Toxic workplaces and women in business
Women in business and Toxic Work Culture. Let’s normalize talking about the trauma, and highlight the need to support women in business dealing with toxic relationships in the workplace, and empower them to avoid or escape such situations.
Selena Rezvani (she/her) is a LinkedIn influencer who often posts very thought provoking material that starts great conversations. Recently she posted about toxic bosses. (You can read the original LinkedIn post by clicking here.)
She shared a very real, and raw post about her experience with toxic bosses.
I also have had a few nightmare bosses, mostly early on in my career.
Young, you don’t necessarily know how to stand up for yourself.
However, perhaps more concerning is that despite being an award-winning CEO and an accomplished business person, I have also experienced a toxic nightmare boss well into my 40s and, again, later, an abusive, high-profile client on a sinking boat of a project that almost did me in.
The nightmare boss in my 40s was not my immediate supervisor, but my supervisor’s boss. This man was petty, jealous, a mediocre performer, and insecure.
Many women in business deal with toxic work culture, and this dynamic, and it’s unfortunate that the boss is in the middle. Human Resources rarely helps nip the issue in the bud, so it continues.
This creates untenable situations, leading to burnout, stress-induced health issues, loss of productivity, and eventually talent loss. By the time it’s full-blown. Usually, your only option is to suffer the abuse or leave defeated.
The second incident, later in my 40s, is a more insidious toxic workplace relationship that few people ever speak of.
I’m talking about a highly volatile, abusive, lunatic, impossible-to-please, nightmare client. When I work with women business owners and leaders, I am always amazed at the fact that no matter what age, many have had similar experiences.
When I went through the client sh$tshow, I had a great coach, and his support and guidance led me to fire the jerk—unfortunately, not soon enough.
The client, insulted I had the nerve to stand up for myself, did everything to discredit me publicly before I terminated the engagement. Going as far as to denigrate me, using profanity and falsehoods to an entire room of expert vendors, I had gathered to assist them with their disaster of a project on Zoom after I left the meeting having been verbally abused in front of everyone.
I still have the recording because one of my team members remained in the meeting and was stunned.
I have never made the client or the recording public, but if I did, this person would have a significant reputation management and PR problem, especially given the industry they operate in.
Perhaps if we normalize TALKING ABOUT THIS ISSUE – specifically – Women in business and Toxic Work Culture, and call out the offenders, they will mend their ways. It’s a conversation I’d love to have with you and Human Resource leaders in the country. How do we make that happen? If you are interested in being part of HER Productive Discussion on this issue – contact us!
This article about Women in business and Toxic Work Culture was written by our founder, and editor in chief, Monyka Berrocosa. To connect with Monyka on LinkedIn, click here.
If you are experiencing abuse of any kind in the work place, there are resources. Click here to learn more. in