On this particular day, I was struck by the clear and pristine beauty of Middleton Beach, while just across the peninsula, much of our South Australian coast is struggling under a toxic algal bloom.
It got me thinking about the different workplace cultures I encounter through my coaching work. Some are clear, positive, and energising, with a healthy, forward rhythm like the Middleton’s waves. Others feel murky, stagnant, and even unsafe, much like parts of our Gulf at the moment.

So, what can you do if you’re a leader trying to make a positive impact within a toxic workplace?

1. Reset expectations around behaviour and accountability:
   Be clear about what good looks like. Involve your people in defining the standards and hold everyone, including leaders, accountable.
2. Model the behaviours you want to see:
   Demonstrate respect, openness, and integrity. Have the courage to call out toxic behaviours, even when they appear in your peers or those above you.
3. Ramp up your self-care:
   Toxic environments can take a toll. Prioritise exercise, rest, and positive social connections outside of work. Without strong self-care, it’s easy to become part of the problem.
4. Focus on what you can influence:
   Change what you can, accept what you can’t, and stay clear about the difference. Influence grows from clarity, not frustration.
5. Know when to move on:
   If the culture has reached a point of no return, look outward. Find your own “patch of coast” – the environment that allows you to thrive and lead in alignment with your values. Sometimes, it’s just across the peninsula.

Even in toxic waters, renewal is possible. But it starts with courageous leadership and a clear commitment to creating safer, healthier currents.

Jo Saies

pbperformance.com.au

There’s loads being written at the moment – words of wisdom on staying safe, remaining healthy, being positive, coping with isolation, filling in time, and keeping connected while we grapple with a world-wide crisis. Please choose carefully what you listen to and what you read in order to keep informed and to manage your personal and our shared challenges.

Rather than add to the volume of words, I’ve distilled my thoughts down to three simple messages; An ABC if you like:

A             Act on what is important
We can’t do everything. The external restrictions placed on every one of us mean we actually can’t do many things. So we have a choice. We need to focus on only the things that are most important, those things that support our most basic core values, and act on those.

B             Be thoughtful
Everything we do and say impacts on others – the people closest to us (both physically and socially), our community and ultimately across the globe. Remember the butterfly effect (derived from the metaphorical example of a tornado being traced back to a butterfly flapping its wings on the other side of the globe). Think about how your actions will affect others, and do what you can to make sure that impact is positive, or at the very least, not negative.

C             Connect
If the crisis has taught us anything, it’s the importance of connection. Our species survives and thrives through physical, social, emotional and intellectual connectivity and interdependence. Connection is the core of well-being. With everything else stripped away, we now have the opportunity to make deeper, more regular and more thoughtful connections to build and sustain more nurturing and fulfilling relationships.

On the days when I wake up and wonder how we’re going to get ourselves out of this, I can feel despondent and overwhelmed. So my touchstone is my ABC – Act on what’s important; Be thoughtful; Connect. That’s me doing what I can, no more, no less, to be part of the solution. And so then I feel a bit more hopeful. Hopeful that not only will we all get through this, but we’ll actually come out the other side better for it. And I feel hopeful that this pandemic could just be the circuit breaker the world needs to stop us burning ourselves out.

Jo Saies

pbperformance.com.au