In this podcast, David Liddle is not one to beat about the bush as he identifies the root cause of toxicity in organisations: organisations get the culture and behaviours they deserve. In order to create a turnaround, transformational justice is what David works towards.

Look at every word in your procedures, David recommends: are they driving people into defence? Or are they set up to be supportive to revolution and resolution?

“My job is to unblock factors that create toxicity, by bringing people, purpose and values to the centre.”

Problematic behaviours often stem from fear, avoidance and lack of dialogue. It is crucial that we foster environments that promote fairness and meaningful conversations. HR systems play an integral role in this process; rather than escalating issues they should aim at resolving them effectively. Sitting down and really hearing what other people say is possibly one of the toughest things – a tough skill rather than a soft skill – and also one of the most powerful things you can do. It’s transformative.

The goal? To inspire learning from feedback rather than fixating on mistakes, with restorative and transformative justice.

Listen to the podcast here.