Toxicity
Thu Feb 05 2026
SHOW NOTES:
• Suddenly we have “toxic workplaces” (and need “psychological safety” and have “unhoused” people and “food insecure people).
• We try to wallpaper over real problems with euphemisms and ideologically-biased language.
• Can you have a “toxic workplace” without toxic employees? Chicken and egg?
• On social media we see complete nonsense such as “52% of all workplaces are toxic,” which is preposterous and without any valid study.
• Can we have so many successful businesses with such malicious management?
• I’ve witnessed the opposite: Leadership doing its best to deal with underperforming and entitled employees.
• The story of Burlington Industries and Bill Klopman.
• If people want to do the job but don’t know how, they need skills training.
• If people don’t want to do the job even if they do know how, they need coaching (attitude adjustment). If they still refuse to do it, they need firing.
• It’s an entitled age, and people demand certain treatments and conditions that please them, but may not please others, and don’t help the business or its customers.
• My work at the post office.
• “Toxic” often means “I’m asked to do too much, to meet deadlines, to fulfill commitments.”
• There are, of course, bad bosses, and hungry people and homeless people. Let’s not conflate the truly bad with those who are merely discontents.
• I have to conclude here, I feel “food insecure” so I’m going out for lunch, which would make me, for the moment, “unhoused.”
More
SHOW NOTES: • Suddenly we have “toxic workplaces” (and need “psychological safety” and have “unhoused” people and “food insecure people). • We try to wallpaper over real problems with euphemisms and ideologically-biased language. • Can you have a “toxic workplace” without toxic employees? Chicken and egg? • On social media we see complete nonsense such as “52% of all workplaces are toxic,” which is preposterous and without any valid study. • Can we have so many successful businesses with such malicious management? • I’ve witnessed the opposite: Leadership doing its best to deal with underperforming and entitled employees. • The story of Burlington Industries and Bill Klopman. • If people want to do the job but don’t know how, they need skills training. • If people don’t want to do the job even if they do know how, they need coaching (attitude adjustment). If they still refuse to do it, they need firing. • It’s an entitled age, and people demand certain treatments and conditions that please them, but may not please others, and don’t help the business or its customers. • My work at the post office. • “Toxic” often means “I’m asked to do too much, to meet deadlines, to fulfill commitments.” • There are, of course, bad bosses, and hungry people and homeless people. Let’s not conflate the truly bad with those who are merely discontents. • I have to conclude here, I feel “food insecure” so I’m going out for lunch, which would make me, for the moment, “unhoused.”