TOXIC AT WORK
David Gillespie
By Human Library Creator- Michaella Voss
Prior to reading this book, if someone asked me to think about a psychopath, I would have an array of evil world dictators flash into my mind. In finishing our current Bellbird Book Club read, Toxic at Work, one thing is now for sure: ‘psychopath’ is not a title only available to the likes of Mussolini or Hitler but a word to describe anyone who doesn’t have the natural ability to empathise with others. According to author, David Gillespie, science shows that one in twenty people are psychopaths. In understanding this, you too may come away from this read really examining the different workplace relationships in the past that didn’t go so well. Look back on managers who you simply felt had not an inch of genuine care in their bones. You may even look back and reflect on your own thoughts and behaviours.
David Gillespie is a retired lawyer, inspirational speaker and self-proclaimed “social entrepreneur”. The way he writes, in my opinion, really works to show off his sense of humour and “sharp shooting” conversational style, which I personally found captivating, meaning this read didn’t take me long at all! If one thing is true, I love a book that sparks an intellectual debate, and after finishing this read, I truly can’t wait to sit around and dissect the content over a coffee!
Using clinical research, neuroscience and some personalised stories from businesses across the globe, Gillespie defines psychopathy, how to identify psychopathy in colleagues, as well as suggestions of how to combat the devastating impact of having a psychopath in a work team. Gillespie quotes: “most bullies are psychopaths, but not all psychopaths are immediately recognised as bullies”. Something I have already touched on briefly was my amazement in learning in more detail what psychopathy means and how it presents. Psychopaths often blind us with their charm, charisma and success. Despite differing presentations of psychopathy, all psychopaths share the same common trait, not having the capacity to empathise.
Empathy is explored as being a trait which can be taught but is often inbuilt biologically in humans due to the way it supports prosocial behaviour. Empathy is a vital trait which supports the building of meaningful and lasting relationships with others. As communal beings, empathy was a skill which historically was vital for human survival, some may argue it still is. I enjoyed the part of Toxic at Work which explains where empathy can be seen within the human brain and how with the help of brain scanning, psychopaths can be identified, due to the lack of neuro-activity in the amygdala, the part of the brain which is largely in charge of emotional reactions. Mirror neurons within the amygdala, are specific neurons which fire electrical current in our brains, causing humans to ‘mimic’ the behaviour of others. Have you ever felt the need to yawn when someone else in yawning, or start crying when you see others cry? If you can relate to these experiences, you can blame your mirror neurons. Psychopaths have defective mirror neurons, which contributes on a biological level to their inability to begin to consider what it might be like to experience what they are seeing someone else experiencing. Psychopaths, without the ability to feel genuine empathy for other individuals, are unable to follow the golden rule which encourages human interaction “treat others as you would like to be treated”. If a young baby is born with less mirror neurons on average and is then raised in a family environment where empathy is not a skill that is taught or encouraged, it is more likely that baby may grow into a psychopath.
Criticisms of this book largely voice a dislike around the accusatory nature within. I quite enjoyed it. Does that make me a psychopath, I hope not, but what I did like is the way the information is presented. There is a lot of neuroscience throughout the book, but also some ‘cold hard truths’. Yes, at times I was uncomfortable, and yes a few “am I a psychopath?” quizzes were completed on google. However, in my opinion, I think all of us should be doing some deep diving into ourselves, some critical reflection asking the hard questions around how our behaviour and motive impacts those around us. With this continuous self-reflection, without judgement, comes great personal growth.
Although overall I enjoyed the read, my only personal criticism would lie within the fact I found the title slightly misleading. I was initially expecting more of a “self-help” nature coming through in the content and was hoping to take away some strategies to support non-toxic workplaces. I felt the amount of literature in this book that talks about psychopathy, took away from the teachings of how to create non-toxic workspaces.
Even though there wasn’t enough of it in my opinion, the book does eventually reveal the antidote to psychopaths in workspaces. This was my favourite section of the book. Gillespie talks about trust being the secret weapon. Gillespie states that psychopaths are unable to trust anyone at all. He quotes Warren Buffet in stating that “trust is like the air we breathe. When it is present, nobody really notices. When it’s absent, everybody notices”. In a workplace, we need trust to be able to come together to reach our organisational goals and objectives. I felt that this discussion around the importance of trust in the workplace, links in well with the subject of psychological safety at work.
Psychological safety has the greatest importance for individuals working within the social sector. Psychological safety not only builds cultures where people feel safe to share opinions, challenge ideals, but also transfers a sort of energy outward into our practice with those we serve in the community. Even though it may not be explicit, there is a tone or an energy that is set within workspaces that clients can feel and sense, you transfer this vibration into your work. Setting healthy workplace cultures is as such, just as important for ourselves as employees, as it is for those we support. Yes, the Bellbird Book Club is a space for fun and connection with others, but it is also a space which promotes psychological safety in the way that we can share ideas, challenge one another and build meaningful relationships around the table. The work we do here is vital in honouring our responsibility to promote and be a part of healthy workplace cultures within our community.
