Gary Chapman - Rising Above a Toxic Workplace: Taking Care of Yourself in an Unhealthy Environment

Rising Above a Toxic Workplacewill save you from hours and hours of venting about your job. Its pages are packed with fascinating anecdotes and actionable solutions for the modern worker.

Devin Tomb, Associate Lifestyle Editor, SELF

Here is clear and practical help for millions of Americans who are overworked and underappreciated, feeling trapped in a dead-end job with no way out. InRising Above a Toxic Workplace, youll discover options you didnt know you had for coping or quitting. A terrific read.

Jack Modesett, Partner, Vega Energy

Many people feel trapped in toxic work situations, are victims of humiliation and intimidation, or are starving for appreciation. Rising Above a Toxic Workplacenot only tells stories of violence to the spirit, it points the way to overcoming and transforming, much as Oswald Chambers described health as requiring sufficient vitality on the inside against things on the outside.

Marshall Shelley, Editor in chief, Leadership Journal

Rising Above a Toxic Workplaceis a must-read if you are working for a toxic manager or working in a toxic workplace. Gary Chapman, Paul White, and Harold Myras real world examples will help you realize the grasscanbe greener on the other side and no one should put up with abuse in the workplace.

Peter W. Hart, Chief Executive Officer, Rideau Recognition Solutions

Silent toleration of toxicity creates intolerable chaos. Chapman, White, and Myra pull the curtains back and reveal the true cost of unworkable workplaces. In this well-researched book, these noted authors voice the nagging feeling of failure and fear we or those we love may experience. However, they dont leave us with hopelessness but provide a robust toolbox for assessment and action.

Brenda A. Smith, President /CEO, Breakfast with Fred Leadership Institute BWF Project, Inc.

At some point, we need to realize every workplace experiences some level of toxicity. Once we accept this fact, Rising Above a Toxic Workplaceoffers employees and leaders a path to build understanding of the root causes along with simple, easy-to-act-on thinking that can help to reduce and minimize negative outcomes. Its an easy read that every credible activist HR professional will want to share with his or her business clients.

Joel Lamoreaux, Organization Effectiveness Consultant, Deluxe, Corp.

A modern organization is too often unhealthy. Toxicity, despite attempts to stamp it out, continues to surface in new and unexpected places. InRising Above a Toxic Workplaceyou will find realistic descriptions and illustrations identifying work cultures that generate frustration and anxiety. I especially appreciate the practical adviceand recommendations for alleviating the painto workers suffering the negative and productivity-sapping consequences of toxicity. I would advise both leaders and the general workforce to read this book; use it as a tool to help you decrease frustration and increase engagement in your workplace.

Lester J. Hirst, PhD, Change Effectiveness Manager, Compassion International

I love how the authors approach the toxic environment from different perspectives and situations. That helped me to make a strong connection as an employee as well as a leader. Any reader can walk away with solid, healthy advice whether he or she is steeped in a toxic environment or seeking to prevent one from arising. The references cited are also excellent resources for an ongoing personal development program. The impactful style of this book transforms it from being a how to book into more of a how to be book.

Dan Agne, Senior Manager, National Sales Training, SimplexGrinnel

Rising Above a Toxic Workplaceis a desperately needed book in this age of bullying and burnout in healthcare. The numerous stories of people who rose above their toxic situation help you realize you too can overcome. This isnt a Pollyanna approach, either. Real world Survival Strategies and Leadership Lessons in every chapter offer concrete action steps. Questions for Discussion lead to deeper insight.

Kathy Schoonover-Shoffner, PhD, RN, Nurses Christian Fellowship USA, Editor, Journal of Christian Nursing

Chapman, White, and Myra offer compassionate advice to anyone caught in a demeaning work environment. Their words of comfort are matched by their practical advice and their call for courage. They show, with relevant stories, how one can take steps to overcome challenges, even when faced with intimidation. There is wisdom here not just for the young person struggling to find a way in a tough economy but also for those supervisors who desire to create a workplace of integrity, empathy, and trust.

Mark Sargent, Provost, Westmont College, Santa Barbara, California

Copyright 2014 by
GARY CHAPMAN, PAUL WHITE, AND HAROLD MYRA

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

The stories in this book are factual, but many names and details have been changed to protect privacy.

Edited by Elizabeth Cody Newenhuyse
Interior design: Design Corps
Cover design: Studio Gearbox
Cover image: Getty images / baona / #162248449
Gary Chapman photo: P. S. Photography
Paul White photo: Michael Bankston

Chapman, Gary D.

Rising above a toxic workplace : taking care of yourself in an unhealthy environment / Gary D. Chapman, Paul White.

Pages cm

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN 978-0-8024-0972-0

1. Job stress. 2. Workpsychological aspects. 3. Supervisors. 4. Employee

motivation. 5. Psychology, Industrial. I. White, Paul E II. Title.

HF5548.85.C45 2014

650.1dc23

2014016911

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This book is dedicated to all who find themselves in difficult places to work.

May you find reliefand the ability and the courage to do what is best for you.

C ONFLICT, HURT AND ANGER, poor communication, lack of appreciationfor decades I have sought to help men and women deal with such issues in marriage. Today numerous individuals experience these same painful realities at work. A few years ago I teamed up with Dr. Paul White to write