The Toxic Altruist

There was an open letter that I read the other day, written by many former employees of a certain facility, who were denouncing their former supervisor for several examples of toxic behavior.  I read through the list of their select accusations, with reactions ranging from "Eh, that's no so bad," to "Holy heck, this lady is crazy."  Similarly, responses to the letter ran the gamut.  Some readers who were familiar with this manager stood up for her and turned accusations back on the accusers.  Most readers, however, were firmly on the side of the writers and applauded them for their courage in speaking up... even if they knew nothing about the facility in question or its leadership.

It was easy for them to believe the accusations.  Many of them had experienced similar conduct at other facilities.

I've heard some people speculate that workplaces in the zoo and aquarium profession are uniquely toxic.  There may be some truth to that.  Zoos tend to attract people who prefer the company of animals to people, which means we aren't always the best-socialized bunch.  The jobs are very competitive, with many applicants for each opening, which creates an environment in which entry-level keepers, often kids desperate for their first break in the field, are less likely to speak up against managerial mistreatment.  The life-and-death nature of animal care leads to high pressure situations as people struggle to do what's right for the animals, knowing that mistakes can be fatal for their charges.

All of that is true... and yet...

I've heard a lot of toxic workplace stories from teachers.  Doctors.  Social workers.  Church workers.  Small non-profits.  And it has all led me to one conclusion - organizations which are driven by a mission, especially a noble one such as providing health care, helping the homeless, or restoring endangered species, are all especially prone to a unique blend of toxicity.  Allow me to explain.

People who work at these organizations are all about their mission.  It's what drives them.  It's what defines them.   Many of them want nothing more than for that mission to be successful.  This tends to lead to some black-and-white thinking, right vs wrong, good vs evil.  It becomes easy to see anyone who is opposed to you as being the bad guy.  Soon, that can extend to anyway who is in your way, or not doing their job as well as you would like them to be, thus hampering the operation.  If they aren't the bad guy per se, they're a frustrating idiot who is keeping you from saving the world.

And then you're allowed to be a jerk.  You can shout at them, or make impossible demands, or even throw things at them.  And if anyone calls you out on it, you can say, sarcastically, "Oh, I'm sorry, I don't have time to take care of your sensitive *feelings* - I'm trying to [insert something very noble sounding here]."  If an employee pushes back against an order to work unpaid overtime, or expresses concern about workplace safety, it can become "Oh, I'm sorry, I thought you actually cared about what we're trying to do here.  I guess you're just in it for the money."  And so on.

This is all ridiculous.   Setting aside the obvious, important point of, "All employees, from the CEO to the intern to the janitor, are people, who deserve to be treated with respect," this mindset is bad for the organization.  An organization, be it a zoo or a church, can't thrive if employees are constantly cycling out, burning out due to toxic management and brutal working conditions.  Employees who stick around in these circumstances are likely to become as vicious to their coworkers as their bosses are to them, to become manipulative to learn to stay out of their boss's crosshairs, or to basically do nothing, afraid to attract attention to themselves.  Compare this to a workplace where employees are treated with respect, are supported by management and support each other in turn, and help each other grow.

The mission is always important.  So are the people - all of the people - who make that mission possible.  So treat them well.