youngupstarts

by Joshua Berry, founder of Econic

You’re not coming at this from the right angle. Just think more positively. Keep that thought to yourself.

We’ve all heard statements like these at some point in our lives, and they seem even more prevalent in the world of business. While business leaders want to promote positivity, is there a point where it can turn toxic? Or, what about a business environment that lacks positivity altogether and focuses only on the negative in any situation?

Toxic Positivity and Negativity: What Are The Differences?

Toxic positivity is expecting an optimistic and overly positive outlook no matter what the situation is. Have you ever felt guilty for feeling an emotion such as sadness, frustration, or anxiety? Perhaps you decided these feelings aren’t acceptable, and in an attempt to “get rid of them,” you pushed them down and tried masking them by telling yourself that “there’s no need to feel this way… just be positive.” This is a classic example of toxic positivity which can manifest internally or be expressed externally by others. This appropriately-named way of thinking is poisonous to humans, in large part because it invalidates and dismisses a person’s genuine feelings.

Negativity can be just as toxic, but it works differently with its effect on people. Instead of relying on positivity as a bandaid for sticky emotions as toxic positivity does, negativity expects and encourages unpleasant emotions – no matter the situation. This attitude dwells on negative emotions offering little to no room for creating solutions. There’s no silver lining, glass half full, or upside to any situation or experience.

Both toxic positivity and negativity create barriers and often damaging consequences when it comes to their presence within a business ecosystem that’s made up of individuals, teams, and organizations. When we are perpetually negative or expressing toxic positivity, we close the door on empathy, awareness, and authenticity – 3 crucial functions of business leadership.

Empathy.

Toxic positivity and negativity slam the door shut when it comes to any genuine connection with others. Empathy is the energy that propels the prosperity of any business ecosystem. Without it, the ecosystem would soon crumble as individuals can never feel safe in a place that doesn’t connect with them by either invalidating their feelings or not holding the emotional space to understand them.

A healthy team requires raw, organic materials – we can think of these natural elements as the thoughts and feelings of others. In order to keep the business ecosystem thriving, you must not fear sticking your hands into the dirt that surrounds each part of it. This means accepting all emotions that arise and addressing any negativity in the workplace.

Awareness.

We have tunnel vision when we’re engrossed in negativity or toxic positivity. Instead of seeing things as they are, we experience our business ecosystem with close-mindedness and a lack of awareness. Without this awareness, we cease to exist in reality and limit ourselves to the confines of a small and fixed inner world that we incorrectly deem as truth. We then project this distorted view of reality to those around us by dismissing others’ feelings, thoughts, and perspectives. If their actions don’t align with our idea of how things should be done, we shut them down.

The lack of awareness that coincides with toxic positivity and negativity makes it nearly impossible for the business ecosystem to survive – let alone, flourish. How can we protect and enhance an ecosystem when we can’t see all the moving parts?

Authenticity.

Authenticity requires us to acknowledge and accept all of our emotions, negative and positive. When we’re working from negativity or toxic positivity, we aren’t being our truest selves as we aren’t genuine with our perspectives, feelings, thoughts, and experiences. This lack of acceptance can lead to individuals losing touch with their inner selves causing a disconnect with reality, a lack of clarity, ingenuine relationships, loss of individuality, and feelings of unfulfillment.

Inauthenticity as a byproduct of negativity or toxic positivity makes it nearly impossible for a healthy work environment, as individuals aren’t meant to suppress their true selves by putting on this facade comprised of ingenuine feelings.

Final Thoughts

Toxic positivity and negativity are threats to any business ecosystem. They leave no room for empathy, awareness, or authenticity which are paramount to leading a team to success. Once you better understand how toxic positivity and negativity can impact your business, there’s no doubt that you’re closer to a more prosperous and healthier environment for you, your team, and your organization.

Joshua Berry is the founder of Econic, a consulting firm and Certified B-Corp focused on innovation, leadership, and the future of work. A world-class facilitator and speaker, Joshua has sparked change at organizations like John Deere, US Bank, P&G, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Ameritas, and Teach for America. Joshua’s new book, “Dare to Be Naive: Unleash Ripples of Impact in Life and Business”, debuts in Spring/Summer 2023.

by James Harold Webb, author of “Redneck Resilience: A Country Boy’s Journey To Prosperity“

Entrepreneurship has boomed during the pandemic and continued its big surge in 2022. But obstacles have emerged, such as high interest rates, inflation, fears of recession, labor shortages, and cooling venture capital – all significant challenges new small business owners will face in 2023.

One key to entrepreneurial success is knowing how to weather economic uncertainty and upheaval, and having a strategic roadmap to navigate those potholes has never been more important.

The pandemic allowed many people to pursue their dream of starting a business, due largely to millions being laid off early on, and to rock-bottom interest rates that made money cheap and widely available. But the economic environment that helped spark that entrepreneurial spirit has been adversely affected by high interest rates, high inflation, declining savings, and other factors. Startups are vulnerable, and entrepreneurs who are relatively new to the game will have to learn fast, plan carefully, adjust accordingly, and surround themselves with good, dependable people.

Here are some tips to help new entrepreneurs survive challenging economic conditions:

Do a financial forecast.

A lack of capital is a main reason start-up businesses fail. Before making the leap, he suggests doing a realistic and conservative financial pro forma – a financial statement that uses projections or presumptions to try to predict revenues and expenses. This can help you understand your true financial needs.

In simplest terms, if your pro forma shows you breaking even in nine months, I would not start the business unless I knew I had access to capital to cover those projected nine months and many more.

Hope for the upside, but plan for the downside.

Even under normal conditions, about half of new businesses fail in the first five years. Webb says considering the concept of failing and what path you would choose next is of critical importance.

Take your leap and put a ton of your energy into the success of the business, but always have a contingency plan for when things go wrong. That plan should include the ability to raise more capital and the ability to change courses or product lines.

Build relationships.

Start-up owners have plenty on their plate. Responsibilities can be overwhelming and lead to inefficiency if they try to do too much themselves. That’s why it’s vital to build relationships:

With vendors. Developing true relationships with your vendors is of utmost importance. They can be there for you in the tough times and actually provide guidance and direction based on their own experiences with other customers.

With employees. Success or failure will hinge in part on who the new business owner hires in the early stages of the company. And knowing when to fire is just as important as who to hire. Holding onto an underperforming employee too long can drag down the business. Set appropriate expectations and provide the necessary training and support to ensure mutual success. If you’ve provided the necessary support and they still can’t get the job done, make the change.

With competitors. While this concept may sound counterintuitive, meeting with competitors occasionally is a way to help each other with general business challenges without giving away any secrets. Competitors provide a unique relationship concept. Just imagine that once-every-few-months beer with your competitor, or a phone call to check in once in a while to swap stories and discuss mutual issues. The old saying, ‘Keep your friends close but your enemies closer’ could not be more true here, but I believe it can be a genuine and productive relationship.

This current economic cycle is a difficult one and even more difficult to predict. There is no way to predict the future, but using these concepts will help you navigate the ebbs and flows of business and further increase your chance for success.

James Harold Webb is author of “Redneck Resilience: A Country Boy’s Journey To Prosperity“. His career in radiology saw him rise from a technologist to becoming a leader in the industry as the entrepreneur of several companies. After over 40 years in the medical field, Webb focused on the fitness sector, owning and overseeing the management of 33 Orangetheory Fitness® franchises throughout North Texas.

by Michael E. Frisina, PhD, co-author of “Leading With Your Upper Brain: How to Create the Behaviors That Unlock Performance Excellence“

It’s a tough time to navigate the labor market. Organizations are still desperately seeking candidates. The Great Resignation rolls on, as the “quiet quitting” trend underscores people’s shifting attitudes about work. Meanwhile the looming threat of recession has some employers wondering if it’s time to slow hiring efforts. But — here’s the real question — are we so focused on recruiting that we’re ignoring the environment we’re asking people to join?

However the future plays out, building (and keeping) the best possible team is urgent if you’re to remain competitive — and that means ferreting out any bad apples whose toxic behaviors could be spoiling your culture.

Certain behaviors call for a zero-tolerance policy. Allowing them to go unchecked will either drive your best people away or it will disengage them and squash their ability to deploy their full range of talent.

The “bad apples” who exhibit these toxic behaviors can be leaders or coworkers. Either way, when they’re allowed to run rampant, they create a culture that perpetually activates people’s “lower brain” — the part that governs fear and survival behaviors. When teams get trapped in lower-brain thinking, performance suffers greatly.

We want people tapped into their upper brain, which controls critical reasoning, judgment, and creativity. It makes no sense to go all out to hire the best talent, only to plunge them into a cauldron of stress and dysfunction that disengages them, cripples them, and sets them on a course for burnout.

Here are the top five toxic behaviors that squelch people’s ability to do their best work:

1. Narcissism.

Narcissists lack empathy, have a strong desire to break rules and defy the status quo, and are likely to engage in manipulation to advance themselves at the expense of others. “Life is all about me and don’t you ever forget it” is the narcissist’s motto.

2. Micromanagement.

Toxic people are highly independent to the point of exclusion. They lack the desire to work within the legitimate boundaries of a team, and constantly meddle in the work responsibilities of other people. They have a hard time letting go and trusting their team members to perform their work. The employee experience under such suffocating micromanagement can be downright demoralizing.

3. Setting unrealistic expectations.

Effective leaders establish high standards and stretch goals. They are always coaching and encouraging their team members on the journey to continuous performance improvement. Toxic bosses set up their team members to fail with unachievable goals and then shame and blame them. Working in this kind of toxic culture creates a wave of negative emotions, leaving employees feeling disengaged and hopeless.

4. Rudeness.

In meetings, toxic bosses and coworkers may interrupt their team members who present a perspective or idea that does not align with their own. Toxic bosses and coworkers may deliberately shut others down when they feel threatened by differing points of view. Toxic people will spread gossip; they disrupt communication among team members and show contempt for others through a lack of basic courtesies.

5. Behavior incompetence.

Toxic people display fundamental incompetence in basic interpersonal relationship skills. This behavior incompetence often stems from arrogance and overconfidence in their level of technical skill, talent, and intellect.

Of course, a truly “bad apple” must be thrown out. But in many cases, toxic behaviors can be unlearned — and the damage done by them can be reversed.

Leaders must be able to identify toxic members of the organization and deal with them. We must also be introspective enough to recognize whether we, as leaders, are creating or have created a toxic environment that hinders team unity and harmony.

What’s really great is that we can rebuild damaged relationships by literally rewiring the brain to replace bad memories with caring experiences. Trust can be built where it does not exist, increased where it is scarce, and regained where it was lost. So, too, can toxic organizations be rewired to become high-performing, nurturing ones.

Michael E. Frisina, PhD, has authored more than 50 papers and published articles on leadership and organizational effective­ness. He is a contributing author to the Borden Institute’s highly acclaimed textbook series on military medicine. He is a visiting scholar at the Hastings Center in New York, a visiting fellow in medical humanities at the Medical College of Pennsylvania, and a John C. Maxwell Top 100 Transformational Leader.

If you consider getting your master’s degree in cyberpsychology online, you may be curious about how the program will benefit you.

The following article will provide you with some information about the program and the benefits it can offer.

Career prospects after earning a master’s in cyberpsychology

After you earn a master’s in cyberpsychology online, you have various career options. These include working in education, business, or the academic sector. You can also pursue your doctoral studies. The field of cyberpsychology has become increasingly important in recent years. Cyberpsychologists can provide insight into human-computer interaction, including developing marketing strategies and user experience designs. They can also offer insights into behavioral research. Students are allowed to develop vital professional skills crucial to a career in psychology. Courses are designed to teach students how to apply their newfound knowledge to various real-world scenarios. For example, in their studies, students may choose to undertake a module devoted to the psychology of cyberbullying. This module will allow them to gain a first-hand perspective on this topic and a deeper understanding of its implications. During this module, students will also have the opportunity to undertake a work-based learning project. This will help them to gain a wide range of skills, including core employability skills such as problem-solving, communication, and collaboration.

Cyberpsychology is an interdisciplinary field of a study

Cyberpsychology is an interdisciplinary field of a study investigating technology’s psychological effects. It is particularly interested in how new social media and virtual reality can affect humans. Although “cyberpsychology” is still relatively new, studying these subjects is gaining traction. As technology advances, this field of research will continue to grow and eventually become a recognized area of study. Cyberpsychology is a growing multi-disciplinary field that draws on several theoretical and research methodologies. It concerns the psychological consequences of technology and how the Internet can be used for healthcare, security, and more. Some psychologists use online tools to help desensitize individuals or study how they act in a virtual environment. Others are looking at how social networks change our society or how people interact in real time. The field is also expanding into telehealth and cyberbullying. Many technology companies offer products that reflect some of the latest in cyberpsychology.

Typical jobs for cyberpsychology graduates

Several exciting job options are available if you’re looking to make a career in cyberpsychology. These opportunities can range from working in the academic sector to conducting research. You can even get involved in developing new technologies, such as apps, web design, and virtual reality. As technology continues to change, there is an increasing need for psychologists to provide insight into its potential. In particular, psychologists are called upon to understand how it affects human behavior and how it can be used to help people in various situations. For example, technology can help individuals with common psychological conditions, such as post-traumatic stress disorder. However, the use of technology may also exacerbate some mental health concerns. This is where psychologists can guide to help people to overcome these issues. Technology also allows individuals with social phobias to interact with others in a virtual world. This can reduce the cultural stigma associated with these disorders.

CRAVEBOX was founded in 2014 by John Accardi. He started it in his apartment in Washington DC, and over the years it grew into larger and larger warehouses. CRAVEBOX’s home is now in a 60,000 sqft warehouse in North Wales, PA. John says, “I never expected CRAVEBOX to grow to this size, we have an incredible staff, space, and products. It’s been a fun, challenging journey and I’m excited for the future.”

CRAVEBOX experienced a growth spurt at the start of the pandemic because people were forced to purchase products online instead of in physical stores. Accardi leased more warehouse space and hired more staff to keep up with demand. But after the initial shock of the pandemic faded, sales plateaued, and new difficulties arose. Accardi says, “COVID brought increased sales, but it brought many challenges as well like a troubled supply chain, labor shortages, inflation, decreased profit margins, increased competition especially on Amazon, increased interest rates, declining stock market, and recession fears,”

John worked through these challenges by keeping operations simple, cutting costs, staying financially strong, and improving CRAVEBOX’s current offerings. John says, “There were so many pressures shrinking the bottom line. For example, our cost of goods were increasing at a 20% annual rate, interest rates were up, shipping costs and labor costs also shot up significantly. It became a priority for us to cut costs, and pay down all debt so we didn’t carry the risk and cost of servicing debt in a higher interest rate environment. CRAVEBOX is in a very strong financial position and that will help us survive through the toughest times.” Accardi emphasized that difficult business environments often bring opportunity. “There is a certain pain and fear that comes along with these circumstances, but I always remind myself that all my competitors are going through the same difficulties. If I can adapt and survive more effectively, there will be market share to capture as competitors inevitably struggle to continue operating,” says John.

CRAVEBOX is also recently offering new varieties. They’re expanding their holiday product lines – Halloween, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, and Easter. John is also developing new year-round CRAVEBOX products which he thinks will grow sales. Accardi says, “We’re creating new product varieties without complicating the supply chain. This is a low-risk way to try growing sales. I’m excited to continue testing new products to see what sells.” CRAVEBOX is poised to continue dominating Amazon, selling on cravebow.com, and is now also growing on Walmart.