Empowered Communication

In Episode 40, Meredith talks about how to win a fight. For some people, transforming conflict into creative solutions, safety, and support for our work is important. Other people like to fight for fighting’s sake (Eris Conflict Resolution is named after the goddess of discord, after all!). For other people, winning matters. This becomes a problem though, when we believe we need to persuade biased, unreliable, and dangerous people to change their minds in order to win. Meredith talks about the three steps to making a win inevitable in any situation and practical examples of how to do exactly that. How Toxic Is Your Work Environment? Take the quiz here.Check out the app here to track your progress creating a better work environment. 

In Episode 39, Meredith talks about physical and verbal violence. What does it mean to be violent? Is there ever a space for violence? Some people say violence is never necessary, and that is a good general rule, but often that blanket statement is weaponized to say that people in power may use violence, but people who the system exploits may not be physical in service of creating safety. This episode explores why engaging with violence participates in cycles of violence, but that there are nuances beyond that blanket statement. How Toxic Is Your Work Environment? Take the quiz here.Check out the app here to track your progress creating a better work environment. Sister Helen Prejean

In Episode 38, Meredith talks with sex coach Sarai Johnson about taboo topics at work. Why do we call it “unprofessional” to talk about sex, religion, politics, and even money? What are the benefits or risks of having rigid definitions of professionalism? Often in workplaces, blanket prohibitions on talking about certain topics can create the dangerous and unsustainable situations that they are trying to prevent. Meredith and Sarai talk about practical strategies for what workplaces and individuals can do instead to create safe, healthy, and effective environments. How Toxic Is Your Work Environment? Take the quiz here.Check out the app here to track your progress creating a better work environment. Work with Sarai.

In Episode 37, Meredith dives into a topic that is close to her heart: Personality! This episode gives an overview of the personality assessments and frameworks we have seen work (or not work) in workplace settings. This episode also covers the number one, most simple indicator of conflict in workplaces and the simplest way to resolve it through assessment and understanding of instincts. How Toxic Is Your Work Environment? Take the quiz hereCheck out the app here to track your progress creating a better work environment. Kolbe Assessment.Human Design Natal ChartAstrology Natal Chart

In Episode 36, Meredith talks about labor, wages, and slavery. This week it was Labor Day in the U.S., and this episode celebrates the important contributions workers and labor unions have made in the country. The topic of slavery has also come up a lot in the news, and so this episode does an overview of paid and unpaid, forced labor in the U.S. and the importance of fair exchange for work. If you are someone who is uncomfortable with money but thinks you should be paid more, this is for you. Paid labor is important for balance, and balance creates thriving systems and institutions. When we coerce or even persuade people into unpaid labor, it creates imbalance that leads to bankrupt organizations and institutions. How Toxic Is Your Work Environment? Take the quiz here Check out the app here to track your progress creating a better work environment. 1619 Podcast.

In Episode 35, Meredith talks about harassment. What is it? When is it illegal and when is it something we need to work on privately? Meredith again relies on her knowledge and experience as a civil rights litigator, and someone who has helped hundreds of employees related to toxic work environments, to deep dive into the topic of harassment. Harassment can be illegal in criminal and civil contexts, but once it has gotten to the point of a lawsuit or a criminal charge, the harm has already gone very far. Many forms of harassment steal from our organizations and our personal experiences of life before the law intervenes. This episode provides practical perspective and general structures for evaluating whether harassment is stealing from your work experience.As always, this episode is not intended as legal advice and if you want to know how the law might apply in your situation, we encourage you to talk with an attorney in your area. How Toxic Is Your Work Environment? Take the quiz here.Check out the app here to track your progress creating a better work environment. Sexual Harassment Prevention and Response Course“How Rude” episode of the Hidden Brain Podcast.

In Episode 34, Meredith does a deep dive into what discrimination really is and why we have made some forms of discrimination illegal in the United States. Meredith uses her background as a civil rights lawyer and also general principles of discrimination to explain why most discrimination is not illegal, but sometimes the law does provide a remedy for harmful discrimination. You might be surprised to hear it, but every human discriminates, and the majority of the time that is not bad, but discrimination errors can cause very serious harm. Have you ever wondered if you’ve experienced discrimination? Has someone ever told you that you’re discriminating against them? Are you worried that your workplace could be harmed by discrimination or false allegations? This one is for you.As always, this episode is not intended as legal advice and if you want to know how the law might apply in your situation, we encourage you to talk with an attorney in your area. How Toxic Is Your Work Environment? Take the quiz here.Check out the app here to track your progress creating a better work environment. Sexual Harassment Prevention and Response CourseMe and White Supremacy, by Layla Saad

In Episode 33, Meredith addresses false allegations of harassment, discrimination, and other wrongdoing. She discusses the statistics around unreported wrongdoing in workplaces and the statistics around false allegations, what causes them, and strategies anyone can use to handle allegations, even false allegations. She also talks about how to have more effective conversations whether you are reporting harm or someone is telling you that something you did was harmful. Sexual Harassment Prevention and Response CourseHow Toxic Is Your Work Environment? Take the quiz hereNonviolent CommunicationDifficult Conversations

In Episode 32, Meredith looks at the impacts of losing a job or career, whether it is a loss created by a major national event like economic downturn, or a very personal event like misunderstandings, harassment, discrimination, or even false allegations. While many of us may just want to get into a new job, pick ourselves up by the bootstraps, move on, and prove our abilities, there is one thing that we see get in the way in almost every situation: Grief. It is very difficult to move on, even with a rebound job, before grief has processed, and people are often surprised at how much grief can interfere with the process of moving on. This episode contains some practical tips for processing grief to move on intentionally (and even more quickly). More on Elizabeth Kubler-Ross.Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving. Motherless Daughters.How Toxic Is Your Work Environment? Take the quiz here

In Episode 31, Meredith shares some of the most common reasons that we may want to stop communicating our boundaries in the workplace. If you’ve ever thought you were good at understanding your boundaries and enforcing them but still have people walk all over you, this episode should help you understand why and what you can do instead of continuing to explain why you deserve better treatment. Even if someone else is unable or unwilling to respect our boundaries, we still deserve to be in the environments we want, and this episode focuses on exactly how to do that. How Toxic Is Your Work Environment? Take the quiz here.