Looking Inside for a Better Workplace Culture

Michael Barnes, keynote speaker at the 2024 Partners in Progress Conference, says leaders must recognize the signs of trauma to help build a healthy workplace culture.

By Robin Brunet

Michael Barnes knows two worlds intimately. In one, he comes from a family of proud union workers and as a youth was a Teamsters member, employed in a quarry during summers.

In the other world, Barnes is the founder and director of the Michael Barnes Family Institute, as well as a clinical consultant to the Foundry Treatment Center in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, and owner of Barnes Education and Consulting. As a licensed addictions counselor and trauma expert, he has developed trauma-integrated clinical models for treating individuals with co-occurring addiction and trauma.

Knowing both worlds so completely gave Barnes added gravitas at the 2024 Partners in Progress Conference, where he conducted a general session called “Nurturing Wellbeing in the Workplace”. The session explored the connection between organizational culture and mental health, and how fostering an inclusive and positive environment can support the psychological wellbeing of our workforces.

In his talk, he discussed how trauma manifests itself in the workplace, what true inclusivity means, how trauma and inclusivity should inform conflict resolution, and the role selfreflection plays in developing a better workplace culture.

“These issues are important to me personally as I grew up in a family with a history of addiction and trauma,” Barnes says. “This inspired me to study them formally when I went to college and, subsequently, make them the cornerstone of my practice.”

Research has shown that trauma is widespread among employees well beyond hazardous or high stress jobs and is often overlooked. “The symptoms are the same regardless of the type of industry: absenteeism, task avoidance, loss of motivation, distracted states,” Barnes says. “A lot of it is generated by feelings of not being in control, lack of attachment, a lack of attunement of needs.

“Trauma is especially troublesome in industries where risk of physical injury is prevalent, such as sheet metal or construction, because in order to stay safe you need to work together and trust your peers—and trauma compromises these capabilities, making the workplace even more prone to accidents.”

Considering the drivers of trauma, it’s not surprising that Barnes has a lot to say about inclusivity in the workplace and the misconceptions people have about this overused term.

“True inclusivity is appreciating the value of diversity and seeking it out,” he says. “The opposite of this is the politically correct stance of being color blind and treating everyone the same, which simply doesn’t work with a diverse workforce.”

Tokenism, in which cultures are treated in a monolithic way, is another phenomenon that derives from misunderstanding inclusivity. For example, Hispanics are regarded as a single group and treated alike even though their cultures are incredibly varied.

“This narrow view of inclusivity facilitates the practice of filling quotas, long criticized and yet still prevalent in many workplaces,” he says.

Compassion and a thorough understanding of trauma are the foundations for effective conflict resolution, he says, adding that the ability to listen is a major tool in this arena, as well.

“But just as many misconceptions exist about listening as they do about inclusivity,” he says. “Too often we listen only long enough to deliver a rebuttal, but not long enough to truly understand and empathize with the other’s concerns. Acknowledging and validating the issues of all should be actively pursued, since safety is all about being heard.”

Arguably, a true understanding of trauma and inclusivity and the role both play in conflict resolution wouldn’t happen without the ability to be self-reflective. In fact, Barnes cites self-reflection as one of the most valuable tools anyone can develop to further their professional and personal well-being, as well as to contribute to a better workplace culture.

“Introspection is critical to all of our relationships,” he says. “People who manage others in the workplace must be honest enough to determine the collaborative and authoritarian aspects of their management style and whether changes are necessary.”

He points to self-reflection and the ability to receive criticism as essential to fostering meaningful, successful relationships. Acknowledging valid feedback helps us evolve for the better while demonstrating a sense of vulnerability that others will respect.

“Self-reflection takes guts because you might not like what you discover about yourself,” Barnes says. “But it’s necessary because if you have only one way of being a leader, this is probably insufficient.”

Barnes serves companies by helping them identify what drives their workplace culture and how to make sure every component of that culture is meaningful and helps build a stronger team.

“People with decision-making authority contact me, and I sit down with them first to determine what their workplace culture is and what the problems are,” he says. “My job is facilitated when leaders openly acknowledge that problems such as trauma, burnout, and compassion fatigue are real issues. This makes it all the easier to get everyone on the same page.

“From there, it’s a matter of determining what is causing the problems and working out a plan to deal with them. All of this can be achieved in a matter of weeks if everyone is willing to work together.” ▪

Michael Barnes addressed the Partners in Progress Conference in a general session His notes are available at pinp.org.

Robin Brunet’s journalism has been published in over 150 magazines, newspapers, websites, and other media across Canada and the United States since 1982. He is also the best-selling author of two books: Red Robinson: The Last Deejay and Let’s Get Frank, as well as the upcoming The Last Broadcast.