Five Ways to Handle a Toxic Work Environment That is Hostile to Talent

The most successful leaders have not had an obstacle-free path to leadership, yet so many workers have a delusion that reaching the top of the ladder is pain-free and the “right” way to great achievement. News abounds of “not so perfect” work situations, with many people looking for a way out. However, only looking for a door can mean you are shown the exit before you’re prepared with another opportunity - or prior to absorbing all the good parts the current employment can give.

When you are goal-oriented (vision minded) rather than task-oriented (rungs of the ladder), you grasp not for the ever-moving next rung, but the fact it’s unrealistic to think that success arrives without having to experience growth opportunities along the way. (It would also be boring, and if you are boring with no “tests” of your mettle to show what you know while ascending the corporate ladder, the rungs will stop appearing.)  But what makes those rungs appear?

Consider these leaders’ strong personal values systems while facing a wide range of toxicity.  There are those well known—Bill Gates (whose first business failed yet now runs the largest human rights foundation in the world), Sir Richard Branson (controlling over 400 companies while leading through dyslexia) and Fredrick Douglass (born into slavery, yet became one of the leading abolitionist leaders as well as a preacher). 

And other notable leaders in the world, too. Sharon Ebadi is an Iranian lawyer and was the first female judge in Iran, winning the Nobel Peace prize for democracy and human rights.  Ursula Burns (CEO for eight years and now chairwoman of Xerox) was raised in a housing project. Aung San Suu Kyi, a Myanmarian civil rights leader who had been imprisoned for fifteen years, earned the Nobel Peace Prize for her peaceful leadership on human rights while imprisoned. Telling the real story of the disappeared (while fleeing from those who wanted to kill her, just as they had her family), Rigoberta Menchú Tum is a Nobel Laureate Guatemalan author. Dr. Mae Jamison, a physician, is the first African-American female astronaut and has to deal with two worlds of complexity!

Each one of these visionaries experienced a variety of toxicity in their professional lives. There are many people who have described the bad vibes underlying toxicity, including research by Amy Scholten, MPH, who says, “Toxic workplaces are fueled by immature, dysfunctional leaders.” While I would call those types of people in management anything but leaders, the tone rings true as she describes their lack of morality, hypocritical nature, high aggression, scapegoating, unreasonableness… I’m sure you are already adding to this list from what you’ve seen. 

While preparing my upcoming presentation for a national conference, I realized resilience fuels the fire of those who excel.  Adversity comes in many forms for all businesses, and frequently it presents in the form of a nasty co-worker.  Learning to handle those situations gracefully (not ignoring them) will propel your standing with those around you, enabling you to handle more as you progress in your career and rapidly extricate your from toxic areas.

To bring more meaning to your workplace and facts to your portfolio, regardless of the concentration of toxicity, it really is all about you and how you use obstacles to lift yourself. One area of professionals call this self-deployment: “to arrange in a position of readiness, or to move strategically or appropriately (Dictionary dot com) ” or “move something in an effective way (Cambridge English Dictionary)”  

This is how you need to tackle your current situation; modifying your perspective is how you begin right now.

1. Identify the real meaning in the madness. One of my former colleagues loved to use the term “crazy-making” for other people’s reaction to a situation instead of action toward resolution of the problem. When the implementation of a solution is out of reach, you still retain control of the lesson you can learn as well as retaining your own focus on problem-solving instead of problem-enhancing.
2. Establish concrete goals. There is a reason for the toxicity - your own attitude and approach are your responsibility, and no one else’s. This is a job and does not define your being, your soul, your future. You know where you want to be, so start using your energy for a plan to get there.  Gossip about the “evil” in the office does not help though having activities and goals away from the office keeps you centered, and developing goals for your exit keeps you healthy as you focus on the ways you will leave on your own terms in a positive way.
3. Refine your filter.  This is a two-way process, for inbound messages as well as your outbound communication. The information coming to you will have spin and be framed with the toxic agenda. When you find the real meaning and know your goals are to achieve efficiency, creativity or productivity, you can strain the distraction and see the true bottom line.  Likewise, when you are sending out information, you can craft your meaning with intentional word choices that will neither inflame an ego nor draw negative attention to your talents.
4. Remove project overreach. Undoubtedly, this is the environment that pushes staff to work all hours of the day and night for unrealistic ends.  When you begin to not only define, but hold fast to boundaries that encroach upon achieving what you’ve outlined in step number two, it allows you to use energy on your own time to get to a better space.  Your time away forth office is all positive, so leave the negative things there (even if you telecommute - there are boundaries that now you have your exit plan in process, you can more safely enforce). 
5. Get moving. You are more important than “them.”  Don’t question your abilities; step one shows you how to identify the source of the incapability so you don’t repeat the problems as a leader and don’t find another place that has the same issues. The fifth step is using your hand to wave goodbye without burning a bridge, while embracing thankfulness that you’re moving forward.

Handling toxicity and adversity is a process, not an event, when you need to continue performing while seeking improvements. This involves identification, planning, timeframe scope of action and launch - the same steps in good project management. You can treat your exit just as you would a new product launch, where you are the product taking your skills to somewhere more valuable and in line with your mission.

Positive attitude in negative situations… gives abilities including natural success.  PAINS to GAINS. You can get there.

Heather M. Hilliard is Principal and Chief Strategist for R. Roan Enterprises, LLC, a professional services consulting firm supporting businesses in pointed areas of expertise as well as with individuals for targeted projects or career development. For more articles like these, visit her posts on LinkedIn or on G+. 

#seizetheday, #makeithappen

How To Identify Broken Business Infrastructure Before It Bombs

You think you are ready to tell the world who you are and what you do.  Articles I've shared here lately about sales funnels, branding and communications have helped you fine-tune your launch. Heads up: you need to understand you aren’t there yet.

Are you ready to respond to demand? What if you have too many inquiries and are overextended? Is there a way out if you have product just sitting in your storeroom because it isn’t moving like you hoped?

The method behind your madness goes well beyond planning. Infrastructure is the typically unseen make-or-break skeleton that lifts you toward success.  You can’t grow if you can’t meet demand, but if you don’t spend valuable time early, your reputation and brand likely will suffer greatly.

Sure, you can spend time and create a coastal restoration infrastructure plan (but watch the live link doesn’t end up saying “ilovepdf” like this one) that names features that need extra support and why, with prioritization of projects.

Or, there could be a third party infrastructure review like our nation recently had completed for homeland security (and really our weaknesses, to show where someone or some entity really missed the ball)  

Somehow, your fabulous design for end-to-end control fails due to reliance on a supposed expert internal opinion that online sales won’t change your business model (because you never saw brick-less stores as a threat).

If you aren’t asking the right questions, you have a self-made obstacle that wasn’t a problem (i.e. the mountain out of a molehill syndrome) instead of solving the consumer’s dilemma.

The best course of action is thinking through your own business model before you launch new options, so search for the obtuse “then a miracle happens” moment in your plan. This is what you need to fix before irate customers show you it’s broken.

• Use tools that make life simple(r) - also known as operations. In days gone by, having a watch was critical for on-time customer delivery. Now, it’s knowing when the shipment is picked, packed, leaves, transports and arrives. Use software systems that track things that need monitored or keep other things secure (literally e-lock/e-key or encryption), but don’t let them run the show alone. Sometimes software is called IP architecture, but it’s still infrastructure to your business. Invest in programs that are customer-facing so your brand’s touch is personalized.
• Have backups of life support systems - call this process management. This may be telephone lines for other area codes (Katrina taught me to always have a backup with another city area code; they get through when power goes out); perhaps it’s having multiple internet services (even in the same location, hiccups don’t run through all routers) or off-site e-storage for files (some states require this if you are a government contractor/supplier)—the point is that one is never enough and it’s easily readied before the crisis that will inevitably come. 
• People power is priceless - the value of humanity. If you don’t have someone to answer that email or take the client call, everything else is meaningless. I suspect not a single person reading this article has always had glowing success with every customer service interaction. Use your own experience with flaws in other businesses to ensure you have backup to help with calls if there’s a snowstorm and staff get stuck (even if it’s a retired neighbor woman with your cell phone to answer the phone to say you’re in a meeting and will call back). Be creative!

No matter what line of business or service, everyone can improve. There is no replacement for smart human to human interaction. Your infrastructure is a significant component of your in-house communication process. Just as with your words, your success depends on the structure’s thoughtfulness and inclusiveness; context and timeframe influence perspectives through all areas of business (as well as government). 

There’s a reason you don’t skip rungs on a ladder. It applies in business functions, too.

Heather M. Hilliard is Principal and Chief Strategist for R. Roan Enterprises, LLC, a professional services consulting firm supporting businesses in pointed areas of expertise as well as with individuals for targeted projects or career development. For more articles like these, visit her posts on LinkedIn or on G+. 

#seizetheday, #makeithappen

Five Personal Cyber Security Steps (especially useful Superbowl Weekend)

Many people around Houston are seeing physical security measures taken to protect the players and attendees for the Superbowl. What you can’t see is the cyber nets of both the good guys and the bad guys. You need to take a few steps to prepare yourself if you are attending the festivities or parties with friends and neighbors. 

You see, it’s not only large corporations that have been victims of data breaches in recent months — Target, Home Depot, LinkedIn, Yahoo!, ADP, Verizon (Enterprise), Sony, Anthem Insurance and even the DDoS (distributed denial of service) incidents around the United States have heightened awareness of vulnerability.  But we predominantly consider examples such as these in industries rather in our homes or on our portable devices while home and abroad. Many people say they are risk adverse until they have doors open that share new and potentially frightening information.

In the interest of safety, I’m not sharing details either confirmed or suppressed as part of this event (or other National Special Security Events, NSSE, that I’ve worked).  What I want you to realize is our connectedness electronically and the Internet of Things (IoT) opens portals of vulnerability that are not protected until it’s too late simply because we don’t consider what’s incorporated into our every day lives.

Communication is the first key to maintaining your relationships both with your business’ brand integrity and reputation and also with your personal network.  There are separate things to consider for business versus personal messaging that contribute to successful “asset protection” (in the parlance of security experts).

Follow corporate best-practices when celebrating large events, because it’s quite realistic that your mobiles are under electronic attack.  Know how to respond appropriately, use expertise benchmarks and don’t over-react.

1. Preparation messages about expectations are essential. Your family and friends should understand when you take steps to limit liability; your clients for corporate endeavors expect it.  Being transparent and authentic is trendy on your social media accounts, but it has reverberations that echo throughout your life when you over-share as thieves admit.  

Action item: Turn off “air drop” on your mobile devices as well as auto-link to wifi. If you really need to share something, use your personal connection via your cellular service provider and pay for that security rather than floating off of a general free wifi. Hackers love people who skirt the system to save a buck because it leaves them open doors to take your information.

2. Timing of messaging is nearly as critical.  Law enforcement personnel are amazed at people who post vacation pictures while on vacation. As in the previous step, the timing of your posts is critical - and you don’t need to be distracted at your event to post something “telling” others what a great time you’re having (plus it gets lost in the professional posts). This applies when attending a party or the Superbowl, or when traveling internationally.  

Action item: Share your best photos after you’re home as that’s when it will receive more attention (and you have time to pick the best image without having typos in the caption).

3. Think about your infrastructure as well as communication. Frequently, we consider governmental utilities as being targets for public disruption.  But if you have “cut the cord” for your home phone service, internet or even dropping cable television, you have also severed a backup that, while it uses older technology, is not as “sexy” for breaking and entering into your private life.

Action item: Pay the few dollars to have the old telephone landline reintroduced to your home. You can pay for access to the basic service and the ability to make long distance calls without using it until there's an emergency. It’s crazy cheap and a solid way to make sure if your cell phone or computer are hacked (or have a water incident while at a Superbowl party) that you can still handle your business as well as not have your family worry when they cannot reach you. Make sure to put the number on the National Do Not Call list! In addition, don’t give everyone your home internet password; create a guest system with its own password, which will not impact the speed of your own devices—if you’ve disabled your network from broadcasting its name publicly, that makes it even better protected, so think of a non-standard name for the network, too.

4. Determine how your home devices leave doors open.  Being able to turn on your lights while out of town is neat, but what if Phillips’ Home system for your lightbulbs was hacked so they can track who’s away? What if your Alexa with Echo or Ok using Home eavesdrops for unwanted listening? What if the elevator at your hotel was hacked, causing you to be trapped then monitored by CCTV?  Root-cause analysis (stemming from Six Sigma lingo and other engineering processes) really helps you understand how to take this review as to what electronics are smart in your home to the next level as you look for other weaknesses in your processes so you aren’t one of 500,000 people unwittingly helping take down the internet.  

Action item: Begin by isolating a list of devices that connects to anything. Research the home device market, just as you did when you bought your car.  Find out who provides routine security updates, if they have algorithms for only activating when you specifically engage the device and how often they release software updates—yes, this is now for your refrigerator, too.

5. Ensure your systems are isolated from ongoing attacks.  This last item may be the most simple, which is why it’s the most frequently overlooked step. Creating a non-standard password is a direct step that many people fear because they may not remember a series of numbers, letters and special keys; they’d rather use the name of their pet and house number. Anyone looking at your social media accounts can guess and hack their way into your life when you are lazy about security and use it for nefarious purposes. 

Action item: You lock your doors; you should also put a unique robust password that is different for every website and every device. It’s that straightforward.

The last key in preparing a strong defense against an electronic infrastructure offense includes waterfall issues. While you don’t have to take steps like the government and pay hackers to try to break your personal (or professional) systems, staying up-to-date with reading from topical magazines is smart. They are paid a small subscription fee to deliver to you all the bad news and potential solutions to keep you ahead of the crowd.

You are an executive because you know that every company today should have an information-oriented incident response plan, but you also realize the facts: according to Symantec, 43% of all cyber attacks in 2015 were targeting small business and 60% of those companies were unable to sustain their business after an attack per the U.S. National Cyber Security Alliance.

Take the right steps before someone else “becomes you” with unfettered access to your home, your wallet or your business. It will make Sunday’s game and your life much more enjoyable with increased security. 

PS: Make sure your kids follow these action items, too. If they thought cleaning their room was bad, not having devices with internet would just be awful.

Heather M. Hilliard is Principal and Chief Strategist for R. Roan Enterprises, LLC, a professional services consulting firm supporting businesses in pointed areas of expertise as well as with individuals for targeted projects or career development. For more articles like these, visit her posts on LinkedIn or on G+. 

#seizetheday, #makeithappen

Three Ways to Improve Communication

Recently, I’ve focused articles on processes for improving your sales funnel conversion, defining your brand, and beating your competition. All of these areas focus on enhancing your business. None of these topics would be successful without clearly defining your needs (or problems) at your company.  So how can you rapidly identify areas for improvement? It may be as simple as going back to school. 

A client recently hired me to teach some members in Beijing, and Wednesday night’s discussion rapidly got “off topic.”  The materials being reviewed were so far removed from their sphere of operation that it made me appreciate several aspects of routine business.

1. Your words (spoken or written) frame perspective.  
2. Trendy language relays (and replays) a moment in time.
3. Without context, content (as well as message) becomes irrelevant.

Perspective

Some of the learning materials had intentional typographical errors, with the intention to convey a different social class or points of diversity, with the ultimate goal of discovering how to partner better regardless of education level, economic status, cultural impressions or work experience. Instead, the struggle became improving on a perceived team-members faults that would bring disharmony to the team and reality of how others saw or would see their team.

To resolve the laser-focus attention to the ways their Kaizen or Six Sigma processes could improve the “product” they were reviewing, I needed to reverse direction, establish historical context that was extraordinarily (but not surprisingly) absent, and then could help them identify as well as appreciate the framework as the tool; it wasn’t the project itself, but the way to get them engaged. 

Result - The pause in the process was well-worth the extra time as the group was able to better focus.

Time

In our session yesterday, it was readily apparent that the domestic approach to business was not as easily translatable as the hiring client had expected.  Rather than continuing on the fixed path, flexibility required explaining in their terms today what happened in some examples decades ago in order for them to appreciate the scenarios presented. The discussion would not have been as robust or self-illuminating, but now they applied the new information (originally not seen as relevant) to their own situation and rapidly moved ahead of the intended agenda.

Last month in an article, I referenced how industry jargon can only work if directly affected large game-changing practices—it was a direct action using correlation to time.  If your client base is not “up to speed” on the latest technology or the process improvement techniques, for example, all of your accolades are meaningless as there is no comprehension of your impact to their problems.

Result - Tying expectation to reality improves a self-guided team’s organizational performance.

Context 

To provide materials prior to the session for training was thought to be an efficiency to increase learning for the client’s needs (and frankly, to reduce costs).  However, with essentially blind delivery of their pre-selected materials for discussion, it created “avenues for creativity,” meaning each person in the group identified a unique message that applied to his or her own situation—truly fabulous, except when none of their ideas were in line with the mission of the training.

There are times when employers wish they could embolden staff and stimulate creativity, yet invariably there are situations that “prompt” it when least expected.  When we share ideas or develop an expectation for team members, it shows fallacy on the part of the manager when frameworks or “why” something is needed is not explained.  People are much more willing to help solve problems when they understand the rationale behind the request.

Result - By providing clear process, creativity can be harnessed for improved business outcomes.

Communication success depends on its thoughtfulness and inclusiveness; context and timeframe influence perspectives through all areas of business (as well as government).  It’s not only a smart global business framework, but one that can be used to improve all levels of an organization. 

Confusion reduced allows for productivity increased.

Be certain that you are reaching your intended audience appropriately by thinking more about others and less about yourself.

Heather M. Hilliard is Principal and Chief Strategist for R. Roan Enterprises, LLC, a professional services consulting firm supporting businesses in pointed areas of expertise as well as with individuals for targeted projects or career development. For more articles like these, visit her posts on LinkedIn or on G+. 

#seizetheday, #makeithappen