Office Detox is a show about business. Just like any great story, business is a battleground. The quote from Edmond Burke is very relevant here: “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” If we, who are basically trying to just make a living and do more good than harm are too passive, the rest – predators, narcissists and more are going to take over the place. All of the things that we love about business will vanish, leaving the thieves and conmen. It may be too late already – but call me an optimist? I’m going to try. And there is so much to love. In business, you can create your life. You are not in the safety of a lab or an educational institution. You are out in the real world – creating things that other people need. Ruled by the invisible hand of economics. Throughout the series, we are taking a look at the different factors, some of which were part of commerce and trade since it started, and others that have joined us more recently. Welcome to Office Detox - I’m your host, Stefania Sigurdson Forbes. If I didn’t love business, I wound not be doing this. But – there is a big gap between where business is, and where it could be. So my friends, let’s get started. And say hey business… we can do better.
In this humble finale to the Office Detox podcast, I talk about the 12th part of the Dirty Dozen. In a nutshell, no one can save you, you have to save yourself! But you don't have to do it alone. Thank you, lovely listeners, for being with me on this journey. Support the show
3 min
23 July 2021
Beyond Virtue Signalling - Bill and Melinda Gates, Microsoft and the Gates Foundation
The thing about inequity in the workplace is that it is (I believe) that minority of people who put you in the situation like I was in, but it affects you strongly. In this episode, we explore the marriage and divorce of Bill and Melinda Gates, Microsoft and the Gates Foundation. We also look at inclusive leadership, and how it means to lead inside and lead outside. Sources https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2021/06/bill-and-melinda-gates-divorce-saga-next-phasehttps://www.newsweek.com/timeline-allegations-bill-gates-money-manager-michael-larson-1595397https://nationalpost.com/news/bill-gates-money-manager-accused-of-bullying-sexual-racist-misconduct-at-cascade-new-york-timeshttps://www.businessinsider.com/bill-gates-reportedly-pursued-microsoft-employees-while-married-2021-5https://www.businessinsider.com/bill-and-melinda-gates-marriage-2017-11#melinda-had-reportedly-been-seeking-a-divorce-since-2019-and-unnamed-sources-told-the-new-york-times-bill-had-pursued-other-women-while-married-38https://www.catalyst.org/research/inclusive-leadership-report/Music Chris Zabruskie Pain What does Anyone Know About Anything Kai Engel November Synth Kid DevotionSupport the show
22 min
14 May 2021
Drugs and Alcohol in the Workplace: Sonja Farak’s Addiction Cripples a State’s Judicial System
What do you do when a work relationship has been working well for over a decade... suddenly doesn't? Sometimes a colleague has an addiction to drugs or alcohol that can throw off a whole project, team or even a state's judicial system. In this episode, we discuss Sonja Farak's addiction and how it crippled a state's judicial system. If you are interested in this topic, you may want to check out "How to Fix a Drug Scandal" on Netflix. Research: https://www.netflix.com/ca/title/80233339 https://www.womenshealthmag.com/life/a31991509/sonja-farak-how-to-fix-a-drug-scandal-netflix/https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2020/apr/01/how-to-fix-a-drug-scandal-netflix-erin-lee-carr https://heavy.com/entertainment/2020/04/sonja-farak-netflix-drug-scandal/ https://heavy.com/entertainment/2020/04/netflix-fix-drug-scandal-story/ Music Credit: Kai Engel: Dark Alleys Downpour Augmentations Chris Zabruskie: Pain That Kid in 4th Grade Who Liked the Denver Broncos Synth Kid: Chromatic Support the show
21 min
24 October 2020
War Against Talent - Detective Inspector Kim Rossmo and the Vancouver Police Department
The topic of today’s podcast, “War Against Talent”. This is somewhat a play on words, if you are a corporate insider. You see, people in the recruiting industry talk about the “War On Talent” that we are all fighting to get the best people on the team. But, in reality, there is a “War Against Talent” with people hurting the talented people on the team.Today’s story that we are going to focus on the botched hunt for Canada’s worst serial killer, Robert Pickton, and Geographic Profiler for the Vancouver Police, Kim Rossmo, who tried to warn them. Research https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2011/10/12/investigator_tried_to_warn_of_serial_killer_pickton_inquiry_told.html https://web.archive.org/web/20110706182046/http://www.hamiltonhowell.ca/cases/rossmo.htmhttps://bc.ctvnews.ca/changes-needed-to-prevent-another-b-c-serial-killer-profiler-1.544998https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kim_Rossmohttp://tevlingleadle.com/rossmo-v-vancouver-police-department/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/ex-detective-stands-by-his-pickton-testimony/article4197532/ https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/former-profiler-expected-to-tell-pickton-inquiry-why-the-police-ignored-his-serial-killer-warninghttps://www.aptnnews.ca/the-disappearance-of-natasha-lynn-starr/ https://canadiantruecrime.ca/episodes/2017/12/6/15-robert-pickton-part-1 http://tevlingleadle.com/rossmo-v-vancouver-police-department/ https://hbr.org/2010/04/envy-at-work Music Kai Engel NovemberDownpourSmoldering Chris Zabruskie They Call it Nature Last Night I Dreamed I Saw True Love In Your EyesThat Kid in Forth Grade Who Really Liked the Denver Broncos Support the show
22 min
3 May 2020
Nowhere to Turn - Lois Jenson and the First Class-Action Sexual Harrassment Case
The topic of today’s podcast, “Nowhere to Turn” as in… today, when someone is experiencing a toxic work environment, there really is nowhere to turn to help – HR, management, Unions, Courts, changing jobs – it is all hard and there is no easy road. We discuss Lois Jenson and the first Class-Action sexual harassment case. In exploring the case, we chat about how this is still relevant for today's workforce. Research: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2006/feb/03/gender.worldhttps://www.virginiamn.com/one-of-the-first-silence-breakers/article_88fcd506-dd3c-11e7-a9fd-0f0affa3de04.htmlhttps://hrdailyadvisor.blr.com/2018/01/04/conflict-interest-hr-roles/Music: Chris Zabruskie Hide Their SecretsStories About a World that Once Was That Hopeful Future Thoughtless Kai Engel DenouementMaree October Synth Kid HeartacheSupport the show
25 min
28 March 2020
Office Cults - the Story of Keith Raniere and NXIVM
Have you ever been a part of an organization that seemed more like a cult than a regular workplace? In this episode, I discuss the famed sex cult NXIVM and its leader, Keith Raniere. I also look into one of his followers, Sarah Edmondston. Bringing it to an everyday situation, when an organization turns into a cult, it begins to be more about serving the leader, than serving the purpose for which it was started. Resources https://www.cbc.ca/radio/uncover/uncover-season-1-escaping-nxivm-1.4675949https://culteducation.com/group/907-nxivm/34368-the-making-of-vanguard.htmlhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/willyakowicz/2019/05/15/keith-raniere-the-leader-of-the-nxivm-sex-cult/#75be810135a9https://int.nyt.com/data/documenthelper/852-keith-raniere-s-twelve-point-m/14c1838fee817b774dfc/optimized/full.pdfhttps://www.thecut.com/2019/04/nxivm-sex-cult-case-a-complete-timeline-of-events.htmlhttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/46113727-scarred?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=PA9dwzMj3M&rank=1Music Chris ZabruskeA Day in the New SectorThe Kid in 4th Grade Who Really Liked the Denver BronkosLast Night I Dreamed I Saw Love In Your EyesThoughtlessKai Engel Contention HeadwaySynth Kid WanderlustSupport the show
36 min
18 January 2020
Embezzlement in the Workplace: Rita Crundwell - City Comptroller of Dixon, IL
According to Security Magazine, employee thefts cost US businesses 50 Billion per year. One of the most egregious thefts ever investigated by the FBI was Rita Crundwell, City Comptroller of Dixon, IL, who embezzled over 53 Million dollars over the course of 22 years. By the time of her arrest, she had over 300 horses across 22 farms in 13 states. She had a motorcoach which seems similar to a very fancy looking tour bus, that she upgraded 5 times, worth 2.1 million dollars. My promise to you, my dear listeners, is to go through what I think of as “the dirty dozen”. It is the “dirty dozen” of what makes business so dirty and hard. And so if you are a young person, you can go into it with your eyes open. If you are investing in training or any other type of business, you are seeing it from a real view. If you are someone who has been around for a while and waking up to what your environment is really about, you can come on this bus too. I truly think a small minority of people are making it way too hard for the rest of us.Research: All the Queen's Horses: https://www.allthequeenshorsesfilm.com/Security Magazine: https://www.securitymagazine.com/articles/88432-employee-theft-costs-us-businesses-50-billion-per-yearMusic: Chris ZabrieskieGrey Skies Remix Stories About the World that Once Was What Does Anyone Know About Anything The Wizard of LiesKai Engel: Devotion Synth Kid: Trapped in the Upside Down Support the show
24 min
28 July 2019
First Follower Theory - The Story of Kirby Brown, Follower of James Arthur Ray
You can't have a leader without a follower. Music Entrepreneur Derek Sivers introduced first follower theory at the 2010 TED (technology, entertainment, design) conference. According to Sivers, the first follower is what transforms an individual with a unique idea into a leader. Here is a shortened version of his talk. I will put a link to it in the show notes. First Followers are a part of the toxic work environment today, as they give the leader that "follower glow". In this episode, we talk about the death of Kirby Brown, follower of self help guru James Arthur Ray. Ray, who got famous from the movie "The Secret" led three seekers to their deaths in 2009 in a sweat lodge ceremony gone wrong. Kirby Brown, an entrepreneur and a seeker died that day. We look at this story in the context of followers and what can be done. Books Fear - Bob Woodward Stay Sexy and Don't Get Murdered - Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark Research https://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/first-follower-theoryhttps://www.ted.com/talks/derek_sivers_how_to_start_a_movement?language=enhttps://www.theverge.com/2013/12/4/5038930/the-death-dealer-james-arthur-sweat-lodge-deaths-in-sedona http://www.seeksafely.org/https://abcnews.go.com/Primetime/james-arthur-ray-arizona-sweat-lodge/story?id=11016900https://spiritualityisnoexcuse.wordpress.com/james-rays-first-victim-colleen-conaway/http://www.seeksafely.org/resources/self-help-fact-sheet/http://www.seeksafely.org/2019/02/08/happybirthdaykirby-wish/https://www.truecrimepodcast.com/mixesMusic Kai Engel Downpour Great ExpectationsSynth Kid Wizard of Lies Chromatic Chris Zabrieskie The Oceans Continue to Rise Stories About a World that Once Was Music above is used under an Attribution License - http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Support the show
36 min
11 July 2019
Paranoia in the Workplace - Jason Halbert the former VP of People, Talent Acquisition and Global Security of Snapchat.
Have you ever dealt with paranoia in the workplace? Or the "blame game" on overdrive? All of us have an inner warning system that alerts us to danger. But with the paranoid personality, it’s as if this system is stuck in overdrive, sounding alarms about you, me, neighbors, co-workers, ethnic groups, foreigners, the government and on and on. Their skewed perspective dominates their life, and the lives of the people that work with or for them. Key traits include: being easily insulted, holding grudges, questioning motives, challenging the rules, fears, dislikes or hates those who are different. We take a look at Snapchat or the parent company, Snap's VP of People, Talent Acquisition and Global Security Jason Halbert. Learn about how working with paranoia in the workplace can affect you, and what you can do. Note: This episode includes some explicit language. Research https://www.theinformation.com/articles/employee-complaints-about-snap-personnel-chief-led-to-outside-inquiryhttps://nypost.com/2018/01/19/snapchat-threatens-leakers-with-jail/https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2018/01/snapchat-goes-full-scaramucci-threatens-leakers-with-jail-timehttps://www.thedailybeast.com/this-is-the-data-snapchat-doesnt-want-you-to-seehttps://www.neowin.net/news/snap-incs-human-resources-chief-jason-halbert-departs-the-company/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/mar/16/silicon-valley-internal-work-spying-surveillance-leakershttps://www.vanityfair.com/news/2019/05/how-zuckerbergs-billionaires-club-can-atone-for-facebookhttps://www.wired.com/story/inside-facebook-mark-zuckerberg-2-years-of-hell/Music Chris Zabriskie John Stockton Slow Drag What Does Anybody Know About Anything That Kid in Fourth Grade Who Really Liked the Denver BroncosI Don't See Branches, I See the LeavesThe 49th Street Galleria Music above is used under an Attribution License - http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Support the show
32 min
15 June 2019
The Emotionally Unstable Workplace - Amnesty International
Have you ever walked into a place, and it is a pressure cooker? Like the pressure is so high you can hardly breathe? Like the pressure is so high, that it will blow at any minute? You may be working in an emotionally unstable workplace. In episode 3 of Season 1 of Office Detox, we explore the unstable workplace, through the lens of the suicides of Gaetan Mootoo and Roz McGregor of Amnesty International. On the night of the 25th of May, Gaetan Mootoo killed himself, aged 65, in the Paris offices of the famous human rights NGO. This researcher specializing in French-speaking Africa, unanimously respected, has spent his entire career, started 32 years earlier, there. He left behind his son, Robin and his wife Martyne. Five weeks later, 25-year-old intern, Roz McGregor. "Roz has been overwhelmingly described as a smart, motivated, ambitious, and enthusiastic person. She has been described often as 'bubbly'. Roz's work at IAP was of high quality and she was recognized as an excellent intern."We dig into this story, and everything behind it. We also give tips on what you can do if you are in an emotionally unstable workplace right now. Research Books:Dangerous Personalities by Joe Navarro - this includes the emotionally unstable personality "checklist" Report: https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/org60/9763/2019/en/Articles:https://blogs.mediapart.fr/edwy-plenel/blog/100618/gaetan-mootoo-1952-2018-elegance-one-justhttp://www.rfi.fr/afrique/20180528-mort-gaetan-moutoo-droits-humains-afrique-amnesty-internationalhttps://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ga%C3%ABtan_Mootoohttps://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2018/oct/22/amnesty-faces-scrutiny-as-inquiry-links-paris-workers-suicide-to-his-jobhttp://www.tlaxcala-int.org/article.asp?reference=24789https://www.facebook.com/PayYourInterns/posts/we-are-deeply-saddened-to-read-the-story-of-roz-mcgregor-a-28-year-old-intern-wo/2168292216782484/Music Chris Zabriskie NatureThoughtless Kai Engle AveuDenouementDownpour November Synth Kid Devotion Heartache Trapped in the Upside DownTCM Underground The Wizard of Lies Music above is used under an Attribution License - http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Support the show
