Work Life Confidential

Ken Dolan-Del Vecchio

Work Life Confidential tackles problems at the workplace, home, and in life that are rarely mentioned because they’re uncomfortable or taboo. Or, the problems are so common that, like the air we breathe, we accept them with no questions asked. The host, guests, and listeners who call in break the silences and find solutions. We discuss how some of our workplaces are making us sick and what to do about it, why managers do nothing to stop bad behavior even when it includes warning signs for violence, and why saying “I’m racist, sexist, and homophobic” can be a good thing. On the home front, we talk about why couples should pay more attention to power than communication skills, how not to be the parents whose child throws tantrums in public, and how to help our kids navigate sex, drugs, and money. The legendary Mr. Rogers said, “If it’s mentionable, it’s manageable.” This show proves the value of his words. It’s for everyone who wants to trade silence for solutions and honest talk. read less

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Addiction at Work

Addiction at Work

Are we a nation of addicts? A recent study found that 29% of adults in the US will experience an alcohol abuse disorder at some point in their lives, 10 % will experience a disorder involving other substances, and 5% of 12 to 15-year-olds met the criteria for one of these disorders in the previous 12 months. Other studies show that when we include those with a gambling, sex, or other behavioral addiction the statistic tops 50% for adults in our country. On today’s show, we talk about how addiction shows up in the world of work and why leaders taking action is so important. Rob Tyndall, a senior executive with unique insights to share, is my guest for the hour.

Episodes

Addiction at Work

Addiction at Work

Are we a nation of addicts? A recent study found that 29% of adults in the US will experience an alcohol abuse disorder at some point in their lives, 10 % will experience a disorder involving other substances, and 5% of 12 to 15-year-olds met the criteria for one of these disorders in the previous 12 months. Other studies show that when we include those with a gambling, sex, or other behavioral addiction the statistic tops 50% for adults in our country. On today’s show, we talk about how addiction shows up in the world of work and why leaders taking action is so important. Rob Tyndall, a senior executive with unique insights to share, is my guest for the hour.

The Mentally Healthy Workplace

The Mentally Healthy Workplace

Does your workplace support your mental health? Knowing the connection between optimal health and organizational performance, forward-thinking business leaders are doing all that they can to move the dial on this question toward “yes.” What exactly are they doing? Join me for a conversation with Darcy Gruttadaro, director of the American Psychiatric Association Foundation’s Center for Workplace Mental Health. We’ll talk about how your workplace can become a leader in ending the stigma associated with mental illness, building awareness regarding the incidence of mental health conditions (at least 1 in 5 of us live with them), and improving access to mental health care. We’ll discuss the connections between employer support for mental health, overall wellness, and our ability to feel welcome and included within our workplaces. And, we’ll talk about how these factors contribute to business success and employer of choice status.

Pet Loss, Grief, and Healing

Pet Loss, Grief, and Healing

Thirty years ago, when I was a young therapist, a wise woman told me that we inevitably pay for our love with grief—inevitably,” because all relationships end. She also promised that love proves to be worth its cost every time. On today’s show, Nancy Saxton-Lopez, my friend and coauthor of our book The Pet Loss Companion: Healing Advice from Family Therapists Who Lead Pet Loss Groups, joins me for a conversation on pet loss and healing. We’ll talk about why losing a beloved animal friend can hurt more than losing a human family member, how to deal with those who don’t understand the depth of your grief, and, perhaps most important of all, how to care for yourself during this fragile time. We’ll also discuss how you can support others, including your children, friends, and coworkers, after the loss of a beloved pet.

When Your Boss Sucks

When Your Boss Sucks

Have you ever worked for a “leader” who has no idea how to lead? Maybe they bully, take credit for other people’s work, rarely tell the truth, blame everyone but themselves instead of taking responsibility for their mistakes, or do some combination of these. Or, perhaps they’re more absent than abusive. They won’t make decisions, don’t support those who report to them, never hold anyone accountable, and much of the time can’t even be located. Today, Randall Kratz and Michael McCafferty, senior account managers at FEI Behavioral Health, join me for a conversation about bosses from hell and how to survive working for them. We’ll share personal stories (doesn’t everyone have at least one?) and tales from our consulting practices that highlight the dreadful ways bosses sometimes behave, and we’ll give recommendations for dealing with their idiocy, incompetence, and meanness.

Racism, Sexism, and Homophobia at Work

Racism, Sexism, and Homophobia at Work

What if it was ok to say “I live in a world that, even though my family may have taught otherwise, has taught me to feel women are less valuable than men and bias against people of color, LGBTQ people, and people who live in poverty?” What if admitting this to myself wouldn’t mean that I’m a bad person who should feel paralyzed by guilt? What if it would mean, instead, that I can now watch for the ways that sexism, racism, homophobia and other biases sometimes shape my thinking and do my best to not let them shape my actions too? Join me for a conversation with Terri Howard, Senior Director at FEI Behavioral health. We’ll have an honest conversation about the ways that racism, sexism, and homophobia live inside of us and damage our workplaces and business results. And we’ll talk about what each of us can do to promote fairness at work and in our lives beyond the workplace.

Manhood in the metoo Era

Manhood in the metoo Era

The #metoo movement demands that we recognize the global scale of male sexual violence and bring it to an end. And we will not get there by pretending the problem is a few bad men. It’s bigger than that. The problem lies within traditional masculinity itself, a way of understanding and being in the world that limits men and pains people of all genders. Today, we hear from educator, activist, and lecturer Ted Bunch. Ted has earned worldwide recognition as a leader in helping boys and men join the work of ending violence against women. He and the organization he co-founded, A Call To Men, have worked for decades to promote a respectful, healthy vision of manhood. Gloria Steinem has called the work of A Call To Men “the basis for world peace.” We’ll speak with Ted about how we can work together to create relationships, workplaces, and a world in which none of us is limited by the old rules of gender and each of us receives the respect that every human being deserves.

Showing Up Courageously at Work

Showing Up Courageously at Work

You’ve probably attended those “town hall” meetings where, when it comes time for Q & A, only a few souls—most of whom have been put up to the task by HR—ask a question or venture a comment? Or maybe you’ve heard stories like the one a friend shared with me. He told me that, after hearing from several of her direct reports, a senior leader said to them, “I really want your thoughts, so can somebody please say something that goes beyond repeating and agreeing with what I’ve already said?” Why are we so frightened of sharing our thoughts and opinions? What are we afraid of? Join Lisa Parker, author of Managing the Moment: A Leader's Guide to Building Executive Presence One Interaction at a Time and President and Founder of Heads Up Coaching and Consulting, and me for a frank conversation on fear and courage in the world of work. We’ll talk about what stops us from sharing our thoughts and, perhaps most important, what we risk by remaining silent.

Are We Dying For Our Paychecks?

Are We Dying For Our Paychecks?

Do layoffs actually make businesses more efficient and profitable? How concerned should we be about the effects of overwork and toxic leaders? Are our workplaces killing us? Join Stanford Graduate Business School Professor Dr. Jeffrey Pfeffer, whose most recent book is Dying for a Paycheck: How Modern Management Harms Employee Health and Company Performance—and What We Can Do About It, and me for a conversation that will answer these and related questions. Dr. Pfeffer is the author or coauthor of 15 books, including Leadership BS and The Human Equation, and more than 150 articles and book chapters. He has taught at Harvard Business School, London Business School, Singapore Management University, and IESE Business School in Barcelona and given talks in 39 countries. We’ll talk about the physical, emotional, social, spiritual, and financial costs of the way we work today and how you can take the best care of yourself in spite of these.

Democracy? At Work?

Democracy? At Work?

We live in a democracy, right? How is it, then, that we’ve agreed to spend most of our waking hours within organizations that are not at all democratic? We may work within a benign dictatorship if we’re lucky, a tyrannical madhouse if we’re not, or, for most of us, a place that falls somewhere in between. It’s the exception, however, to work within an organization guided by worker-elected leaders toward mutually agreed upon goals--a democracy, in other words. For decades, Dr. Richard Wolff has studied small enterprise to global economic systems. He’s a renowned advocate for democratic, sustainable, and socially just institutions. Professor Wolff will talk with us about how revolutions, like the one that began on July 4, 1776, brought us to where we are today, the current global crisis in capitalism, and the growing emergence of truly democratic workplaces.

What Everyone Should Know About Domestic Violence

What Everyone Should Know About Domestic Violence

By now you've undoubtedly heard the harrowing tales of elite athletes and other celebrities' experiences with domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and other such crimes. Today, we focus on how domestic violence--a worldwide public health and safety crisis--touches the lives of everyday people like you and me. 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men have faced severe physical violence at the hands of a current or former partner. Nearly half of all women and men in the U.S. have experienced intimidation, emotional abuse, or some other form of aggression by an intimate partner.Today's program is a conversation with Katie Ray-Jones, CEO of The National Domestic Violence Hotline and a leading expert on the subject. You'll learn what domestic and dating violence is (and isn't), the many ways that it damages our families, schools, workplaces, and communities, and, most important, how you can be part of the solution.

Disturbing Workplace Behavior

Disturbing Workplace Behavior

Ever worked with someone who made you feel uncomfortable? Maybe you were never sure whether you’d find them in a friendly frame of mind or in full attack mode. Maybe you’d seen them yell, curse, and call people names on more than one occasion—and nobody, including their supervisor, had done anything to stop them. Perhaps their disturbing behavior was quieter: they confided their many grudges and thoughts of revenge or showed a strange fascination with one of your coworkers. Join host Ken Dolan-Del Vecchio for a conversation with Dr. Park Dietz, founder of Threat Assessment Group (TAG) www.taginc.com, and world-renowned authority on disruptive workplace behavior, warning signs/prevention of workplace violence, and risk reduction. We’ll talk about workplace misconduct and the reasons why so many of us don’t inform the right people of the troubling behaviors we encounter. And we’ll talk about the importance—for everyone involved—of raising your concerns.

You Can't Make This Stuff Up

You Can't Make This Stuff Up

Work Life Confidential’s premiere introduces the show’s reason for being. That is finding solutions to problems at work, home, and in life that nobody feels comfortable talking about. The host, award-winning author, leadership expert, and family therapist Ken Dolan-Del Vecchio, introduces himself by sharing stories from his early years, his decade working in psychiatric hospitals and other mental health settings, and his 19-year adventure in the mad, mad world of corporate America. Ken also previews upcoming show topics, including why workplace leaders look the other way when an employee’s behavior gets strange, even when that strangeness warns of violence; how saying “I’m racist, sexist, and homophobic” can be a good thing; and how parents can help their kids deal with sex, drugs, and money. Future shows will feature guest interviews and listener dialog. Today is your opportunity to get acquainted with the host.