Written by Teri McKeever, former head coach of the University of California, Berkeley’s women’s swimming and diving program, was recently fired due to allegations of toxicity and abuse from former athletes and staff. These allegations have been reported over many years by athletes, and have adversely impacted the short and long-term mental, emotional, and physical health, even driving some athletes to seriously contemplate committing suicide.
In addition to previously leading Team USA at the Olympics and other international competitions, and her work in USA Swimming, Teri McKeever had been the head coach of the women’s swimming and diving program for over almost three decades and had built a strong reputation as one of the best coaches in the country. However, recent allegations of abuse and toxic behavior have caused athletes and staff to lose trust in Teri McKeever, leading to Teri McKeever’s termination from the university.
But this article is not a story about Teri McKeever. However, it is about how the organization, team, and athletes can move forward.
The impact of this event on the Cal sports program and the university as a whole cannot be underestimated. Many former athletes have come forward with stories of abuse, toxic behavior, and targeting, and the university’s reputation has been damaged as a result. Those athletes that came forward are not the only ones that were adversely impacted, they were just the ones willing to speak about it and possibly suffer the consequences for speaking up, including retaliation. The short- and long-term mental, emotional, and physical health of each athlete has been impacted. This is not just my feeling on the situation, I conducted a research study over a number of years about the lived experience during toxic leadership and culture and the short- and long-term impact of toxic leadership and organizations and the adverse impact is very real.
It is now up to the university to take the necessary steps to rebuild trust and move forward in a positive direction through toxic recovery.
But what are the steps that the organization and athletes need to go through to navigate through toxic recovery?
The first step is for the organization to acknowledge every athletes’ lived experience. Every athlete includes current and former athletes. This is normally incredibly difficult for organizations to do as they, especially legal counsel, are worried about liability and lawsuits. But athletes will not be able to grieve, move forward, or trust the organization without their lived experience being acknowledged. It is important for individuals and organizations to acknowledge that toxic behavior has taken place and to take responsibility for addressing it. This may involve apologizing to those who have been impacted, admitting fault, and making a commitment to change.
Another first step is transparency. In most toxic leadership and culture cases, an investigation was completed. The results of the investigation (With of course adversely impacted individuals remaining anonymous) must be shared with the athletes, staff, and students within the organization, along with the media. Again, most of the time senior leaders and legal counsel will immediately try to waive this off, but athletes will not trust the organization and leadership until then.
But before that investigation is released to the public, was it an internal investigation with a biased lens? If so, an independent, third-party investigation must be commissioned, regardless of what may be found. The damage has already been done, many people were impacted, take the opportunity to understand the holistic issues at hand and not thoughts from those who think they know. This will be an incredibly difficult exercise for toxic organizations as senior leaders will have to truly self-reflect and decide if they are truly part of the solution.
Assessment and analysis is another part of this step. In order to recover from toxic behavior, it is important to understand the root causes and contributing factors. This may involve conducting an internal review, surveying employees and athletes, and gathering feedback from those who have been impacted.
Additionally, the university must work to provide support for those who have been adversely impacted by toxic and abusive behavior. This could include counseling services, support groups, and other resources that can help current and former athletes and staff to heal and move forward from this difficult experience. But these services must be by a third party, not current staff.
There also must be an open phone line, website, and email address for a third-party ombudsman. This ombudsman can receive information, truly keep it confidential, help find athletes support they need, and also be able to communicate these issues with appropriate leadership.
And there must be a third party to help influence positive change within the organization. This individual or group is not to force the positive change, but rather shepherd the process with all parties concerned. This is an extremely difficult role and there are very few people and organizations that are truly knowledgeable on how to help organizations through this change.
You have just read a number of steps that mention third-party groups or individuals. Third-party services can be expensive, bring outside people into the situation, and may be “disruptive” to your organization. But your organization has already lost the trust and have hurt many, is your organization truly equipped to bring this change?
One of the first steps that most websites, legal counsel, peer organizations, and HR personnel will tell you to do is to establish a clear and comprehensive policy for dealing with toxic and abusive behavior in sports programs. This policy should outline the steps that the university will take in response to such behavior, including investigations, disciplinary actions, and support for victims. But this policy should not be one of the true first steps. And creating this policy first is reflective of the organization’s desire to create documentation, try to put the issue in the rearview mirror, and “show” that they are interested in change but are truly just trying to “check a box” by creating a policy.
Planning and implementation is the next step. Based on the results of the assessment and analysis, organizations can develop a plan to address toxic behavior and build a healthier work culture. This may involve implementing new policies and procedures, providing training and education, and promoting positive and supportive behaviors. This is where the third-party individual or group can be a great facilitator for this process.
Monitoring and evaluation are one of the keys to success here. Ongoing monitoring and evaluation are essential to ensure that the organization remains on track and that the steps taken to address toxic behavior are having a positive impact.
Continuous improvement ensures the process of recovery from toxic behavior is ongoing and requires continuous effort to maintain a positive and supportive culture. Organizations should regularly review and evaluate their policies and procedures, and make changes as needed to ensure that they remain effective.
Recovering from toxic behavior and building a healthy and supportive culture is a process that requires time, effort, and commitment from individuals and organizations. By taking these steps, organizations can create a more positive and productive work environment and promote the well-being of personnel. Please take the time to focus on influencing positive change, taking care of your people, and doing the right thing for the right reasons. But this focus must be genuine, otherwise, everyone will see right through it, trust will continue to be broken, and the toxic culture will not change.
If you or someone you know is experiencing thoughts of suicide or self-harm, I encourage you to seek help immediately. There are many resources available that can offer support, including the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline in the US (1-800-273-TALK) and other hotlines in other countries.