Lessons for Advisors From the Alabama Dock Brawl

By Lazetta Rainey Braxton, MBA, CFP?

The recent Alabama Dock Brawl piqued my interest as a business strategist who examines corporate culture. For those who are unfamiliar, a video reveals an individual performing his duties and being questionably challenged by patrons at a dock. The situation escalated to an environment where spectators and community members engaged in battle on opposing sides.

As I viewed the video, my mind traveled to stories (including my own) of corporate environments where privilege and presumed power caused an avoidable ruckus. In particular, I saw three parallels between the Alabama Dock Brawl and toxic corporate culture.

While the verbal exchange was unclear in the video, the body language suggested escalated dialogue between the parties. In the workplace, microaggressions come into play when employees experience hostile or negative communication consistently in everyday interactions. For example, as a woman, I’ve been told I’m “too emotional” for shedding tears about blatant racism in the workplace and being labeled an angry Black woman for addressing such injustices.

In a survey conducted by SurveyMonkey and Forbes , 68% of Americans reported that microaggression represents a serious problem in the workplace. Unaddressed microaggressions engender employee isolation, decreased productivity and turnover. Many employees refrain from reporting microaggressions due to fear of retaliation by leaders.

Continue Reading: The Alabama Dock Brawl Offers Insight into Toxic Corporate Culture

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