I never expected work to be both my saviour and my nemesis and yet that is what I got.
I love work - being a part of something, contributing to building a better, sustainable community for all of us.
And work almost killed me because my workplaces, through “he’s a good guy” leadership tactics when reporting an assault and colleagues protecting their promotions, were toxic - designed to force obedience to extractive practices and policies.
We all need to eat, and entrepreneurship is likely not the answer for everyone (I’m still unsure if it’s the answer for me, even 4 years in) so what do we do?
Our workplaces are only safe if we make them that way so how do we do that? In this episode Virginia and I talk about lessons learned, actions we now take regularly, and what comes next.
Three lessons:
integration takes time
you cannot be collaborative and competitive at the same time
taking risks requires some safety
Three actions:
conduct a personal safety audit
practice setting boundaries when you feel comfortable
be intentional about who you collaborate with
For example - steer clear of bad faith actors, you can’t change them. Remember your worth is who you are, not what you produce.
And the more of us who speak up about what good, healthy work looks like and provides, the more people will be able to imagine something different, something better.
Let me know below, what do you do to feel safe at work?
