HOW CAN YOU NOT SEE THE SIGNS?

Dr Suzanne Henwood: Director, mBraining4Success,

New Zealand

This book is hitting the shelves at just the right time.

We are in the midst of a revolution whereby staff and employees are saying 'no more’. Bullying, incivility, toxic workplaces, and undue pressures are creating an environment that is damaging and potentially life ending. People are being damaged because they are going to work—and it has to stop.

Jo Woodhouse offers a fabulous alternative to the academic text, which hopefully will touch people at the heart—making them stand up and pay attention. This book is a call to action—a serious invitation to reflect on our own behaviour and be part of creating positive change.

This can be read by individuals to reassure them they are not alone. It can be read by teams, to open up deep conversations and discussion about what is really going on. And it can be read by leaders, to hear what staff are experiencing in the workplace.

I know I will be keeping this book close and using it with my clients, and in my trainings, to give a wide and varied perspective on what happens when work goes wrong—and what we can do to create positive change to ensure things are different in the future.

Graeme Moat: Head Teacher, TAFE NSW, Australia

Making mental health a top priority in the workplace is crucial for ensuring the best work from employees. This book empowers leaders to cultivate a considerate work environment with our language, time and support that we offer those we lead. As an employee, it offers advice on how to spot the signs of a toxic work environment.

Jo Woodhouse welcomes a different perspective to academic texts and articles, written in simplistic language, making it an accessible read and a perfect guide to create a mentally healthy workplace.

This book asks us to self-reflect and consider:

Is what I am asking of my employees unrealistic?
Am I setting a good example for both my employer or employee on how to treat me?
Am I doing my part to contribute to a positive working environment?

Linda Crockett: Founder of The Canadian Institute of Workplace Bullying Resources, Canada

Survivors and thrivers of workplace psychological harassment or psychological violence (bullying in its limitless spectrum of forms) will find creative ways to share their story, release their grief and find their voice and sense of resilience once again.

The injury of workplace bullying will often leave one feeling any or all of the feelings Jo Woodhouse has described in her book. The pain of this abuse touches the soul—and the words in this book help heal it. Her words are validating, awareness building and perhaps even triggering for some, but most importantly, readers will know from this writing that Jo understands what they have been through.

There is hope for anyone. Just reach out, and know that no one is alone.

Alexander N. Andrews: Leadership Consultant, Keynote Speaker and author of the bestseller UNLIKE A BOSS, Australia

How can you not see the signs? Indeed, how can you not? Simple. Over the years, workplaces have seemingly turned a blind eye and in doing so, in many of them, employees have become ‘battle hardened’, sadly paying forward the treatment they have been served up. All the while, others are crumbling on the inside, craving help as they are enveloped by toxic culture.

According to a University of South Australia study released in June 2021, those who work in workplaces with toxic culture are 300% more likely to develop depression. For those seeking a compelling call to action, this statistic alone should speak volumes.

In this unique and compelling resource, you’ll be taken on a heartfelt journey via emotive poetry underpinned with actionable guidance on workplace bullying. You’ll be compelled to answer the calls to action on your all-important workplace culture.

It’s not written as an academic text requiring a dictionary to understand, but more so as a relatable text making it accessible to everyone.

With all leaders having a duty of care to their employees, can you afford not to read this book and respond appropriately? The only answer is zero tolerance for bullying.

Jonathan Wilson LLB(Hons) BA(Hons): Public Speaker, Ambassador at Stop Hurt at Work, United Kingdom

As a leader, and having experienced bullying in the workplace, I see this book as essential reading. It’s written with both thought and experience and is insightful and invaluable. It clearly voices the impact on the mind of employees familiar with bullying behaviour and helps in understanding it’s not their fault.

Reflection of the words in this book will encourage those in the workplace to carefully consider how their actions may detrimentally impact the health of colleagues and the organisation.

I am hopeful it will create psychological safety in workplaces.

Nicki Eyre: Director, Conduct Change Ltd, United Kingdom

Raising awareness about workplace bullying and the damage that it can cause to both individuals and businesses is at the heart of all my work. It can be a difficult subject to tackle, so finding a book that uses a unique approach is a breath of fresh air!

Jo has brought the subject to life through poems that prompt you to ask yourself questions that involve deep self-reflection as well as questioning leadership and the wider workplace.

Whether you read the whole book at once, or dip into different poems each day, you’ll be certain to read important reminders about what is important for safe, healthy and respectful workplaces.

Kasia Musur: Founder VENT, Germany

There is no one way to describe the experience of working in a toxic environment. There is no one magical solution that can help every single person going through it.

This book touches on so many aspects of abuse at work, and from multiple perspectives, making it a great source for targets and for leaders who are proactively working towards preventing and reducing harm.

What better medium than poetry to express emotion and complexity of experiencing incivility.

Traci Carse: TC Psychology, Australia

How Can You Not See the Signs is an evocative collection of poetry that delves into the particulars of toxic workplace culture.

Jo Woodhouse has successfully harnessed the power of poetry to raise awareness and invite self-reflection in readers to consider our own experiences and professional spheres, fostering a deeper understanding of what a healthy workplace culture looks like and the behaviours that contribute to this.

Simple, concise, emotive language calls out what gets in the way—bullying, disrespectful and unsupportive workplace behaviours, and the systemic conditions that underpin them.

Importantly, the book also offers practical insights for positive change. We know good work is good for people. Together, we need to proactively create the workplace cultural conditions for good work to be the norm. This book is a stark reminder for us to do just that.

Karen O’Connor: General Manager/Vice President, Healthcare, Australia

Delve into the insightful poems by Jo Woodhouse of How Can You Not See the Signs? A candid insight for leaders, teams and everyone in between. It's not your typical cover-to-cover read; instead, it's a book that meets you where you are. You can easily navigate to topics that resonate, offering a different perspective on the impact of your leadership or reflecting exactly what you're feeling at that time.

As someone who has walked both as an employee in toxic cultures and as a leader trying to turn a toxic culture around, it serves as a stark reminder of the profound impact leaders can have.

This unique approach makes it a must-have companion for anyone in the leadership game. Whether you're at the helm or part of the crew, this book resonates, offering insights that hit close to home and emphasising the transformative power of leadership.

Thank you, Jo, for being brave, telling your story through poetry and creating an extraordinary piece of work.

Kathryn Jackson: Leadership Coach & Founder of the award-winning programme: The Great Recharge.

Also, a facilitator, mentor, and author, New Zealand

Global workplaces have a challenge ahead of them. The ‘COVID effect’ has raised the stakes when it comes to wellbeing at work.

With a commitment to ‘wellbeing’ being shared on company visions, missions and values around the world, we have some uncomfortable truths ahead.

Are we choosing the people leaders who deeply care about their teams? … or are we simply promoting based on length of service or technical skills?

Do our promotion and reward decisions truly celebrate health? … or do we applaud the people who work the longest hours, and give up their holidays to achieve business goals?

Will we be courageous enough to challenge and address some of the twenty-first century working practices that no longer serve our modern world? … or will we continue to find excuses about which team owns the responsibility for doing this?

A difficult truth is that sometimes we don’t realise that the behaviours we exhibit are contributing to toxic workplaces. Sometimes our own batteries become so drained that whether we are a leader or an employee, we hurt the people around us.

There have been many books that highlight the positive impact of having a healthy culture at work over the years, but this is a book with a difference.

Not only does it carefully step through some of the indicators for a toxic culture (whether you’re a leader or an employee), it also shares some deeply personal insights, thanks to a series of poems that call out some of the warning signs.

I defy any reader to have a dry eye by the end of ‘What if I was Your Child?’ It is perhaps a useful question for us all to consider during many of our conversations at work.

A great many companies already understand the importance of having a healthy culture, and for them this book will be a reminder of the reasons they are committed to this purpose. For other companies, I hope this book is a wake-up call as it enables disgruntled employees at all levels within the company to give voice to their experience at work.

ROLLERCOASTER RIDE

Alison Turner PhD

Counselling Psychologist, Australia

These beautiful and poignant poems take us on a deeply personal journey through the human repercussions of suicide. Jo walks us through a world that is often difficult to understand or comprehend, and shows how the aftereffects continue to reverberate through the course of one’s life and relationships.

Jo plumbs the depths of grief and the heights of love with the raw honesty that only the unique and invisible wounds of suicide can produce. An exploration of the heart, trying to make sense of the unfathomable and the unwanted opportunity to recover and grow from the experience. An emotional yet therapeutic read.

Julie Guthrie

Say it Write, Australia

I find it extremely admirable that Jo was able to take such a heart breaking experience and turn it into what could be a lifeline for others.

Suicide, grief and mental illness are often treated as taboo, but unfortunately so many people have been affected in one way or another. And not many know how to deal with it all. Jo has done a tremendous job with Rollercoaster Ride in that it’s raw, it’s real, it’s emotional, it’s true. For a person to draw on their own vulnerability and pain takes courage and an abundance of strength—and this shines through in every poem.

By Jo facing her own emotions, she gifts the reader in that they can face theirs and potentially find the strength to move forward, however small the step. Being exposed to the aftermath of suicide and the unbearable grief loved ones are forced to deal with may even help someone rethink the unthinkable.

What a beautiful, and very touching, account of Jo’s journey.