The Bloke Whisperer

In 2012 I was alone on an Airbus 380, flying at 36,000 feet, heading back to Australia after a two week break in Europe.  I was flying back to my home, my family and my well-paid job. The holiday had been wonderful and I’d managed to relax, meet up with old friends and even get a slight suntan. Everything was wonderful in my world – And yet, all I wanted at that precise moment was for the plane I was flying on to plummet to earth, to crash, to turn into a fireball, to disappear without trace, to be erased from the skies… I was crystal clear, above everything else I never wanted to land. I wanted to die!

The reason for this feeling of abject defeat was simply due to one thing and one thing alone. I hated my job, I hated it with a vengeance. So much so, that the thought of landing back at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, heading home, showering and then heading into the office led me to contemplate the unthinkable.

Of course, I neither stormed the cockpit, wrested the controls of the plane from a startled cabin crew and plunged me (and the other 300 passengers) into hell and nor did I order enough Scotch to ensure I would be too drunk to make it to the office. However, I recognised that I had to make some significant changes in my life. First things first, I had to leave my job. The toxic nature of the company I was working at, complete with its very high level of workplace bullying, made me almost retch at the prospect of setting foot in the office again. And whilst it took me a little while to accept my decision. I felt immeasurably calmer, safe in the knowledge, that I had a plan, I managed to survive the flight and the next three weeks at work. And then I left, stepping out of that grim office into the arms of the future.

It took me a very long time to fully identify how badly the corporate culture (and some individuals’ distinct take on it) had undermined my confidence and more importantly my ability to function effectively. This is not the place to name names or discuss the nature of the bullying. But the reality of it has left an indelible and thankfully positive mark on my life.

As a result, I embraced a new mind-set, went back to study, learned how to effectively counsel, mentor and inspire people in the workplace. I have learned how to help the bullied/coerced/anxious to find a new path, a new approach or in some cases a new life.

In the modern workplace, it is all too easy to succumb to the pressure and the anxiety. In some offices, it is taboo to admit to not knowing what to do, in others you cannot admit to any fault or fear. These are unnatural emotions because the suppression of genuine concerns only leads to heightened stress. If you read this and identify in any way with feelings of anguish, anxiety or stress driven by work, then I urge you to reach out. I’ve been there and I can help.

Andy

Andy Franks is a global procurement & change management professional with C-level experience. Personal change management, mentoring, coaching, NLP, Clinical Hypnotherapy, Modern Psychology.