Recently I had the privilege to speak to 1,300 attendees of an international association of corporate leaders.  I was onstage being interviewed by the President of that association when I turned to the audience and asked them to raise their hand if they had NEVER worked in a toxic workplace.

Any idea how many of those present in that general session raised their hand?

I was ABSOLUTELY SHOCKED WITH THE RESPONSE I RECEIVED!!

I knew that toxic workplaces were commonplace.  I’ve certainly worked in my share.  We have all known people who have been caught in a work environment that has battered them to the point of tremendous frustration and demoralization.  Who hasn’t heard someone say, “You don’t want to work over there.  THAT place is TOXIC!”

“Toxic” is an almost universal word to describe things we want to flee from or avoid at all costs.  It can be a plastic bottle of something we found under the sink or out in the garage, something we’ve stepped in that’s stuck to our shoe, a classmate in school or a professor, a relative, an “ex” or a long-time negative relationship, or in this case, a poisonous corporate culture.

But I have to admit, when I wrote my most recent book, Curative Culture/Stepping Away from a Toxic Workplace, I had NO IDEA that out of 1,300 conference attendees, only 1 would raise her hand.  Someone sitting near her leaned over was heard to softly say to her friend, “I don’t believe her!”