32: Kim Benoit on Toxic Workplaces, Leadership, and the Writing Process
What kinds of bad behavior have you brought to work?
It's an uncomfortable question, and one that today's guest, Kim Benoit, explores with a perfect portion of practicality and relatability.
As the author of the bestselling book, "We've All Done It: Getting Real About the Role We Each Play in a Toxic Workplace," Kim shares insights and stories from her 20 years of leadership experience.
The idea for her book was sparked over a casual dinner, where she began to wonder how her own employees might perceive her. This self-reflection led her down a path to explore the idea that everyone plays a role in workplace dynamics, both good and bad.
Kim's diverse leadership background gives her a wealth of experience and styles to draw from—spanning various industries from criminal justice to corporate retail.
Her book writing process was quite unique. Actually, the book was kind of an accident. What she initially thought would be a workshop, one evening while washing dishes, the entire outline for the book simply "presented itself."
Kim was a member of my writing community while writing her book, and I'm thrilled to hear about how it gave her the camaraderie and accountability she needed in her writing journey—giving her the support and structure she needed to get the writing done.
Even as an "accidental author," she bumped into some common writing challenges with self-doubt, isolation, and even owning the identity of an author.
What you'll discover in this episode:
If you’re not making mistakes at work, or even trying not to, those are actually mistakes.
How Kim went from academic writing, and not even having a nonfiction book on her radar, to writing and publishing one.
How talking it out with talk-to-text on your phone can help you get through writing blocks.
Creating writing “blocks” and even writing in the same spot helps you get in the writing zone.
Practical advice for first-time authors, like setting realistic deadlines and backing into a timeline.
How writing a book gives you a big credibility boost and a platform to help open new doors.
A first peek into Kim's future writing projects, including fiction, a super fun rom-com, and even a murder mystery.
When you're getting the nudge to write a book, trust it—you never know where it may lead!
Timestamps:
00:00 Meet Kimberly Benoit
02:28 The Spark for her Book
03:09 Exploring Toxic Workplaces
03:28 Kim's Professional Background
12:05 Writing Process and Challenges
21:24 The Positive Impact of Publishing a Book
22:59 Embracing Your Identity as an Author
24:36 Creating Real Change Through Writing
26:22 The Role of Reading and Writing in Shaping Identity
26:54 The Challenges and Importance of Support in the Writing Process
28:25 Writing Rituals and Techniques
30:50 Transitioning from Academic to Conversational Writing
34:08 Kim’s Next Writing Projects
About Kim Benoit:
Kimberly J Benoit is a strategy & leadership consultant with 20+ years of leadership experience. She coaches, consults, and speaks for organizations needing fresh strategies to keep great leaders, unite teams, and combat dysfunction.
As the bestselling author of the book, “We’ve All Done It,” and host of the podcast of the same name, Kimberly’s on a compassionate, sometimes humorous mission to help us understand how we all play a role on our challenges and successes, so we can become more confident leaders, teams, and organizations in the process. Based in Vienna, VA, Kimberly partners with clients globally.
Connect with Kim Benoit:
Website: www.kimberlyjbenoit.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberly-j-benoit/
Podcast: https://wevealldoneit.buzzsprout.com
Kim's Book: We've All Done It: Getting Real About the Role We Each Play in a Toxic Workplace
