What creates a toxic workplace? Leadership indifference

What creates a toxic workplace? Leadership indifference | practice | Gauge team's job boredom with insightful questions Created for {EMAIL} | [{NAME}]( at [{NAME}]( [For more relevant content - Update Your Profile]( | [Web Version]( September 15, 2023 CONNECT WITH SMARTBRIEF  [LinkedIn]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [SmartBrief on Leadership]( Innovative Ideas. Ahead of the Curve. [SIGN UP]( ⋅ [SHARE](  [] Leading the Way [] [What creates a toxic workplace? Leadership indifference]( [What creates a toxic workplace? Leadership indifference]( (Malte Mueller/Getty Images) Companies where leaders practice what George Mason University School of Business professor Kevin Rockmann calls "relational indifference" by saying they want good employee relations but never doing anything to facilitate them will create cliques of in- and out-groups instead of the cohesion needed to thrive. "It's not about everybody being best friends; it's just about having productive working relationships that are characterized by respect, so that when the [expletive] hits the fan, people are going to step up," Rockmann says. Full Story: [George Mason University]( (9/12) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Put it into practice: One way to create a culture of relationship is to put the responsibility of connecting with co-workers in job descriptions, [Rockmann suggests](. "A lot of people are not intrinsically motivated to form supportive working relationships. So if they're not relationally motivated, you have to be explicit." [] SmartBrief on Leadership [] [Gauge team's job boredom with insightful questions]( [Gauge team's job boredom with insightful questions]( (FG Trade/Getty Images) Bored employees can end up frustrated and unproductive, affect team culture and could result in some of them leaving the company, leadership expert Julie Winkle Giulioni writes. To avoid this, managers should proactively gauge engagement and co-create an experience that offers variety, growth, autonomy and new challenges, Winkle Giulioni writes, noting that this builds trust and shows respect and value. Full Story: [SmartBrief/Leadership]( (9/14) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Put it into practice: Check in formally and informally to explore your team's "relationship with their work," Giulioni writes. Ask questions such as ["What about your work brings you energy, and what drains it?"]( "How meaningful do your contributions at work feel to you?" and "When did you last learn something new or exciting that you could use at work?" [] [Read more]( from Julie Winkle Giulioni on SmartBrief on Leadership [] Smarter Communication [] [Oops! How to handle a presentation gaffe]( If you're new to giving presentations, you should know: "Stuff happens: technical problems; excessive noise from other rooms; clanking lunch plates; power failures," writes John Millen, who says he's "seen it all" and details his own (ongoing) oops moment during a slide presentation. Getting rattled is not uncommon, but you can take steps to "deal with the unexpected to control your anxiety and keep your composure," including hoping for the best but preparing for the worst, Millen writes. Full Story: [John Millen blog]( (9/9) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Put it into practice: Know what your audience needs -- your information, not a pretty PowerPoint -- so you can continue delivering if things go awry. Test the equipment ahead of time and have a backup plan, and [laugh at the problem so the audience can laugh along with you](, Millen advises. 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They analyzed data from 36 studies and found that getting exercise three times a week over at least four months could produce benefits for episodic memory, and they found that aerobic exercise appeared to be the most helpful. Full Story: [MindBodyGreen]( (9/12) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Daily Diversion [] [Even cockatoos know musicians are sexy]( Male wild palm cockatoos create their own instruments to perform musical mating rituals and showcase individual creativity, according to a study of the birds in Australia published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B. Researchers collected 227 drumsticks and 29 seed pod instruments that the birds discarded after performing, observing that male palm cockatoos display individual preference when choosing instruments to attract female birds. Full Story: [Science News]( (9/12) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] SmartBrief Podcast Network [] [V&E's Collins and Joyce discuss Climate Week, the Inflation Reduction Act]( With Climate Week about to commence, Lauren Collins and Michael Joyce from the law firm of Vinson and Elkins outline what to expect from this year's gathering and how the overall conversation about Climate Week -- and climate coverage in general -- has evolved over the years. They also mark the one year anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) with a deep dive on the impact the IRA has had on the energy sector. Collins and Joyce also highlight how talent shortages and regulations like Basel III might slow the momentum of the IRA. Full Story: [Renewable Energy SmartPod]( (9/14) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] SmartBreak: Question of the Day [] At 7 feet, 3 inches, Kristaps Porzingis is among the tallest currently active NBA players. Who here is taller? [Vote]( [Giannis Antetokounmpo]( [Vote]( [Bol Bol]( [Vote]( [Kevin Durant]( [Vote]( [Boban Marjanovic]( [] Editor's Note [] [AI summit to feature insights into digital trust]( [AI summit to feature insights into digital trust]( (SmartBrief) Discover how organizations can establish digital trust through transparency in AI and data usage, and learn how this trust can drive future growth. [Register for SmartBrief's inaugural AI Impact Summit virtual event](. [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] About The Editor [] Candace Chellew Candace Chellew Chellew I married a drummer, so [I think the cockatoos]( may be on to something. Thanks for being a SmartBrief on Leadership reader! Enjoy your weekend! If this newsletter helps you, please tell your colleagues, friends or anyone who can benefit. Forward them this email, or [send this link](. What topics do you see in your daily work that I should know about? Do you have praise? Criticism? 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