-- Christena Konrad, BBA, MAIS Scholar at WSP Consulting, has self-published a timely and relevant article, as all organizations in all sectors are facing an official workforce crisis.
Although Konrad discusses how systems continue to challenge minority group members, she explains how no single leader or leadership team is immune to being negatively impacted by the elusive and consistently evolving sociopolitical climate.
“Too often, leaders are unconsciously persuaded to remove leaders who appear to be outliers, most commonly those individuals who challenge the status quo or bring a different lens to the leadership table.”
“In such cases, staff can weaponize the concept (of psychological safety) against leadership itself, and division within the leadership team becomes inevitable, weakening leadership's cohesion, credibility, and their ability to make a long-term sustainable success”.
In referencing Konrad's Wounded Leadership Theory, she highlights six subtle but harmful workplace behavioral patterns to watch:
- Encouraging Subjective Narratives: Workplace gossip and whispers of encouragement to share subjective narratives within informal networks
- Validating Unconscious Biases: Management not discouraging, as well as not encouraging, self-reflection with disgruntled employees
- Egoism and Selective Memories: Emotional responses and overly excessive amounts of only negative experiences
- Weaponizing Rights and Policies: Abuse of power through the misuse of legislation and policies to unjust advantage over management.
- Passive Accumulation: Conflict avoidance and favoring indirect communication
- Victim/Savior Culture: repeated drama triangulation.
“By shedding light on these patterns of social injustice, we can better recognize and respectfully confront them, fostering workplaces that have healthier social predictability, are more equitable, and psychologically safe.”
Konrad suggests the following to begin breaking systemic cycles:
Investing in education and awareness to recognize micro-signals at all leadership levels.
- Promoting timely, direct dialogue to challenge unconscious biases.
- Developing policies that go beyond legal requirements to reflect ethical and inclusive values.
- Modeling inclusive behaviors from the top down and calling out misaligned actions.
- Implementing mindfulness fitness programs, including emotional intelligence, micro-communication, and cognitive behaviors training.
- Encouraging reflective dialogue and resisting the convenience of avoidance.
“Breaking the systemic cycle of harm requires more than good intentions. It demands a conscious commitment to collective leadership, psychological safety, and the courage to challenge entrenched behaviors,” says Konrad. “Only then can organizations create workplaces where diversity and inclusion are truly valued.”
Read Konrad’s original article, as she suggests how Workplace Psychological Safety® strategies can be used in your organization as a commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility.
For more information about Konrad’s Wounded Leadership Theory and learn more about Workplace Psychological Safety® strategies, visit LinkedIn
About Us: Christena Konrad brings over 20 years of experience to B & C-Suites in for-profit and non-profit and in Federal and Indigenous government. Currently, he sits on the board of Women’s Entrepreneurs of Saskatchewan. She holds an undergrad in Business Administration and is completing a master’s in interdisciplinary studies at Royal Roads University, complemented with graduate studies in the field of counselling and psychology at Yorkville University. As the owner of the registered trademark Workplace Psychological Safety® in Canada, Konrad is dedicated to defining and measuring workplace psychological safety in response to Canada’s Bill C-65 and this year's amendments to The Saskatchewan Employment Act. For more information about the Wounded Leadership Theory and Workplace Psychological Safety®, Christena can be reached through LinkedIn or by email.
Contact Info:
Name: Krystal Park
Email: Send Email
Organization: WPS Consulting
Phone: 306-717-9640
Website: https://www.wpsconsulting.ca/
Release ID: 89172841
Google
RSS