Re-Introducing Healing for Work: Evolving Workplace Culture for a Healthier Future

Dec 20

Note: I'm cross-posting this announcement to my newsletter about the improved direction and framework around my venture, Healing for Work.

Workplaces today are facing a crisis—a rise in burnout, stress, and toxic cultures that are deeply embedded in how we function at work. Traditional workplace models often prioritize productivity and profit over employee well-being, leading to unsustainable practices that negatively impact both individuals and organizations. A study by Gallup found that 76% of employees experience burnout on the job at least sometimes, highlighting the urgent need for change in workplace cultures.

However, the roots of these issues stretch much further back. It has evolved over time, influenced by the beliefs, behaviors, and traditions we’ve absorbed not only from previous workplaces but also from our upbringing and the society around us.

At Healing for Work, we believe it’s time to confront and reframe these deeply ingrained patterns. As we shift to an business-to-business-focused approach, we are dedicated to helping organizations recognize and reshape the cultural habits they carry—replacing them with healthier, more compassionate, and more effective ways of working.

Our New Organizational Intelligence Framework is designed to guide companies through this transformative journey, helping them build environments where emotional intelligence, psychological safety, and mutual care become core values.

Why Our Past Shapes the Present

One of our favorite podcasts is NPR’s Throughline, which explores how today’s events are connected to the past. We believe that understanding our workplace challenges requires looking at the historical and cultural contexts that created them. Throughline’s tagline, “The past is never past,” reflects the central idea behind our work. Just as Throughline reveals how the origins of modern issues lie in history, Healing for Work aims to help organizations see how their current practices have been shaped by inherited systems and beliefs—and how they can reshape those systems for the better.

Every workplace operates within a framework of historical influences, from the rigid hierarchies passed down from the Industrial Revolution to the competitive, individualistic values many of us learned growing up. From how we handle conflict to how we define success, many of today’s workplace practices are a continuation of behaviors we learned not only at work but also growing up in our homes and communities. These patterns have shaped our understanding of what work should look like and how people should function within organizations.

These patterns come not just from past workplaces, but from our family dynamics and the larger society that surrounds us. We’ve inherited behaviors that often prioritize productivity over well-being, competition over collaboration, and individual achievement over mutual care. But, as Throughline demonstrates in its episodes, the historical forces that have shaped our world—and our workplaces—can be understood, questioned, and ultimately transformed.

For better or worse, we carry this collective experience into our working lives today. The structures and systems we adhere to often mirror the hierarchical, rigid environments we’ve experienced before. While some of these inherited beliefs have served us, many have also contributed to the rise of stress, disconnection, and unhealthy competition we now see in workplaces.

Rewriting Workplace Norms: A Historical Perspective

The first step in healing workplace cultures is acknowledging the long-standing influence of these patterns. At Healing for Work, we believe that true change comes when organizations take an honest look at the emotional and psychological systems they’ve built and consciously choose a different path. This is where our New Organizational Intelligence Framework plays a pivotal role.

Our framework encourages companies to move beyond the limitations of outdated practices and embrace new ways of working that prioritize well-being, connection, and shared responsibility for each other’s success. The three core elements of this transformation include:

Emotional Intelligence: Fostering awareness and empathy to create healthier, more constructive work environments. Research shows that emotionally intelligent leaders are better equipped to manage stress and conflict in the workplace.
Psychological Safety: Encouraging risk-taking, idea-sharing, and innovation without fear of judgment or reprisal. Google's Project Aristotle identified psychological safety as the most critical factor in high-performing teams.
Mutual Care: Shifting focus from individual achievement to collective well-being and success. Companies that prioritize mutual care report higher levels of employee engagement and retention.

The New Organizational Intelligence Framework

Shaping a Better Future by Learning from the Past

We all carry the influence of history into our workplaces. Just as Throughline shows us that contemporary events have deep historical roots, Healing for Work helps organizations recognize that many of their current struggles—burnout, disconnection, toxic environments—are the result of longstanding cultural patterns. However, understanding these patterns is only the first step. The real work lies in actively choosing to reshape them and create healthier, more supportive work environments.

We have a shared responsibility to challenge unhealthy workplace traditions and create something better—not just for ourselves, but for future generations. Meaningful change doesn’t happen by accident. It requires intentional efforts to replace harmful norms with practices that promote connection, psychological well-being, and collective growth.

The post-COVID world offers a clear example. It provided organizations with an opportunity to reflect on what was working and what needed to change, as work itself was already evolving. Unfortunately, most organizations did not take the time to slow down and implement thoughtful, intentional change. Instead, they made quick adjustments to address the immediate challenges of the pandemic and then reverted to their old ways once things stabilized. The result? The same recurring problems, compounded by the temporary fixes applied during the crisis.

Healing for Work’s new B2B focus is designed to help companies take ownership of this process. Through our tailored services and the New Organizational Intelligence Framework, we offer the tools to evolve workplaces, moving beyond toxic cultural habits to create environments where emotional intelligence, psychological safety, and mutual care thrive. In doing so, companies can not only address the immediate challenges of burnout and toxicity but also lay the foundation for long-term success and well-being.

By adopting a healing approach to business, organizations can expect:

Increased employee satisfaction and retention
Improved productivity and creativity
Enhanced company reputation
Better customer relationships
Positive impact on the broader community

Studies show that companies with strong, positive cultures see a 4x increase in revenue growth compared to those with weak cultures.

Moving Forward with Purpose

The workplace should be a place of growth, healing, and genuine connection. We all have the power to shape the future of work, but it starts with recognizing the need to change long-standing behaviors and norms—and then committing to building something better.

Much like the immersive storytelling of Throughline, which helps listeners connect the dots between history and current events, Healing for Work helps organizations draw connections between their past practices and the present-day challenges they face. By taking ownership of these influences, companies can begin the process of creating healthier, more compassionate environments—both for their current employees and for future generations.

This is the mission of Healing for Work: to guide organizations in breaking free from harmful traditions, to build workplaces that are truly places of growth, connection, and well-being. Just as Throughline encourages us to reflect on the past to understand the present, we invite organizations to reimagine their workplaces by learning from the systems that shaped them—and committing to a future where everyone can thrive.

Welcome to the new era of Healing for Work. Together, we can meaningfully shift the workplace into a space that heals, nurtures, and supports all who enter.

We’re looking for two new clients who are looking to evolve their organization to overcome burnout. Could that be you?