Excellent podcast that describes perfectly the team I left in the summer. Nathalie tells it like it is, with pragmatism and sensible advice. This is a systemic issue that cannot be fixed by one person, despite the well meaning suggestions at the end by the hosts. At the age of 58 I finally realise where I went wrong. Work is a game, an act. Do not be too good, do not be yourself. Keep your head down. If you can't cope with the toxicity or incompetence of your managers, get out.
LOL! I have the crucial triumvirate of characteristics for this - a good understanding of organisational leadership, a finely tuned bullshit detector and an inability to keep my mouth shut when simple improvements can be made. I also took a job at entry level after a career at strategic level as a cruise into retirement. It was sadly inevitable. Thankfully I was able to move on before it became damaging, not least thanks to your work. It was great to listen to the podcast. Thank you.
I'm so glad you've made a move before the shit hit the fan. You know the game and I'm sure you can play it well...and even better if you don't have to play it all!
Oh, does this ever sound familiar. I look back on my career and am shocked at how long it took me to realize what was happening. So happy to be retired and away from the psychological torture of not wanting to (constitutionally unable to)fit in with people I didnt respect or trust.
Read the introduction and wanted to voice my strong agreement with your assertion that there's commonality between cancers and the behavioral psychology of a workplace.
I have come to the same realization approaching my interest in the study of behavioral psychology, following a "failed" career purpose in academia studying the root causes of lethal cancer.
The striking concordance between when individual cells become rogue based on environmental stressors, and how they react with mutations and epigenetic deregulations to topple the host (microenvironment) that is mistreating their individuality is unmistakable.
What the post doesn’t capture is why I consider my academic career a “failure” (in quotes).
Whereas I accomplished what I was recruited and trained to do (develop novel intelligence in how to identify and act on biomarkers and molecular targets from aggressive endophenotypes to effectively “cure” lung cancers) the institution and government for whom I worked for paradoxically killed the nascent platform.
The question I face is whether I am a narcissist for shedding light on that story, or was I a victim of narcissistic abuse by those who chose to kill my work?
It’s not the solution that’s of importance; it’s who gets to disclose it to the world.
The only problem to overcome now is to give the world the time to discover that it was disclosed (but buried in plain sight in unpromoted science journals and a book chapter) all along.
Not to be a narcissist, my failure was in quotations because I actually developed a process to “cure” lung cancers working from endophenotypes on down to relevant biomarkers and targets. Paradoxically, for reasons still unclear, that made me a target for elimination.
It’s not the solution that’s of importance; it’s who gets to disclose it to the world.
The only problem to overcome now is to give the world the time to discover that it was disclosed (but buried in plain sight in unpromoted science journals and a book chapter) all along.
Like leak what constitutes scientific evidence or discovery? (Not without a wet lab to develop the data to share publicly)
Or leak what constitutes my personal battle to cure cancers and to expose an influential cabal of frat boys disguised as academic experts? (Writing a book; materials that have been publicly shared are lost in the contemporary cacophony run by populism)
Probably right. But my reason for writing it is wholly selfish, and paradoxically, academic.
I seek to understand the psychology (pathology) that guided it, and the system that applied it. Frankly, your columns on Substack have provided some useful insights.
Excellent podcast that describes perfectly the team I left in the summer. Nathalie tells it like it is, with pragmatism and sensible advice. This is a systemic issue that cannot be fixed by one person, despite the well meaning suggestions at the end by the hosts. At the age of 58 I finally realise where I went wrong. Work is a game, an act. Do not be too good, do not be yourself. Keep your head down. If you can't cope with the toxicity or incompetence of your managers, get out.
Thanks Nathalie for your brilliant work.
Hayley! It's been a long time!
I'm sorry you had a(nother) negative experience with a team, though I'm glad you're awake to the game even if the game sucks.
Thank you for listening and for seeing things clearly too.
LOL! I have the crucial triumvirate of characteristics for this - a good understanding of organisational leadership, a finely tuned bullshit detector and an inability to keep my mouth shut when simple improvements can be made. I also took a job at entry level after a career at strategic level as a cruise into retirement. It was sadly inevitable. Thankfully I was able to move on before it became damaging, not least thanks to your work. It was great to listen to the podcast. Thank you.
I'm so glad you've made a move before the shit hit the fan. You know the game and I'm sure you can play it well...and even better if you don't have to play it all!
Learning the game and "how-to play it well" leaves scar tissue
Oh, does this ever sound familiar. I look back on my career and am shocked at how long it took me to realize what was happening. So happy to be retired and away from the psychological torture of not wanting to (constitutionally unable to)fit in with people I didnt respect or trust.
Thank goodness I m not the only one! Katrina, thanks so much for your comment. You describe how I felt so perfectly. Let’s enjoy the freedom, finally.
Would be so much easier to enjoy if the unfolding facism didnt reveal how much of that pathology is all around us and rewarded and protected.
Read the introduction and wanted to voice my strong agreement with your assertion that there's commonality between cancers and the behavioral psychology of a workplace.
I have come to the same realization approaching my interest in the study of behavioral psychology, following a "failed" career purpose in academia studying the root causes of lethal cancer.
The striking concordance between when individual cells become rogue based on environmental stressors, and how they react with mutations and epigenetic deregulations to topple the host (microenvironment) that is mistreating their individuality is unmistakable.
Ah a kindred spirit! It's great to read about your similar realisation as a 'failed' academic researcher. Thank you Raj!
Thank you!
What the post doesn’t capture is why I consider my academic career a “failure” (in quotes).
Whereas I accomplished what I was recruited and trained to do (develop novel intelligence in how to identify and act on biomarkers and molecular targets from aggressive endophenotypes to effectively “cure” lung cancers) the institution and government for whom I worked for paradoxically killed the nascent platform.
The question I face is whether I am a narcissist for shedding light on that story, or was I a victim of narcissistic abuse by those who chose to kill my work?
Yes. That’s probably right.
It’s not the solution that’s of importance; it’s who gets to disclose it to the world.
The only problem to overcome now is to give the world the time to discover that it was disclosed (but buried in plain sight in unpromoted science journals and a book chapter) all along.
Not to be a narcissist, my failure was in quotations because I actually developed a process to “cure” lung cancers working from endophenotypes on down to relevant biomarkers and targets. Paradoxically, for reasons still unclear, that made me a target for elimination.
Perhaps you weren't the anointed one to come up with that solution.
Yes. That’s probably right.
It’s not the solution that’s of importance; it’s who gets to disclose it to the world.
The only problem to overcome now is to give the world the time to discover that it was disclosed (but buried in plain sight in unpromoted science journals and a book chapter) all along.
Can you leak some things?
What kind of things?
Like leak what constitutes scientific evidence or discovery? (Not without a wet lab to develop the data to share publicly)
Or leak what constitutes my personal battle to cure cancers and to expose an influential cabal of frat boys disguised as academic experts? (Writing a book; materials that have been publicly shared are lost in the contemporary cacophony run by populism)
Writing a book about the mafia of academia is great but might not get the outcomes you would want - ie people caring enough about it.
Probably right. But my reason for writing it is wholly selfish, and paradoxically, academic.
I seek to understand the psychology (pathology) that guided it, and the system that applied it. Frankly, your columns on Substack have provided some useful insights.
https://open.substack.com/pub/hughdonovan/p/when-systems-stop-listening?r=3ilw18&utm_medium=ios&shareImageVariant=overlay