This document discusses issues that can arise in organizational culture such as gossiping, obsequiousness, acquiescence, conformity, and creating a culture of walking on eggshells where people fear asking questions. It proposes a tool called Object123 that aims to help team members behave respectfully by allowing them to object to offensive behaviors in the moment in a constructive way and bringing in peers to resolve issues if needed, rather than going to HR. The tool is meant to add safety and structure to disagreements while avoiding exhaustion from constant training and workshops. Early feedback on the tool suggests it could help democratize organizational power and eliminate a culture of walking on eggshells.

1. GOSSIPPING
OBSEQUIOUS
…why?
Why do organizations look like this?
ACQUIESENCE
ASSENTING to authority
CONFORMITY
Politically Correct
Compromising
SYCOPHANTS
WALKING ON EGGSHELLS
discomfort
FAILURE to ask
“dumb questions”
__________________________

2. Fear of
Uncertainty
Am I offending
or offended?
2. Uncertain if I’m OFFENDED
1. Uncertain if I’m OFFENENDING

3. 1. The Offender’s Profile…
Browbeating
I’m angry &
DOGMA
Blaming Rhetorical Questions
Volume
Tone
Implicit Intimidation
Steamrolling
MISLEADING
Sulking
HumiliatingIgnoring
SARCASM
Coercion
Threatening
DEADLINES
I’ve gotten away
with it a lot.
swearing
nagging
ACCUSING
______ ________

4. SNOWFLAKE
Go with the flow
Let SLEEPING DOGS lie
Don’t ROCK the BOAT!
Don’t make WAVES!
Don’t upset the applecart
Suck it up BUTTERCUP
Have a THICK SKIN
Get OVER IT!
Don’t be a SNITCH!
2. The Victim’s Profile….
I’m too SENSITIVE!
I’m offended & I’ve
allowed this behavior
a lot.
STICKS & STONES..
Implicit Submission______ _______

6. Object123 is a workplace
safe-space tool that helps
team members behave!
What is Object123?

7. First: Split a disagreement in two..
We DISAGREE
with the
…in real-time
OBJECT!to
But we…
(how we disagree)
Content
misbehavior
Me You

8. When one feels offended simply…
…the offender

9. When one feels offended simply…
…the offender
!

10. When one feels offended simply…
…the offender
! !

11. When one feels offended simply…
…the offender
! ! !

12. If still unresolved our peers decide...NOT HR!
Sack him
Sack her
Sack him Sack him Sack him

13. Adding safety is exhausting…
or…to remember….
Too much….
reading…. workshops….

14. or use a simple tool to help us behave
“Want to teach??
Don’t bother…
Give them a tool…
which leads to new
ways of thinking”
Buckminster Fuller

15. What people are saying…
“
”
Very interesting point, Desmond.
Democratize organizational power as we do
political power, so (we) can vote people out
Timothy R. Clark Author of The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety

16. Me:
”
“Amy:
“What is the opposite to psychological
safety?
You’ve said it quite nicely in your slide
share: Walking on eggshells
Amy Edmondson author of The Fearless Organization”
What people are saying…

17. When we know how to behave…
the sky’s the limit
…no more walking on eggshells