Rising Above a Toxic Workplace Taking Care of Yourself in an Unhealthy Environment

by Chapman, Gary; White, Paul E.; Myra, Harold

• ISBN13: 9780802409720
• ISBN10: 0802409725
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2014-09-01
• Publisher: Northfield Publishing

Summary

Learn how to thrive in—or escape from—a toxic work environment.

Toxic organizations are rife with conflict, fear, and anger. The environment causes people to have physiological responses as if they’re in a fight-or-flight situation. Healthy people become ill. Colds, flu and stress-related illnesses such as heart attacks are more common. By contrast, in resonant organizations, people take fewer sick days and turnover is low. People smile, make jokes, talk openly and help one another." - Annie McKee (author, consultant)

Many employees experience the reality of bullying bosses, poisonous people, and soul-crushing cultures on a daily basis. Rising Above a Toxic Workplace tells authentic stories from today's workers who share how they cope, change, or quit. Candidly they open up about what they learned, what they wish they had done, and how to gain resilience.

Insightfully illustrating from these accounts, authors Gary Chapman, Paul White, and Harold Myra blend their combined experiences in ministry and business to deliver hope and practical guidance to those who find themselves in an unhealthy work environment.

Includes a Survival Guide and Toolkit full of strategies and realistic insights

Author Biography

GARY CHAPMAN, PhD, is the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling The 5 Love Languages. With over 30 years of counseling experience, he has the uncanny ability to hold a mirror up to human behavior, showing readers not just where they go wrong, but also how to grow and move forward. Dr. Chapman holds BA and MA degrees in anthropology from Wheaton College and Wake Forest University, respectively, MRE and PhD degrees from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and has completed postgraduate work at the University of North Carolina and Duke University. For more information visit his website at www.5lovelanguages.com.

DR. PAUL WHITE, PhD, is a licensed psychologist who has worked with individuals, businesses and families in a variety of settings for over 20 years. He received his B.A. from Wheaton, his Masters from Arizona State, and his PhD in Counseling Psychology from Georgia State University. He consults with successful businesses and high net worth families, dealing with the relational issues intertwined with business and financial wealth. In addition to serving businesses, families and organizations across the U.S., Dr. White has also spoken and consulted in Europe, Central Asia, the Caribbean, and South America. For more information, please visit his website at www.drpaulwhite.com.

Table of Contents

Introduction, by Gary Chapman

Chapter One: The Rise of the Toxic Workplace

Why so many of us are breathing poisons and hating our jobs

Chapter Two: The Many Faces of the Toxic Boss

Cruel or clueless, tyrannical or subtle, they fuel workplace misery

Chapter Three: Reality Check: Great Places to Work

Some workers are mighty fortunate, yet they, too, face significant challenges

Chapter Four: Hidden Poison in Nonprofits and Churches

Nasty, dysfunctional stuff can quietly corrupt a fine mission

Chapter Five: Little Murders At Work

When words cut like knives and spite shatters the peace

Chapter Six: Rabbits on the Freeway

Finding health and capacity amid all the noise and fumes

Chapter Seven: Descent to the Dark Side

Great places can go down alarmingly fast

Chapter Eight: Cynics, Appreciation, and Great Bosses

"Appreciation Weeks" can backfire, but authentic apprecation empowers

Survival Guide and Toolkit

Top Ten Characteristics of Toxic Leaders

Is Your Workplace Toxic? A Quick Ten-Point Checklist

Surviving the Heat

Handy List of Survival Strategies

Antidote for Workplace Cynicism: Authentic Appreciation

The Abuse of the Ring of Power

Survive and Thrive Anyway: A Few Tips from Managers

How to Deal with Dysfunctional People...And Not Go Crazy Yourself