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

Have We Entered a New Age of Bullying?

More than a decade of bullying prevention in public schools is being undone by the messages spread by the American president-elect. The Southern Poverty Law Center has recorded the highest surge in reports of bullying, harassment and racist displays since 9/11. My fear is that bullies will also feel emboldened to bring this sort of behavior into the workplace. On a recent speaking tour in the Midwest, people came up to me afterward to tell stories of how employers used their “employed at will” status to remind them they could be fired at any time. This excellent article by anti-bullying author Emily Bazelon in the New York Times takes a closer look in Bullying in the Age of Trump. But it’s important to remember that one of the first steps in curbing bullying, especially in the workplace, is to find out how employees feel about their jobs and why they feel that way. This is why the Faas Foundation has partnered with the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence to survey working people about their complicated feelings about their work. You can participate by taking this survey, and please share it with those you know. It’s only by making our voices heard that we will be able to create the psychologically healthy, safe and fair workplaces we so desperately need. 

Photo: BIGSTOCK

How Do You Feel? Make Your Voice Be Heard

Now that we know the results of what has been the most divisive election in our lifetime we must reflect on how the political establishment, the pundits and the media totally misread how people feel and more importantly—why they feel the way they do. Emotions, good and bad, drive behaviors. The people have made their decision in a highly charged emotional environment. While we must respect the will of the people, we must work to protect the checks and balances in place so that history does not repeat itself in normalizing the abnormal, and protecting the hard won rights that may be in jeopardy. 

There is no question that most people distrust the political system and establishment. Unfortunately this has exposed the ugliness, bigotry and intolerance that have been simmering below the surface long before the election cycle started. It also appears that many of us have forgotten what we all learned in kindergarten, the ethic of reciprocity: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

Organizational leaders must understand that the level of distrust extends beyond the political establishment. Rarely a day goes by when we are not exposed to the atrocities committed in every segment of our society: in politics, in government, in business, in religion, in sports, in entertainment and in media. The recent scandals at Wells Fargo, Volkswagen, Fox News and Veterans Affairs have highlighted how pervasive this is. Based on research I have done on bullying and psychologically safe, healthy and fair workplaces, employees are afraid and angry. 

The election revealed a great divide that will continue to exist. It also revealed how fragile democracy is. Unless the political parties and the government totally reinvent themselves in a positive way the divide will widen and democracy will fail. The first step in this reformation is to come to grips with how people feel and more importantly why people feel the way they do. 

To come to grips with this in the workplace the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence and the Faas Foundation are initiating the Emotion Revolution in the Workplace to help organizations create psychologically safe, healthy and fair workplaces. Currently, we are conducting a North American survey to determine how employees feel about the work they do, the relationships they have at work and how they feel about the organizations they work for. Most importantly, we will determine why employees feel the way they do. Our initiative will identify the unnecessary stress factors employees face and provide evidence-based solutions, unleashing the power of emotional intelligence coupled with the ethic of reciprocity. 

I encourage everyone to complete the survey and ask you to encourage everyone you know to do so as well.

Credit: Emotion Revolution in the Workplace

Tell Us How You Feel About Work

How are things at work? Millions of employees wish that someone would listen to their concerns about what happens at their workplace. Businesses, organizations and legislators don’t have an accurate barometer to determine if workplaces are psychologically healthy, safe and fair. That’s why The Faas Foundation is partnering with the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence on the Emotion Revolution in the Workplace, a study to measure how feelings drive organizational behavior. This is your chance to let your voice be heard. This sample survey is completely anonymous and will add to the body of data that will help improve working conditions for everyone. Here's the Emotion Revolution in the Workplace Survey.

Credit: BIGSTOCK