Detox Your Culture - by Colin D Ellis (Hardcover)

About the Book

The essential guide for organizations to understand how toxic cultures form, identify the warning signs, and take effective action to address and prevent them.

Book Synopsis

The essential guide for organizations to understand how toxic cultures form, identify the warning signs, and take effective action to address and prevent them.

In recent years, the media has been rife with stories of toxic workplaces - from reports into public institutions such as the police and healthcare trusts, to allegations from former employees at the likes of Twitter and the Ellen DeGeneres Show. It can present itself in many forms: harassment, discrimination, lack of boundaries, a culture of fear and lack of support for employees. But toxic workplaces can also lead to missed targets, poor strategic decisions, and a loss of trust from the public and shareholders; in short, they are bad for business, leaders and anyone working in them.

In this book, workplace culture expert Colin D. Ellis lays out a series of simple but effective methods for leaders looking to understand how toxic cultures form, illustrated through a global range of case studies (including CBI, the London Fire Brigade, Uber, SpaceX, Sony Music, and Amnesty International). He walks readers through practical actions that they can take to create the cultural conditions for success - a work environment of belonging, inclusivity, flexibility and value creation.

Designed to be universally applicable, and tackling a diverse range of topics - from employee connection, to establishing and integrating positive values - Detox Your Culture is essential reading for any leader or manager looking to ensure that their organization's reputation and results are never compromised by culture.

Review Quotes

"Detox Your Culture is for any leader who wants to build a high-performing team. This book highlights the importance of the workplace culture." --Tim Cahill AO, Technical Director, Qatar FA & Chief Sports Officer, Aspire Academy

"This fascinating and easy-to-read book is a must-have for all HR and people managers who need their workforces to survive and thrive in the modern corporate world. It is full of practical insights and tips for achieving a healthy workplace culture along with thought-provoking real-life case studies." --Paul O'Halloran, Partner, Dentons Australia

"This book is a "must-read" for anyone who cares about culture and the impact it has on them, their colleagues, and the industry in which they work. It is a perfect read for anybody that wants their team or business to thrive. The real-life examples, from Colin's outstanding research and his own experiences, allow the reader to benchmark their experiences, both positive and negative. This book does a great job of holding a mirror up to the reader and allows us to investigate how we have contributed to the culture of the organizations to which we have belonged." --David Moore, Head of Programs, Bangladesh Cricket Board

"Colin is simply your essential guide through the complexities of today's workplace. Culture isn't hard, but navigating modern issues is. This handbook is a must-have for all leaders everywhere, new and experienced alike." --Deb Cramb, Senior leader VFX / Animation Industry

"Ellis pulls off the difficult trick of combining vivid case studies and examples of toxic cultures whilst providing a pragmatic and useful guide to improvement. For leaders and professionals in organizations large or small, if you care about your culture this book should be required reading." --David D'Souza, Director of Profession, CIPD

"Colin Ellis reminds us that we all play a part in our workplace culture, for better and for worse. His insights into toxic culture, its causes and its remedies, have never been more important. If someone has left this on your desk with a post-it note attached, read it immediately." --Alex Cramb, Public Relations and Communications Expert

"Detox Your Culture is like a kale smoothie for your workplace. Blend toxic behaviours, a splash of passive-aggressiveness, and outdated policies. Voilà! A recipe for disaster. Grab a copy, purge those vibes, and brew a well-organized Earl Grey culture." --Clare Brown, Director, Microsoft

"At last - a guide that arms readers with actionable strategies to confront and overcome the pervasive issue of toxic culture. Every senior manager should read this book." --The European, The European

"Toxic culture in the workplace doesn't just impact bosses - it harms everyone. This book provides the actions required to deal with toxicity before it poisons your business." --Chris Riches, Correspondent for North-West England and Wales, Daily Express

"Punchy, practical and pragmatic. Ellis once again hits you with you the facts about how even vibrant strategies can turn toxic if you're not paying attention. He backs it up by providing practical steps any leader can take to keep your team, function or company on the path to success." --Alicia Aitken, GM Investment Delivery & Change, ANZ Bank

About the Author

Colin D. Ellis is an award-winning international speaker and highly sought after culture change facilitator and project management expert, who works with a global client base - including Red Bull, Microsoft, KPMG and Cisco - across a wide range of sectors to help them build and maintain great working cultures. He is also the best-selling author of four books including The Project Book and Culture Fix.