Revolutionist of the Week: The Prosecutor Who is Teaching Tolerance

After defacing the school with racist and anti-Semitic graffiti, five teenagers will report on books addressing some of history’s most divisive and tragic periods. This novel sentencing requirement, instead of the usual community service and probation, was the brainchild of prosecuting attorney Alejandra Rueda. She told the New York Times that just being sentenced wasn’t going to bring the message home. “I just thought maybe if the read these books, it will make an impression on them, and they will stand up for people who are being oppressed,” she said. That is why we are naming her our Revolutionist of the Week.

Rueda came up with a brilliant idea. Most kids grow up to become bigots and racists because of ignorance and propaganda. Reading allows us to see life through other people’s eyes. Countering the propaganda by giving these children different perspectives, and showing them the perils and consequences of bigotry and hatred in the context of history, will have a profound impact on them. This is an outstanding idea. We should be encouraging everyone, youth as well as adults, to experience the writings of those who are different than them so they can reflect on what we all learned in kindergarten, the Ethic of Reciprocity, aka, the Golden Rule—Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Don’t Miss the Message Behind Employees’ Obsession with Political Chatter

The current presidential administration has employees glued to social media even during working hours. While productivity is always important this Wall Street Journal article totally misses a dynamic that is occurring in the workplace. The reason employees are spending time on social media and debating in person about what is going on is because they are experiencing democracy being dismantled, in real time on prime time. For many, what they are seeing on the news parallels what they are experiencing at work. Most have not witnessed the rise of totalitarianism in their lifetime and are completely consumed and confused by it—and at the same time unsure of what they can do to prevent it.

While my new book From Bully to Bull's Eye: Move Your Organization Out of the Line of Fire centers around workplace dynamics, it is equally applicable to society in general. Bosses, rather than bemoan this distraction, should tap into how employees feel about what is going on and create cultures where democracy thrives to the benefit of the individual and the organization. When employees experience this at work, they will be more secure in their own ability and more likely demand the same from government. 

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Much More Than a ‘So Called Judge’: Our Revolutionist of the Week

The jurist who Donald Trump sneered at as a “so called judge” after he issued a temporary restraining order on Trump’s immigration ban is this week’s Revolutionist of the Week. Judge James L. Robart of the Federal District Court in Seattle is a highly respected mainstream judge who was appointed by President George W. Bush and confirmed in a 99-0 vote in the Senate. This is the most positive endorsement any nominee can receive—and it happened during the contentious Bush years. His peers agree with those who confirmed him: he’s been called a “judge’s judge” by the lawyers who have come before him and is known for his keen intelligence and even temper according to Michael D. McKay, an active Republican and former United States attorney. Another former U.S. attorney described him as “strict” and absolutely committed to the independence of the judiciary branch of government.

It’s telling that Trump took the judge’s action so personally. Judge Robart’s ruling had nothing to do with the legality of Trump’s executive order, but rather he had to decide whether the people Trump banned had an excellent legal case in their favor, if affected individuals would suffer irreparable harm, and if the ban was against the public interest.  Clearly Judge Robart ascertained that the answer was “yes” to all three questions.

So why did Trump attack such a respected judge? Once again, Trump’s true colors as a bully are showing. In my book, From Bully to Bull’s-Eye: Move Your Organization Out of the Line of Fire, I devoted an entire chapter to describing the characteristics of a bully boss—and these characteristics are modeled by Trump on an almost hourly basis, validating my findings.  I take no pleasure in this though. When the president disrespects a most respected jurist this way, he continues to put democracy at risk. 

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Canadian Generosity Can Inspire Americans to Resist Authority

 I am an immigrant to Canada from The Netherlands, and cannot be more proud of my adopted country and its whole-hearted embrace of Syrian refugees and pride in being a multicultural nation.

I’m also a part-time resident of the United States and based on numerous discussions I have had with many Americans, as well observing the protests and reading sources from honest journalism, I believe the majority in the U.S. are more like Canadians than not.

In the research I have done in workplace dynamics, I have come to understand how people become entrapped in an authoritarian culture. Stanley Milgram, in the Perils of Obedience put it so well when he wrote, "...ordinary people, simply doing their jobs, and without any particular hostility on their part, can become agents in a terrible destructive process. Moreover, even when the destructive effects of their work become patently clear, and are asked to carry out actions incompatible with fundamental standards of mortality, relatively few people have the resources needed to resist authority."

This is why it is so critical for people to unite against the shift to totalitarianism. My new book From Bully to Bull's-Eye: Move Your Organization Out of the Line of Fire  directly addresses how everyone can provide leadership as described by Mohandes K. Gandhi when he declared,  "It is possible for a single individual to defy the whole might of an unjust empire to save his honor, his religion, his soul and lay the foundation for that empire's fall or its regeneration."

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Bully Boss Held Accountable in Employee’s Suicide

There’s no question about it—bullying kills—and we finally have a case where there might be justice. The jury during a coroner’s inquest in Fayette, Ohio, found that the suicide of a 17-year-old high school student was due to involuntary manslaughter principally caused by the bullying of his manager at Dairy Queen. While this is not a conviction, the manager has been arrested and the case now goes to the judge to determine whether full charges will be filed. As I’ve long advocated, people who bully must be held accountable.

This is a deeply important issue, which is why I dedicated an entire chapter of my book, From Bully to Bull’s-Eye, to “Costs, Liabilities and Deadly Consequences” of bullying.  According to a Harvard study, more than 120,000 deaths per year may be attributable to workplace stress. The damage done by bullies to their victims can lead to depression, anxiety, post traumatic stress disorder and suicide. Suicide, which is too often euphemistically called “sudden death” in newspaper death notices to avoid public stigma, should be called what it is. I personally consider suicide brought on bullying to be murder.

Creating psychologically healthy, safe and fair workplaces is imperative to preventing this sort of tragedy, but equally important is being present for anyone who is being bullied. Victims often feel as though they are alone and there is no way out of their pain. For this reason, family, friends and even bystanders play a critical role. If you see someone struggling ask, “How can I help?”

If you are the one who is struggling please reach out to someone you trust. If you don’t have someone, please call one of the excellent organizations below. They will also help friends figure out how to help you. And remember, you’re not alone.

The Trevor Project Lifeline: 866-488-7386

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-8255

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Trump’s Stand on Immigration Jeopardizes the Labor Market

Donald Trump’s recent decision on immigration, besides being a human rights nightmare, makes one thing very clear—he understands very little about attracting and retaining talent.  In this article by Jeffrey Sparshott in the Wall Street Journal, the author discusses how small businesses are spending more money than ever to find and train skilled workers. One of the ways we fill this need is attracting talent from overseas to fill highly skilled labor needs, which is why Trump’s cruel ban on Muslim immigration jeopardizes the U.S. economy. Forbes points out the very real brain drain caused by this policy and Scientific American reports that thousands of physicians and medical students banned by this executive order and may leave hospitals without staffs. Affected technologists and scientists could easily go to Canada, Europe—or even China—instead; top talent is in high demand. As I discuss in my new book, From Bully to Bull’s-Eye: Move Your Organization Out of the Line of Fire, the need to attract and retain talent should be one of the driving factors in creating psychologically healthy, safe and fair workplaces. Trump’s policies do the exact opposite.  

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CEO as Revolutionist: Starbuck's Howard Schultz

This week’s Revolutionist of the Week is Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz. Schultz has gone above and beyond to protect his employees in the wake of the current executive order to ban Muslims and decisions against the Affordable Care Act by the Trump administration.

Schultz declared that Starbucks will hire 10,000 refugees in 75 countries, beginning in the United States with individuals who served with U.S. troops as interpreters and support personnel. He also said that any Starbucks employee who loses their ACA medical coverage will be able to return to health insurance through Starbucks. I applaud Schultz for leading a company that is not just a psychologically healthy, safe and fair workplace with a stable culture, but one that is accountable to its employees as well as customers and the community at large.

Speaking of accountability, Dallas accountability expert Greg Bustin is holding his annual “Best & Worst in Accountability Survey” based on events that occurred throughout the year. It’s your chance to vote for the companies that did the right thing in 2016—and those that did not. Highlighting leaders and businesses that did the best and the worst helps keep them accountable. 

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When the Bully-in-Chief Directly Affects Your Workplace

When Donald Trump won the Republican nomination, I hoped that my work to create psychologically healthy, safe and fair workplaces and end adult bullying wouldn’t have to be applied to the highest office in the land. But now we find ourselves with a chief executive who is forbidding the sharing of data from the National Park Service, the USDA and the Environmental Protection Agency. This is bullying in the extreme.

When I began my work on adult bullying, it was received with skepticism. Now it is suddenly starting to resonate with those skeptics who find themselves living in fear because their rights and privileges are being targeted by the Bully-in-Chief. The only good news is that Trump is doubling down on revealing who he is and what he stands for—himself. This is good news because it should encourage our elected representatives to reinforce the fragile checks and balances that are required to ensure the integrity of democracy. If they don't, the entire world will fall into what I call The Bully’s Trap—the ensnaring of the innocent by creating toxic circumstances in which they incriminate themselves.

Stanley Milgram in "Obedience to Authority" wrote, "... ordinary people simply doing their jobs, and without any particular hostility on their part, can become agents in a terrible disruptive process. Moreover, even when the destructive effects of their work become patently clear, and they are asked to carry out actions incompatible with fundamental standards of morality, relatively few people have the resources needed to resist authority." 

We are witnessing this disruptive process in real time in prime time. It has never been more urgent for us to understand how bullies function to inform our response. 

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Can Wells Fargo’s New Plan Save the Day?

Based on research I have done in workplace dynamics, how employees are assessed is the single biggest determiner of an organization’s culture. Wells Fargo provides a classic case study, validating this assertion.

In my book From Bully to Bull's-Eye I describe how performance management systems can either motivate people to perform to full potential or create toxic environments where people are pitted against each other and or have to resort to unethical and illegal behaviors to meet expectations.

Wells Fargo in rolling out a new plan based on customer experience to replace sales goals, a good step in their initiative to regain the trust of their customers. But to be successful the new plan must be part of an overall initiative.

 The new plan should not be considered a magic bullet, but must be in agreement with everything an organization does, including how it is governed and its structure, decision making, risk management, communication, and intelligence gathering.  All of this determines the outcome of value exchanges with various stakeholders and aligns the company with values, beliefs, principles, purpose, visions and initiatives. 

Based on my experience, if Wells Fargo takes the approach I suggest they will regain the trust of their employees first—who will then become positive ambassadors to regain the trust of their customers. In this I wish them the best of luck.

The Revolutionist of the Week: The Marchers

This week's Revolutionist of the Week goes to all of the people who participated in the Women's March.

In my new book, From Bully to Bull's Eye: Move Your Organization out of the Line of Fire (RCJ Press; January 10, 2017) I encourage employees who work in toxic environments to become activists to force cultural transformations, invoking the words of Mohandes K. Gandhi:

"It is possible for a single individual to defy the whole might of an unjust empire to save his honor, his religion, his soul, and lay the foundation for that empire's fall or its regeneration."

The Women's March by all indicators was an incredible success in making people’s voices heard. From my perspective these events are just a beginning. Event organizers have indicated that they will be following up with other events and activities to become what in essence could be a powerful, and much needed, opposition as well as a check and balance to the new administration.

The current opposition parties and checks and balances are very fragile, and cannot be relied on to protect democracy and the hard-fought rights, privileges and core values that clearly are at risk. This void can be filled by the power of positive, effective protests and activism.

Here are my top tips for protest organizers and participants:

·       Be inclusive. What you are embarking on should not become a partisan undertaking. Given the diversity of the people involved, you should recognize that there is diversity in viewpoints and areas of concerns, and to shut these people out, will dilute your effectiveness. Also, realize that many Republicans share your frustrations and concerns; to become truly effective don’t limit your resistance to just the Democratic Party.

·       Define your purpose. Knowing what to fight and what not to fight is critical. Your purpose should be to protect democracy, rights, privileges and core values—not to mention keeping government honest and transparent.

·       Differentiate between dislikes and what is fundamentally wrong. There is no question that most people do not like the fact that Donald Trump is president. To try to unseat him because he is unpopular is not only futile, it is undemocratic. However, if Trump and/or his surrogates were complicit with the Russians in influencing the election, that would be considered fundamentally wrong—even treasonous. If this is not dealt with swiftly and according to the Constitution, then a demand to do so must be fought for with vigor. A recently launched twitter campaign to force Trump to deliver on his promises to release his tax information is an excellent example of positive and effective activism. Trump continues to ignore the demands of the people and give us the finger, as rationalized by senior counselor Kellyanne Conway, “He is not going to release his tax returns. We litigated this all through the election. People didn’t care; they voted for him, and let me make this very clear: most Americans are very focused on what their tax returns will look like while President Trump is in office, not what his look like.”  Forcing Trump to release his returns should put to rest whether he misrepresented to the electorate and his financial relationships with other countries.

·       Challenge “alternative facts.”  This term was coined by Kelly Conway this weekend over the absurd debate about the size of the crowds at the inauguration. By whatever name a lie is a lie is a lie. Bullies are masters of manipulation, deception, deflection, deceit and denial. As an expert in adult bullying, there is no question in my mind that Trump is a bully. Every time he is exposed for using “alternative facts” inundate your members of Congress with calls, letters and social media to force them to hold Trump accountable for his lies.

·       Appreciate that “right makes might.” When you stake your position, make sure that right is on your side. There are many things that Trump will do that you may not like, but they may be things that he has every right to do. Yes, these can be challenged, but at the end of the day unpopular decisions are still his right. The most effective challenge is at the ballot box. Marshal your facts, consult with experts, and form alliances with like-minded groups to make real and lasting change—with right on your side.

·       Pick your battles—not everything is equal. Be viewed as enablers rather than restrainers. A key factor in what we are experiencing was caused by years of polarization and gridlock. Legislators of both parties became restrainers. Part of the reason Trump was elected was to break this gridlock. Adding more gridlock will make you part of the problem, not the solution.

Godspeed. You are on a critically important journey.

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