Don’t Become a Toxic Workplace
Thanks to Anna Chaney, one of our MIBE 2024 heart leaders of the year, and owner of Herrington on the Bay and Honey’s Harvest Farm in Maryland, April and I recently completed a nutritional detox program. A cleanse that is aimed to remove toxins from the body and promote better overall health. After the program I was delighted to find that I had more energy, I was acutely aware of how food impacted my body, and most surprising to me was a clear head and sharper level of thinking. The positive impacts have inspired me to be more intentional about what I consume moving forward. Various detoxification practices have been used across cultures worldwide dating back thousands of years. Evidence has been found that different forms of the practice were used in Ancient Egypt, China, India, Early America and the Roman Empire. While modern day detox practices can be controversial, the idea of eliminating things that are detrimental to overall health is something that we can all get behind.
From time to time, I believe our organizations need a detox as well. Negative attitudes, undermining behaviors, and lazy shortcuts are bound to pop up. They may start as inconsequential, but over time they can become larger problems for companies if they are not addressed. Eventually there are major issues that need to be cleaned up, inefficiencies that must be eliminated, and toxic people that have to be removed. Taking time to periodically assess the health of your team and organization is paramount to achieving optimal health and success. Here are a couple of areas that may spark an organizational detox for you.
What are your working conditions?
I’m always amazed at how people can get a sense of our culture at Footers Catering by touring our building, without any team members there. They observe how we treat our physical space, the individuality of everyone offices, and the words, pictures and mementos on the walls. Do you have a space people look forward to coming to every day? You don’t have to invest a bunch of money into this. Simply taking time to eliminate clutter, doing a deep clean, and freshening up the paint or decor can make a big difference.
How do people treat each other?
Are there healthy messages of encouragement and positivity that nourish one another? Or is communication littered with negativity, aggression, and frustration? The tone of this is often set by the leader OR what they allow to take place. If this is an area of opportunity for you, start by assessing your attitude and morale. Are there stressors that are contributing to how you show up? How can you overcome those? If the problem lies with some of your team members, think about the consequences of allowing that behavior to take place. Is it standard practice that needs to be reversed, or does it stem from one or two people that need to find what we call: “CDE - Career Development Elsewhere”
In the spirit of “MIBE” we can always find ways to improve, and in order to do that, we must assess where we are from time to time. As you embark on this assessment, think about the areas in your company that need a detox. A reset that will clear the way for better communication, healthier habits and an overall more positive work environment that leads to more success as a company.
Opportunities for an Organizational Cleanse!
Registrations are open for the MIBE Summit: January 26-28th, 2025
The retreat SOLD OUT, but there is a waitlist opportunity as we look into increasing capacity if you are still interested in MIBE Retreats: November 16-20th, 2024
