INTHEBLACK May 2022 - Magazine - Page 40
F E AT U R E
// W O R K P L A C E C U LT U R E
OPEN VIDEO IN A NEW WINDOW
“But we must realise the quiet, negative
behaviours are actually having more impact
on people than ever before, because we’re
all tired, and leaders are tired, too.”
Stephenson believes the challenge for
leaders in the pandemic work era is to
distinguish between someone intentionally
making someone else feel small and an
exhausted staff member at their wits’ end.
“If leaders have the emotional capacity
to pick up the phone and speak about
the impact of the employee’s behaviour,
they can check what their intention was,”
Stephenson says. “They need to act fast in
the moment and ask questions.”
If staff are especially fatigued – and not
feeling up to a phone call – leaders can
also take work off employees’ plates to
lower stress levels.
Finally, if a staff member is truly
undermining the work culture as part of an
40 ITB May 2022
ongoing pattern, managers should speak up
to set an example and make it clearly known
there are consequences for poor behaviour.
Don’t be afraid to ask someone, for
example, in this instance if “this is the
right work environment for them”.
“Sometimes toxic behaviour is actually
a cry for help, and if you can give people
permission to be honest and say they don’t
want to be there, then you can help them
exit the business,” Stephenson says.
HEALTHY DISSENT OR AGGRESSION?
In addition to the challenges posed by the
pandemic, there is a broader risk that the
pendulum could swing too far the other
way, and that companies become frictionless
and so inclusive that nothing imaginative or
radical is ever proposed.
LeBusque, who calls himself a “purposeful
provocateur”, is not a fan of keeping the peace
for the sake of the status quo. In fact, he has
a saying – “politeness prolongs progress”.
“Politeness is not a useful etiquette,
especially if it’s based on the desire to not
say anything because ‘that’s not what we
do around here’,” he says.
The difference between a healthy, vigorous
discussion and toxic dialogue comes down
to intention. “Are you bringing something
up because you’re curious, or are you being
aggressive and trying to say that the idea
is stupid?” he says. “It’s all about how you
deliver the message.”
Stephenson couldn’t agree more.
“We’re not all meant to like each other all
the time,” she says. “Part of high-performance
teams is disagreement and robustness, but I
think because our resilience is a bit low at the
moment, we think that if someone doesn’t like
our idea, we think it’s awful, when instead it
could be a valid challenge.”