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

The survivors of Hurricane Harvey do not need empty tweets and platitudes.

Praise should be heaped on the many, many volunteers who have taken on the leadership roles of rescuing neighbours, friends, community members and in some cases, their closest companions – their pets. This is in sharp contrast to bullies Trump and Osteen, as described in Anthea Butler’s New York Times article.

Recognizing the tremendous efforts by volunteers instead of offering empty wishes of hope would have been the appropriate response. Snakes like Trump and Osteen are laser focused on ignoring people during their weakest and most vulnerable moments.  Trump has reached greater heights than I had previously predicted with this latest deflection however, identifying positively with the worst weather event in modern history.

With no mention of the suffering and devastating loss to the hurricane victims, and with no offer of help, Trump is methodically and frighteningly assembling an ‘army’ of supporters in an effort to discredit any attempts at his termination.

In my book, From Bully to Bull’s Eye: Move Your Organization Out of the Line of Fire, I discuss what motivates bullies to operate as they do. Encouraging people during their darkest hour with tangible and heartfelt actions goes a long way in recovering from such devastation.

Photo credit: Army National Guard photo by Lt. Zachary West

Companies Can Fill Important Gaps As Government Drops the Ball

Don’t expect him to become a politician, but the Apple C.E.O. Tim Cook sees gaps in governmental social policies that he believes companies like his are obliged to help fill.

There was a time not so long ago when the government was keeping a very close eye on corporate affairs. Today, corporations now have the opportunity, and arguably the obligation, to guide their employees and in turn their organizations around a government whose very foundation is being challenged by the highest office in the land.

I assert that one of the gaps that companies can help fill is to provide a safe zone for employees at a period of time where we are normalizing the abnormal. By creating psychologically safe, healthy, and fair work environments, where people are considered equal and essential, will spill over into society in general. If people experience this at work, they will expect it outside of work, at home, in associations, at clubs and at their places of worship, and influence the societal changes that are so desperately needed.

In my book, From Bully to Bull’s Eye: Move Your Organization Out of the Line of Fire, I discuss the importance of and need for employees to force a cultural change. This transformation must begin at the top.

Photo credit: gizmodo.com

Trump Snubs Constitution

In a bold and dangerous move late Friday, Donald Trump pardoned racist Sheriff Joe Arpaio in a move described by New York Times columnist Adam Liptak as characteristically unconventional. In his op-ed piece in the Times, Paul Krugman details exactly how the powers vested in the presidency, when exercised to the extreme, can lead to a fascist state.

David Frum, senior editor of The Atlantic, concluded in his article How to Build an Autocracy,  "Those citizens who fantasize about defying tyranny from fortified compounds have never understood how liberty is actually threatened in a modern bureaucratic state, not by dictate and violence, but by the slow demoralizing process of corruption and deceit. And the way that liberty must be defended is not with amateur firearms but with an unvarying insistence upon the honesty, integrity and professionalism of American institutions and those that lead them. We are living through the most dangerous challenge to the free government of the United States that anyone alive has encountered. What happens next is up to you and me. Don't be afraid. This moment of danger can also be your finest hour as a citizen and an American.” 

Trump is a deflector and manipulator of the highest order. He has demonstrated that he has no regard for the rule of law or the U.S. Constitution. In my book, From Bully to Bull’s Eye: Move Your Organization Out of the Line of Fire, I give advice to the bystander. I suggest that the Republican leaders take a strong stand as they have very little time left to stop him. 

Photo credit: AZCentral.com

Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely

In mid 19th century, Lord Acton observed, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men.” He was referring to such individuals as the Roman Emperors who declared themselves gods and Napoleon Bonaparte who became the self-proclaimed Emperor of France. Nearly 200 years later, Donald Trump is the poster child for this most dangerous and insidious dynamic.

As I predicted since the primaries, Trump’s psychopathic single focus has been to become the ruler of the free world. Through his intentional deflections, lies, manipulations and deceit, as described in Roger Cohen’s New York Times Op-Ed, Trump has much of Congress running off in all directions, completely confused about what might be the best line of action.

In my book, From Bully to Bull’s Eye – Move Your Organization Out of the Line of Fire, I discuss the characteristics of a psychopath as summarized by Dean Haycock, Ph.D. Trump epitomizes the psychopathic bully. If Trump looks like your boss, it would be well worthwhile reading the book to learn how to deal with all types of bullies.

U.S. Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA) was the first to suggest Trump’s ouster by invoking the 25th amendment, as reported in the San Francisco Chronicle. This is perhaps the last of the checks and balances in place that can be used to deal with such authoritarians. Trump, acting autocratically, demonstrates that there is a method to his madness.

Unfortunately, when people see this behaviour, especially those in his dwindling base of support, they falsely feel the same sense of power. People who are living in a state of fear, such as the one Trump has created, are swept into this vortex swiftly. The time has come to take assertive action to stop this runaway train.

Photo credit: Sacha Vega/TED

Preventing Suicide is a Community Responsibility

Suicide, as the result of unbearable stress in the workplace, is not relegated to the corporate world, but is occurring at an alarming rate in the private sector as well. In her recent New York Times article about the suicide epidemic in the French farming industry, Pamela Rougerie, writes about an issue, which I assert encompasses many sectors and professions.

In the chapter, “No way out: Mark’s story,” in my book, From Bully to Bull’s Eye – Move Your Organization Out of the Line of Fire, I expose the devastation that suicide wreaks with close friends and family, who quite innocently stood by not realizing the life of a close friend was hanging in perilous balance. Signs of severe depression too often go unnoticed.

As uncomfortable as it may be, we need to intervene when red flags appear. An intervention can be as simple as a kind question or a gentle offer to lend an ear to someone who is suffering. Often this small spontaneous act makes all the difference, and it can save a life.

This is why articles about suicide can help reduce the stigma, cause bystanders to reflect on what people are going through, and encourage them to intervene before it is too late. As community members, we need to begin to recognize when someone is acting abnormally and needs help extricating him or herself from the desolate lonely space in which they are suffering.

Photo credit: BIGSTOCK