in juxtaposition, I would suggest to you that organisations which measure employees based on hours present are looking at a false economic. Are employees engaged in their work, or are they just in attendance? Output, not just being seen, would be a much more logical and useful metric by which to measure productivity.

In some jobs, where creativity is the key component, taking a quiet walk can often develop great ideas that being present in the office could be a barrier to. A lot of thinking is done outside of the workplace. Perhaps encouraging methods by which people can reflect on perspectives on their own terms, rather than imposing such terms on them, might produce surprisingly good results.

The new movie, The Circle, captures brilliantly the dynamic the extreme that technology plays in terms of invasion of privacy.  The cult-like atmosphere where people are expected to be interacting with their colleagues at company- sponsored events may feel like fun for a initial short period, but in time, this becomes intrusive and counter productive. 

In my book, From Bully to Bull’s Eye: Move Your Organization Out of the Line of Fire, I discuss the importance of objectivity vs. subjectivity in evaluating job performance. Allowing people to work within their comfort zones, even if it means spending fewer hours at work, produces better results for the organization and promotes a psychologically healthy workplace.

photo credit: pixabay.com

The Ironic Roots of Labor Day Gaining Strength in Today’s Economy

We need only look at the origins of Labor Day, as detailed by Time Magazine’s Olivia Waxman, to understand the irony of this celebration today. A century ago, factory workers went on strike to demand better conditions. Today, start-up “hustlers” celebrate their own exploitation.

Take for example Wells Fargo, about whom I have written many times. It is fairly obvious that as the recent article by Jeffrey Goldfarb states - "they have a tiger by the tail but they don't know how big the tail is". This begs the question, why should we believe the other banks, who also cross sold products, did not also force employees to engage in similar practices.

If Wells Fargo can't come to grips with how massive the problem is, it is incomprehensible for me to accept that the other banks are clean here unless they have better checks and balances or systems that detect this type of activity, which reflects incompetence, negligence or fraud. If they have such systems, they should share them with Wells Fargo to avoid a total lack of confidence in all banks. The other possibility here is that Wells Fargo was still covering this up - and if this can be proven - they are toast!

Noam Scheiber’s New York Times article sheds a bright light on the Trump administration’s reversal of its business focus from workers to entrepreneurs, taking away important health and safety regulations. By reinforcing right to work legislation, Trump is reversing his promises that did protect employees to some extent. It is ironic that he still maintaining his core base of supporters despite the fact that many of them are being disenfranchised by his administration.

Another irony can be found in an article I wrote a year ago about Kimberly Clark, where I describe the dehumanization of firing practices that unfortunately are viewed as progressive. I maintain that the opposite is true, and that the effects of this type of systematically removing the ‘dead wood’ leads to a higher turnover of employees, which is most certainly a red flag and a negative. Such weighted ranking systems negatively influence loyalty within any organization because true loyalty is a two-way dynamic – employers must be as loyal to their employees as their employees are to them.

If your company is forcing people out due to the timing of age-related pension or other benefit plans, or is able to fire you at will with no stated reason, you can be sure that you are working in a toxic culture where senior management are bullies.

In my book, From Bully to Bull’s Eye: Move Your Organization Out of the Line of Fire, I discuss the role of the bystander and how to become an activist. To celebrate Labor Day as it was originally intended, I would encourage employees to take a stand by stepping out of the role of bystander and becoming an activist by pushing for legislation that encourages corporate cultures to provide psychologically safe, fair workplaces.

Photo credit: Nick Youngson

Bombardier’s Culture Exemplifies the Source of Wows of So Many

In his Globe and Mail article, Mark McKinnon describes how Bombardier’s serious legal bribery allegations are rooted in its corporate culture.

My research has shown that when this type of thing is exposed, culture is always "at the heart" of the situation. Bombardier is one of Canada's flagship companies, and as such, must have the checks and balances in place to avoid such upending disasters. Senior executives usually blame this on rogue employees; however, the culture is to blame for allowing such wrongdoings.

Another critical component is the importance of bystanders, who have the ability to first expose illegalities internally. Unfortunately, due to the fear of retaliation, few feel safe taking action, as evidenced by a growing string of organizations including Wells Fargo, Uber, Volkswagen, and Fox Media.

Wells Fargo told Congress last year that it had fully disclosed any misconduct. But later reports indicate the issue is 70% larger than first reported, thus prompting a call for a new investigation.

The real tragedy in situations like these is the impact they will have on all stakeholders, including employees. Bombardier will very likely lose contracts, and be excluded from bidding on some because of this. Like Wells Fargo and Uber, I am not sure they can survive it.

In my book, From Bully to Bull’s Eye: Move Your Organization Out of the Line of Fire, I challenge the reader by asking, “Is your workplace culture a ticking time bomb”? The bomb exploded at Bombardier and I predict that there are more to come. Organizations would do well to heed Oscar Wilde's admonition  -  "It is not the prisoners who need reformation, it is the prisons."

Photo credit: The Blue Diamond Gallery