The Red Flags That Democracy is in Danger

New research tries to spot the collapse of liberal democracies before they happen, and it suggests that Western democracy may be seriously ill as shared in this New York Times article, How Stable are Democracies? ‘Warning Signs Are Flashing Red.’

The findings are VERY disturbing. Based on the hundreds of people I spoke to over six years doing the research for my books on bullying in the workplace, I reached the same conclusion. People do not trust the establishment in the broadest context. Much of this distrust stems from what they experience at work, which has been reinforced by the illegal, unethical, abusive activities and behaviors that have been, and continue to be, exposed in the media—all of which has led to levels of incivility that jeopardize a civil society.  My previous blogs on the U.S. election highlighted the amber lights on what became the outcome. Since the election we are already witnessing signals which indicate that democracy is at risk and the checks and balances that should be in place are fragile.

Given my assertion that the current level of discontent started in the workplace, it can and should be reversed there. There’s ample evidence of what is going on. A work health survey of just under 12,000 people conducted by Mental Health America and sponsored by the Faas Foundation showed that an astounding 80.39 percent speak poorly about their company to family and friends and the remainder would rarely or never do so.

Everyone can play a role here to fix this, starting by identifying the unnecessary stress factors in the workplace. A first step to understand this is by participating in the Emotion Revolution in the Workplace survey sponsored by the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence and the Faas Foundation. Reducing unnecessary stress factors in the workplace will create a more civil environment, which will spill over into society. This will trigger the biggest check and balance to autocratic rule—the attitude of the people. Please take the time to complete the survey and ask everyone you know do the same.

Credit: BIGSTOCK

Response to NYT Piece on Depression in the Medical Profession

This article is extremely brave in the way it stands up to social shame surrounding mental issues. However, it’s important to note that while depression and mental illness are highly stigmatized in the medical profession, stigma and fear of reporting are not unique to any one profession. Some professions may have more humiliation associated with mental illness than others, but the issue is pervasive across industries and sectors of the economy, and the negative impacts on organizational structures are the same. By creating psychologically safe work environments where employees struggling with mental health concerns can disclose feelings without fear, organizations will benefit along with their employees. Read the full article at the New York Times.

Art Credit: Jody Barton for NYT

Response to "Saving Corporate Cash by Hiring a Chief Health Officer"

I agree with the suggestion that businesses should take on Chief Health Officers to improve employee quality of life. However, I would like to take this opportunity to point out that there’s more to “quality of life” than physical health. Agus does make mention of workplace stress, but over 120,000 annual deaths in North America are related to workplace pressure. If Chief Health Officers are to become an industry norm, there must be a greater emphasis on creating psychologically healthy workplaces, in addition to physically healthy ones. Check out the full article at The Wall Street Journal.

Photo Credit: Getty Images for WSJ

Drawing the Connection Between School and Work Related Stress

According to this great New York Times article, the pressure to succeed is making school children experience anxiety and depression at alarmingly high rates and alarmingly young ages. The data in this article begs the question – if children in school are experiencing these levels of stress, what effects are our workplaces having on us? Last year, a Harvard study found that over 120,000 annual deaths in North America can be attributed to workplace stress in some way. If our school cultures are focused on getting into colleges above all else, as reflected in this article, then what are our workplace cultures focused on, and how is it impacting employees?

Art Credit: Lale Westvind for NYT

The Secret to Sustaining High Job Performance?

The suggestions that employees invest in building their emotional self-awareness and core mental energy needs are interesting. However, what this New York Times article does not touch upon is the importance of workplace culture in maintaining a psychologically safe workplace. The Harvard Business Review research cited in the, that 60% of employees do not feel that their core needs are met at work, is staggering, but more emphasis should be placed on environmental factors rather than individual ones.