Hi and welcome to my blog!
Writing this blog provides me with the opportunity to share my thoughts and ideas about organizational life. Please join the conversation. If you’d like more information about The Dynamic Introvert book and blog please visit my website.
For the past 35 years I’ve worked in healthy and sick organizations, for good and bad bosses and I’ve been part of great teams and work groups that were teams in name only.
I believe that everyone deserves to work for a great boss and as part of a great team. We all deserve to be happy at work and to contribute to the best of our abilities.
There are too many organizations that are “broken” or “toxic” or “sick” and in need of healing.
Fortunately, there are a growing number of people around the world who are committed to improving these unhealthy organizations.
But, there is resistance to change and the work of “healing” is difficult. It is for this reason that we need to work together. We need to share our ideas.
I’m not sure if I’ve ever heard this issue referred to as a “public health” issue but the amount of damage that these “toxic” workplaces cause is staggering. Is this because these costs are hidden? Or is it because people are afraid to speak up?
Organizations that are sick negatively affect individual workers, their families, the communities that they are situated in and sometimes their negative reach has global consequences.
They also hurt themselves.
Fortunately there is a growing awareness about what needs to change, more people sharing their resources and increasingly people are refusing to put up with a toxic boss or a toxic workplace.
Lesley
Healingtheworkplace's Weblog 
Hi Lesley,
I just came across your blog. You have lots of great stuff here and I wanted to add it to my feed reader, but I don’t see an RSS link. Do you have one? Please email me with it if you do.
Thanks!
By: Mark on February 4, 2009
at 7:39 pm
Hi Lesley, I agree with Mark about your great content and adding a RSS Link. Also would like to Follow you on Twitter 🙂
By: Chloé G. on January 6, 2011
at 6:53 pm
Hi Chloe, thanks for your comment. I will add an RSS link. I’m not sure about Twitter but will think about it. Cheers!
By: healingtheworkplace on January 8, 2011
at 5:08 am
Hi Chloe, I now have an RSS feed…twitter is on the way:) Lesley
By: healingtheworkplace on November 23, 2011
at 3:10 am
Hi Lesley
I’m writing to let you know about the upcoming XBOOM conference that may be of interest to your blog. We are a Service Canada funded initiative helping to mitigate the looming labour shortage by promoting intergenerational dialogue between Gen X, Y and Baby Boomers.
The conference will be held next Friday, January 20, where business and youth will be invited to participate in innovative panels and workshops. Panelists include Shaun Carpenter of Pinton Forrest & Madden Executive Search and Sandra Reder of Vertical Bridge Corporate Consulting.
Full information can be found on our website at http://www.xyboom.ca
I’ve attached a press release and media brief for your interest.
Current newsletter:
http://www.xyboom.ca/newsletter/newsletter.html
Thank you
By: Devon on January 13, 2012
at 5:55 am
The recent announcement by Julia Gilliard of a nationwide review on workplace bullying was so well received, it was almost disturbing– it seems that the culture of harassment and stand over tactics within Australian places of employment is so engrained and accepted that the detractors of this government initiative were few, and their criticism at relatively low volume.
Quite recently, the story of Darrell Morris began to generate buzz within Australia’s social media circles, despite the apparent reluctance of mainstream media to become engaged in the hierarchical warfare of our public service departments.
By his supervisor’s own admissions, with the evidence collaborated by formal reports, Morris had been consistently “performing well” in his role with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. He’s worked in the Canberra–based department for the better part of a decade. A quiet but contentious man, he admits that this is the only job he has ever wanted to do, and he relocated his wife and very young family to the ACT on finishing university specifically to cater to this career.
A fairly typical Aussie guy, Darrell forfeited his weekend rugby games and essential time with his kids in order to advance his employment– putting in the extra effort that is an unspoken requirement of being a ’good employee’ in this country.
It was during late 2009 and early 2010, while on leave with out pay working for Liberal Senator Helen Coonan, that unfounded accusations of sharing classified information were leveled in Morris’s direction. While DFAT issued him with a ’letter of regret’ over the incident, the subversive harassment continued and union officials report that the tone in meetings and other forms communication become between Morris and his superiors became increasingly hostile.
It was last year, 2011, that Darrell Morris first took medical leave for severe depression. While ComCare, the relevant workers compensation providers, declared his workplace a significantly contributing factor to his illness, they have a ’no fault’ policy and no blame was laid, or compensation sought.
Morris’s return to work in late 2011 was plagued with accusations of poor conduct from senior staff members and inflexibility within his senior management in regards to providing a safe and secure work environment– every employers ethical duty of care to those in their employ.
Currently on his second round of medical leave for depression, the DFAT has instructed Morris that his claims of stigmatization are invalid and further claims will result in disciplinary action. On his return to work, he will be blocked from receiving any training or promotion within the Department for a period as yet undetermined– it could be as long as three years.
While stating that a blanket ban on individuals returning from medical leave is ’policy’, no formal evidence of such a policy existing has been presented, despite numerous requests.
On this story breaking in the social medias, the general reaction from readers was subtle disgust overladen with a cynical acceptance that this conduct is to be expected within Government departments and all layers of bureaucracy, not only within our country’s capital but in our state departments as well– those employed within our public sectors often work under a cloud of silence and passive aggression.
Transparency in workplace practices is always welcome, and Gilliard’s review of workplace bullying is timely, significant and valid. But it needs to focus its attention on sectors that are publicly known for using discrimination and stand over tactics– the Government’s own recruitment, advancement, internal complaint handling and ethical practice policies in particular.
Is that even possible, with the current culture of terrified silence that surrounds the topic; when people are too afraid to put name to their experiences for fear of covert retribution? When the best advice anyone within the public sector can give Darrell Morris is to change jobs, change departments, walk away and don’t make a fuss?
Results of the review, due out in October, may provide a clearer picture– But don’t go holding your breath. Given the current atmosphere, it may take more than one government review board to break the covert ranks of conspiratorial silence that surrounds this bizarrely underground, curiously Australian phenomenon.
By
Lori Dwyer, blogger at rrsahm.com
By: Darrell on June 26, 2012
at 12:08 pm
Hi,
I have been reading your blog for more than couple of months now and have learned a lot. It is really good and you are maintaining it very well. I would like to submit my post on your blog (as guest post) with my website link. Please let me know if you are accepting guest posts for free of cost and I’m ready to discuss my contents with you, I promise you with unique, quality and 100% plagiarism free content. I am looking forward to get your reply.
Thank You,
Tanya Schenck
By: tanyakschenck on May 2, 2014
at 7:05 am
I found your blog and want to post something I created about workplace bullying.
When I created the following videos it was for my own healing from working for a bully. I also wanted the videos to help others who have worked for, or are working for, a bully.
The Urban Dictionary definition of Consumable Resources:
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Consumable%20Resources&defid=7785237
The seven videos are spoofs on corporate training. They are training videos by a corporation called Consumable Resource Institute. The training is about how to go from a Human Resources approach to human capital management to the new and improved CONSUMABLE RESOURCES model.
In the past ten years, and especially since the 2008 economic downturn, people have been pushed to do the work of one-AND-a-half too two people. Pay has stagnated, and promotions are few. Corporations are flush with cash, CEO’s are getting huge bonuses, and the stock market is at an all time high. I think that it is a good thing that corporations and CEO’s are doing well. What I don’t like is how people are being treated; used and abused.
When I approached writing the scripts I spent a long time researching BAD management. If the videos were your typical training videos you would be bored so I added FUNNY and UNIQUE images along with special sound effects. I had one reviewer say that they remind them of Doonesbury.
Please watch the videos and share with others who may be working for a bully!
Thank you,
David W. Poland
503-807-2012
By: David Poland on June 10, 2014
at 3:27 pm
Thank-you for sharing your work. I have posted your videos on my blog. Lesley
By: healingtheworkplace on October 30, 2014
at 4:56 pm
Hi Lesley,
My name is Jenica Geisler and I am a registered Acupuncturist in Victoria, BC. I’m always looking for interesting blogs local to Victoria. I was delighted to find yours and I have been enjoying your recent posts. I think you may be interested in what we do at Stillpoint Community Acupuncture.
Stillpoint Community Acupuncture came to life in order to make acupuncture as affordable as possible, which we seek to do by offering treatments on a sliding scale between $20-50. Our hope is that by making acupuncture affordable, more people will be able to access this safe, highly effective therapy without having to make hard decisions about their finances. Our patients get treated in a beautiful, group setting which enables us to treat many people at the same time.
We are also a social enterprise -meaning that we spend what we make in order to keep providing the service and care that we do. All our profits go straight into creating more jobs in our community, supporting local projects, and increasing our hours so we can serve more people.
We’d like to offer you a week of unlimited acupuncture at our clinic. No strings attached. If you enjoy your experience, we hope that you will spread the word. We believe that regular acupuncture is part of a healthy, balanced lifestyle and we think that after trying a week of it, you will too!
Feel free to watch our short videos about Stillpoint and Community Acupuncture:
If you are interested, please let me know! Looking forward to connecting with you.
Warm regards,
Jenica
By: Jenica on June 10, 2016
at 9:17 pm
Hi Jenica, thanks for your positive feedback and information about your business. I am familiar with acupuncture and have a friend who is a Chinese Medicine Doctor. I go to from time to time for treatment. I agree with you that acupuncture is an important healing modality. Cheers!
By: healingtheworkplace on June 11, 2016
at 5:18 pm
Hi Lesley,
I came across your blog while browsing through LinkedIn. Your topics are of great interest to me especially your topics on work place issue. Thank you for presenting this inspiring blog to the world…
Dehan
By: Dehan Taylor on February 28, 2017
at 5:52 am
Hi Dehan, thanks for your thoughtful comment. Let me know if there is anything you’d like me to write about that I haven’t covered yet.
By: healingtheworkplace on March 18, 2017
at 3:50 pm