TRANSCRIPT

[00:00:00]

What's the difference between corporate trauma and toxic stress?

[00:00:05]

Toxic stress happens when the demands on us outweigh the resources we have to meet them. Think chronic relentless pressure, no reprieve. We can only run on overdrive for so long before things go south. Organizational emotional trauma is different, however. This arises when the system meant to sustain us becomes the source of profound harm. Think betrayal of trust, silencing, or systemic humiliation that changes the way that people relate to work, to one another, and to themselves.

[00:00:39]

It may be entirely possible that under enough toxic stress, corporate trauma may develop, though that will forever be difficult to quantify, and near impossible to create causal linkages to.

[00:00:52]

So why do I raise this? Well, both toxic stress and corporate trauma will make people sick, but organizational corporate trauma changes the way that people relate to work, and influences who and how they are in future workplaces.

[00:01:08]

Many of the people who I have spoken with about my research have sought therapy and treatment for their psychosocial injuries.

[00:01:16]

But for those who don't, carrying this trauma around will continue to shape cultures beyond the original sources. The practical implication of this is that we have a fundamental need to address the organizational systems that enable trauma to occur. So regardless of where you sit in the system, you have ideas around what you would like to see change, I'd love to hear from you.