David Yamada's blog

In the new 2013-14 session of the Massachusetts legislature, the Healthy Workplace Bill (currently House Docket No. 517; awaiting assignment of a bill number) is roaring out of the blocks, with two lead sponsors and 37 co-sponsors signed on as supporters.

I didn’t grow up in a particularly wealthy area, but Northwest Indiana back in the day was home to steel mills that promised a decent paycheck to many a family. Most of the region’s cities and towns straddled the line between “working class” and “middle class.” For many young people, the future included possibilities such as working in the mills, going to a local college, or raising a family.

Here’s a thought-provoking question that writer and lecturer Roman Krznaric poses at the end of the first chapter of his very good little paperback book, How to Find Fulfilling Work (2012):

The question of whether mediation should be applied to workplace bullying situations comes up recurrently in discussions about the potential application of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms to this form of abuse.

Let’s face it: Heading up an organization, department, or working group is difficult, challenging work. Doing it well requires a thorough knowledge of the work that must be done, a deep understanding of the organization’s culture, and a megaton of emotional intelligence. On many occasions I’ve written about what makes for great bosses and leaders. I’ve collected a few of the more apt posts here:

Many readers know that I’ve been working with the Workplace Bullying Institute (and its predecessor, the Campaign Against Workplace Bullying) on a pro bono basis for over a decade. Through the work of its founders, Drs. Gary and Ruth Namie, WBI is the signature public education, research, and advocacy group concerning workplace bullying in North America.

Here’s a sampling of WBI’s latest:

I never imagined that a workshop on how to start a small business would be so inspirational, but that’s how I felt after participating in a day-long program sponsored by the Boston chapter of SCORE, the Service Corps of Retired Executives.