Navigating Workplace Toxicity: Alenka Kyslik Of SAHA Collective On Strategies for a Healthier Work Environment
An Interview With Vanessa Ogle
Get yourself support.
At the core of humanity is community, hard times require support. This could be a coach, therapist, friend or loved one — just someone who is there for. I am so grateful for those who have supported me through burnout. What this support looked like changed and adjusted depending on where I was at. Most of the time it was a listening ear, other times it was a friend visiting who would help me with things around the house, or a check in to make sure I was eating. It doesn’t have to be complex, just being there is often enough. Even when they don’t have first hand insight into what is happening.
Toxic work environments can have a significant impact on employees’ mental health, productivity, and overall job satisfaction. From poor communication and office politics to bullying and burnout, toxicity in the workplace can manifest in many forms. What are the most effective strategies to address and overcome these challenges? How can organizations and employees work together to create healthier, more supportive work environments? In this interview series, we are talking with with leaders, HR professionals, organizational psychologists, business leaders, and experts about “Navigating Workplace Toxicity: Strategies for a Healthier Work Environment.” As a part of this series I had the pleasure of interviewing Alenka Kyslik.
Alenka is a Canadian living in Los Angeles with nearly 15 years of experience in the corporate world, where her drive for success eventually led to burnout. After a year of recovery, a torn ankle set her back, prompting her to take a holistic, science-backed approach to healing when traditional medicine failed her. Drawing on her background in software in the corporate world, she’s now launching SAHA, a platform that connects individuals with vetted professionals based on shared values and current needs.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?
My life has been a series of moments where preparation meets opportunity, and like most people, it began with a realization in college. I was studying political science — spending 40 hours researching and writing each paper, only to have a professor spend 5 minutes reading it. It was endlessly infuriating.
When I discovered that there was a new program called “Video Game Development” — one that would let me work with a team to build a game — I was all in. Looking back, it’s a bit ironic: I don’t think anyone ever actually played that game outside of our team. But what I discovered during that process was a hidden strength: I had a natural ability to bring different disciplines together and facilitate communication between teams. I could bridge gaps, make sure everyone was aligned, speak the language of each discipline, and help bring the project to life. I learned about a career path I didn’t know existed, one that I truly enjoyed.
After college, I had the option of taking a “safe” job at the Czech Embassy or joining a startup in a city I had only visited once. After many pros and cons lists, I chose the riskier but higher-growth potential option. I packed two suitcases, moved across the country, to a city where I didn’t speak the language and spent two months sleeping on an air mattress — the only piece of furniture I could afford. I joined a startup with a starting salary of $30K a year. The energy of a small team tackling problems together was incredibly invigorating. That was my first step into the world of software, a career path I never anticipated.
From there, my journey has evolved. I’ve shifted from marketing to product management, worked with clients from all over the globe, launched the first Wi-Fi on a plane in South America, and met so many incredible people. It hasn’t all been easy; high-pressure environments over long periods of time eventually led to what I now realize was inevitable burnout. But through it all, I found my purpose: creating and enabling impactful, innovative solutions that bring people and teams together.
The combination of my early experiences taught me the importance of adaptability, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and the value of being part of something bigger than myself.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
Sometimes we choose what feels right at the time, not really knowing where it will lead us. The startup I worked at right out of college came with a lower salary than my other options, and I would be moving to a city where I knew only a handful of people, barely spoke the language, and would be arriving in the midst of a brutal winter — it was -18°C the day I landed. But in this case, the crazy solution turned out to be the right one.
A few weeks after starting, I was handed a business case to review. This wasn’t just any business case — it was the same one that had raised $6 million in funding for the company. As someone fresh out of college, I was a little overwhelmed initially. Ironically, I had spent much of my time in university avoiding math, yet here I was. Side note: high school math teachers can have a long-lasting impact, not always good.
What happened next completely changed my perspective. It was fun! I never expected it. Something about the tangible impact of thee real-world variables, and learning that there are so many ways to approach the same problem allowed me to discover a creativity I didn’t know I had. The cherry on top was having mentors who gave me an insider’s view of how the investment deal had come together, how the terms had been negotiated, and the reality of what that meant.
Now, looking back, it wasn’t just about taking a job — it was about trying something new and staying continuously curious. It was about having access to amazing mentors who took me under their wing and taught me lessons no school could. It was incredible, having the raw download of board meetings and investor calls the day they happened, all while I was in my first role out of college. An absolute dream — the risk definitely paid off.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
Putting Wi-Fi on airplanes allowed me to travel the world. One of those trips was to Beijing. This was a major partnership I had been working on for months. Imagine, two days in a large boardroom with the Chinese company’s C-suite executives on one side, their team positioned at either end of the table, and our own C-level executives directly facing them with our team on either side. I found out later that the room was intentionally not air-conditioned, and as anyone who has been to Beijing in the summer knows, the heat is intense and you end the day feeling sticky with a dusting of smog.
After a long day of meetings, we went out for an incredible evening of local food — a massive feast. To this day, I don’t think I’ve ever eaten so much in one sitting, and delicious new foods like a newly discovered favorite: Wood Ear Mushrooms. I absolutely love the texture and flavor of them! The next day both C-suites had stepped out and we were getting into the nitty gritty details of the deal.
For lunch, the local team decided to bring us Subway sandwiches, which was incredibly kind but we really wanted to try more of the local food.
We walked through the office, down the stairs, and outside to the parking lot, everything seemed normal. All of the sudden my counterpart began speaking to me frantically in Mandarin. Until that point, the only words I knew were “thank you” and “cheers”. Her fingers pointing at the back of my skirt made it all clear, there was a very long tear going right down the middle. It was an awkward moment, to say the least, especially in the middle of a business trip, but it became one of those situations that I can laugh about now.
That day, I learned two key lessons. First, I discovered that I’m *definitely* too tall for the average clothing store in China. Second, I learned that while pleather pencil skirts might seem like a stylish and professional choice in theory, they are not always practical — especially in high-stress, high-heat environments. Most importantly — food and laughter are universal languages.
Is there a particular book that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?
One book that changed the way I approached creativity is Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout by Cal Newport. Being effective in a career over the long term without burning out is the elusive goal we all strive for. Newport outlines what it takes to make this dream a reality. How time away from work, gives space for creative solutions and is where the genius comes to life. There’s a reason why taking a walk or stepping away for a moment is so beneficial. It’s been something I’ve seen in my life time and time again.
Do you have a favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Do you have a story about how that was relevant in your life or your work?
“Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will rule your life and you will call it fate.” Carl Jung. I heard this recently as part of a burnout workshop. Until recently it would not have been memorable. In 2021, after spending my entire life working until day my body shut down and I had no idea why.
A year later, I stepped off a curb and tore my ankle to shreds, the kind where when you walk into Urgent Care the staff gasps and brings you a wheelchair. I then spent the next two years being terrified to take a step, in case I misstepped and hurt myself, I had been retearing ligaments in my ankle every few months. I became that person that would do anything to figure out how to get better. Blaming the rest of the world doesn’t help you fix your own life. But shifting your mindset to taking ownership and changing what is in your control, can change it. To look inside yourself to see what thinking and what patterns got you to this place. To slowly and carefully start to make small consistent shifts.
During this period I also decided to adopt a 70lbs rescue dog with a whole slew of issues, and that’s where I learned about neuroplasticity. If you’re not familiar with dog training, you use treats to reinforce the behavior you want, and slowly new pathways in the brain start to form that become the desired behaviors. 3 years later I have a dog that is regularly commended on her good behavior.
Applied to my own life, this meant learning to be more aware of my energy levels, my every step. It meant being aware and understanding my emotional state and building systems to work with my brain instead of against it. Neuroplasticity looked like removing the word “should” from my vocabulary, where it was no longer on repeat in my own head.
I learned to view my thoughts with curiosity instead of judgment, and work with my subconscious instead of fighting with it.
Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. Let’s start with a simple definition so that all of us are on the same page. What does workplace toxicity mean?
A toxic workplace can take many forms and can have very similar signs to an abusive relationship.
Here are a few things to look out for:
- Gaslighting is pervasive. This is a tactic where the employee is told, “That never happened” or “That’s not what was said,” which can leave the employee questioning their reality.
- Tough conversations are shut down or ignored; there is no interest in mutual understanding, only in the control of employees.
- People are put down constantly, and bullying is pervasive, especially and often intentionally done in front of others.
- Employees are made to feel that they have no other option than to put everything into what they do, that their self-worth and fulfillment are only determined by their work. It can leave employees feeling like they are nothing without their work.
- Communication is poor: there are often misunderstandings, and those in less powerful positions are put in situations where poor leadership is blamed on them.
Can you describe a time when you personally encountered or helped resolve workplace toxicity?
A few years ago, I encountered a special flavor of toxicity in the workplace. A new team member, let’s call her Robyn, was hired which at the time felt insignificant. I couldn’t have been more wrong. We were on separate teams, but on any calls I was on with her, she would consistently interrupt me and others during conversations and her tone was very often condescending, I knew it was something I could manage under the circumstances.
A few months later, Robyn scheduled a 1:1 meeting where she informed me that there had been a company restructure, and she would now be my boss. That night, I found myself unable to sleep. Insomnia is never something I had had trouble with, I knew something was wrong.
It turned out I was right, Robyn’s management style was not only belittling but also undermined my confidence and effectiveness. She frequently talked down to me and others, dismissed the team’s contributions, and created an environment where those beneath her (not just reporting to her) felt both unsupported and disrespected. Technically speaking, this did not violate any of the company’s guidelines, meaning HR could not do anything.
It became clear over the next few months that Robyn’s behavior was affecting the entire team. I did something I had never done before and I brought this up to upper management, all the way up to the top, and I was not the only one. But it was more of a wait and see situation. While I wasn’t the only one speaking up, due process takes time. Seven long months later, the company underwent a large round of layoffs, and Robyn’s position was included in that restructuring. It was a day of very mixed emotions.
This had never been the intended goal, I had just wanted to report to someone else.
What were the key signs that the environment was toxic?
The key signs that the workplace was toxic in this situation included:
- Demeaning Behavior and Communication: Robyn’s frequent interruptions and condescending tone were clear signs of disrespect. This kind of communication undermines trust and creates a negative atmosphere where employees feel belittled rather than supported. Regardless of position, every human wants to feel respected and heard.
- Lack of Support from Management: As Robyn’s management style became increasingly toxic, it created an “every man for himself” culture. Whatever your definition of leadership is, none of that existed and cannot exist where the team does not work together for each other, and that example is set by management.
- Isolation: Over time, I discovered that I wasn’t alone in facing this toxic behavior. Other colleagues had similar concerns and had also raised them. A clear sign of toxicity is when employees feel that if they express their fears to their coworkers or management, there will be repercussions.
- Anxiety and Stress Are the Norm: We all know what stress looks and feels like; anxiety feels like consistent low-level fear and dread. Anxiety and stress are the toxic married couple that hate each other but can’t live without each other. Everyone experiences this differently; for me, this turned into a stiff neck, shooting pain in my jaw, and a constant upset stomach.
- Burnout and Decreased Productivity: Burnout is caused by constant unresolved stress over long periods of time. Eventually, this leads to adrenal fatigue, which surfaces as chronic fatigue, which unsurprisingly turns into decreased productivity. This is something I personally experienced and have seen over and over with others.
- Employee Turnover: When employees aren’t happy, they leave. Many will stay as long as they can for the people they meet along the way, but there are limits to what each person can handle.
What are some of the most common causes of toxic work environments, and how can leaders recognize these issues before they become pervasive?
The goal of running a business is to make an impact and a profit. This is traditionally defined by goals, expected outcomes, and key performance indicators. Every company has its own way of setting these, but in toxic environments, these are often created by best-case scenarios.
What this means is that there is unrelenting pressure on teams to deliver results in ways that, in the short term, are very doable but not sustainable over time. There’s a reason we call it a marathon and not a sprint and yet, that’s exactly what we expect.
When expectations are so removed from tangible possibility, the culture often turns to “every individual for themselves.” In these environments, employees feel they must do whatever it takes to survive, and this behavior extends across every level, from leadership to employees.
Toxic work environments often show up in the form of poor communication. Even for those who try their best, pressure means things fall through the cracks. This leads to a lack of trust and gossip, which creates division — a culture that is the antithesis of cohesion.
An understated indicator of toxicity is a common or even subtle lack of empathy or emotional intelligence (EQ) in leadership. Employees tend to be treated as cogs in a machine, rather than complex human beings. This can stem from a lack of training or interpersonal skills. Most often, from the fact that managers were excellent individual contributors who were promoted into management positions as the only way to grow their careers. For many, leadership was never the desire, but the ambition to advance dictated that management was the most direct path to growth.
When pressure to hit unrealistic targets becomes a pipe dream, failure to meet these goals becomes a professional finger-pointing exercise. This leads to a general lack of accountability, with those who don’t hit their targets blaming other teams for their failures. The blame goes round and round, creating a culture of mistrust that becomes the norm.
There’s a reason that sports and life are organized into seasons. Growing bodies of research show how important rest is for productivity and sustained performance — not to mention creativity. Yet, rest is rarely prioritized. In toxic environments, fear and pressure can be an effective short-term motivation tactic, but it loses its edge over time as people begin to see through it. The benefit of staying in that environment is rarely worth it, and eventually, it loses its allure.
Just like any oppressive regime, people eventually have their fill and rebel. In those cases, the stakes are life or death — much higher risks than the loss of a job. In the business world, the most recent iteration of this is “quiet quitting.” It has taken many forms in the past, from labor laws to unions to walkouts. One trend remains consistent: people’s tolerance for fear-based motivation is a ticking time bomb that will eventually explode.
What steps can employees take to address workplace toxicity if they feel uncomfortable or unsupported by leadership?
The best thing an employee can do in a toxic workplace situation is to understand their standing, know what tools and resources are available to them, and determine what they are comfortable with and feel safe doing.
Once you understand the culture in the workplace:
- Document, document, document. Having a paper trail gives you a leg to stand on. Keep track of all conversations, maintain meeting notes, and make sure to share them with anyone who was part of the meeting. Even if — especially when — no one else involved is keeping a record.
- Standing up for yourself is terrifying, but sometimes people surprise you with their kindness. If you feel safe enough to speak to higher-ups about what is happening, it can sometimes lead to surprising considerations. But this course of action needs to be carefully considered, as many toxic work environments can have repercussions for speaking up.
- A healthy workplace is similar to a healthy marriage: it’s constantly changing and evolving and requires constant work — more work than we expect it to. If you’re a leader of any kind, whether by influence or by direct reports your work is never done.
What role does mental health play in navigating workplace toxicity, and how can both employees and organizations prioritize mental wellness?
A toxic workplace is, by definition, unrelenting long-term stress. Constant stress can have serious effects on both physical and mental health. More and more studies are showing just how prolonged stress takes a toll on us.
As individuals, prolonged stress manifests itself in different ways. Here’s a short list of some potential symptoms: chronic pain, chronic fatigue, insomnia, frequent headaches, changes in appetite, loss of motivation, isolating from others, procrastination, using food, drugs, or alcohol to cope, withdrawing from responsibility, and avoiding the workplace.
Some of these symptoms are trademark precursors to burnout. Organizations can create systems and tools for managers to recognize them and help their teams. There are plenty of great programs that exist to help with this.
Can you share some strategies or practices that individuals and teams can implement to create a healthier and more productive work environment? Please share your “5 Strategies For A Healthier Work Environment”?
Eat more, sleep more, and drink more water.
Studies show that anxiety and stress decrease when we get enough sleep. Start by going to bed one minute earlier each night — it adds up quickly. Most people who work crazy hours don’t eat enough, let alone eat nutritious foods. Give yourself a minute and eat something with color at least once a day.
Good quality sleep can make incredible improvements to both stress and anxiety levels, making small steps in this can look like going to bed a minute earlier each day, lowering caffeine intake and taking a walk etc.
For many of us drinking water is an afterthought, it can have a direct impact on mood, brain function and sleep quality, yet we don’t prioritize it.
Overcommunication is key.
Miscommunication can lead to confusion, gaslighting and so many other issues. It never hurts to double check that everyone is on the same page and to follow up with written confirmation to be sure that what one person understood is what everyone else did. Even if no one responds there is now a track record that can be used for reference.
Especially if there is a chance there will be conflict between coworkers, be sure to have alignment on goals before jumping into the conversation can often make all of the difference.
You are more than your job.
We talk about our “dream job”, we make our work our identity. So, when there is a toxic situation with no clear way out, it can feel that life is over. That a lifetime of building a career and a life could be thrown away. When work is all we live and breathe it can feel like there is nothing else out there.
Finding an identity outside of work is essential to being able to process a toxic workplace. It provides a sense of self, this can look like a hobby, a side project, a volunteering opportunity, etc. Any sense of separation from work. This can help bring a sense of purpose. In my case this was digging into my health.
Understand what you can accept and what you can’t.
Every person has their limits, but we’re taught from a young age to ignore them and push past them in order to be productive members of society. A large part of being able to function in a toxic environment is to learn when enough is enough, to know what is tolerable and what is not. That doesn’t necessarily mean becoming an agent of change, it can just mean recognizing it. Becoming aware of what is happening is the first step in being able to make change. That change can look like just taking a deep breath, documenting the experience or maybe leaving if the situation is too much.
For me, when I went through burnout and my body literally shut down, that was the first time I was forced to make a decision about what I couldn’t accept and I went on sick leave, for the first time in my life. Before that I rarely took sick days let alone leave. In the meantime I had permanently damaged my teeth, gone prematurely gray and spent the next 3 years working on getting back to my old self.
Get yourself support.
At the core of humanity is community, hard times require support. This could be a coach, therapist, friend or loved one — just someone who is there for. I am so grateful for those who have supported me through burnout. What this support looked like changed and adjusted depending on where I was at. Most of the time it was a listening ear, other times it was a friend visiting who would help me with things around the house, or a check in to make sure I was eating. It doesn’t have to be complex, just being there is often enough. Even when they don’t have first hand insight into what is happening.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good for the greatest number of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
I would love to inspire a movement where people are intentionally curious about their health, where it doesn’t need to be a terrifying experience but an opportunity to get to know yourself and work with your body instead of against it. Where this information is accessible and available to people regardless of education level, and we accept the nuance of everyone’s experience, treating it as an opportunity to learn rather than an impossible challenge.
We are very blessed that some very prominent names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.
I would love to have lunch with Dr. Nicole LePera (@the.holistic.psychologist). Her content is what helped me through the worst of my burnout. At a time when talking to someone about what I was going through felt impossible, her very approachable, piecemeal content was exactly what I needed.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
Readers can keep up to date with me and my company on our website or Instagram.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
About The Interviewer: Vanessa Ogle is a mom, entrepreneur, inventor, writer, and singer/songwriter. Vanessa’s talent in building world-class leadership teams focused on diversity, a culture of service, and innovation through inclusion allowed her to be one of the most acclaimed Latina CEO’s in the last 30 years. She collaborated with the world’s leading technology and content companies such as Netflix, Amazon, HBO, and Broadcom to bring innovative solutions to travelers and hotels around the world. Vanessa is the lead inventor on 120+ U.S. Patents. Accolades include: FAST 100, Entrepreneur 360 Best Companies, Inc. 500 and then another six times on the Inc. 5000. Vanessa was personally honored with Inc. 100 Female Founder’s Award, Ernst and Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and Enterprising Women of the Year among others. Vanessa now spends her time sharing stories to inspire and give hope through articles, speaking engagements and music. In her spare time she writes and plays music in the Amazon best selling new band HigherHill, teaches surfing clinics, trains dogs, and cheers on her children.
Please connect with Vanessa here on linkedin and subscribe to her newsletter Unplugged as well as follow her on Substack, Instagram, Facebook, and X and of course on her website VanessaOgle.
Navigating Workplace Toxicity: Alenka Kyslik Of SAHA Collective On Strategies for a Healthier Work… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.