Changing Organizational Culture One Person At A Time

In the Radical Collaboration world, we talk of three different kinds of working environments: While the Red and the Green Zone may be obvious in how they show up, the Pink Zone is equally powerful, and just as destructive as Red Zone thinking. Essentially, two words sum up the Pink Zone, “passive aggression”, but many hours and emotional frustrations result in its expression! Why does it show up, and how can you deal with it when it does? There are many reasons why people can become or act in a passive aggressive manner: They feel powerless or voiceless, and this is a way for them to have impact. They do not enjoy conflict and perceive deeper interactions with others as having the potential for conflict. The politics of the workplace may dictate that it is unsafe for them to speak out especially if it is against a superior or a well-liked colleague. The management style of the company is such that open communication is discouraged, or that bad behaviors are not managed. ...

In yesterday's New York Times (July 26, 2017) there was a startling article by Kevin Quealy “Trump Is on Track to Insult 650 People, Places and Things on Twitter by the End of His First Term”.   For a leader to be in a place where he feels that he constantly has to attack, and is under attack, means that he is constantly under stress, and we all know that elevated cortisol and norepinephrine levels have a negative effect on bodily functions like the immune system, the metabolism as well as the mental health of the individual, such as memory and mental illness .  High levels of norepinephrine, means that the President is constantly in a state of fight or flight response.  It is no wonder then that there are so many reports of leaks, blame, hostility and silo’d thinking coming from the White House, let alone the competitive and short-term behaviors that are defining the Trump administration’s rule.  This is classic Red Zone behavior (in Radical Collaboration lan...