Pete’s obituary in the Globe and Mail

The Globe and Mail published an obituary today for my father in law, Peter Frost. The obit focuses on his work with emtional toxicity in organizations, work of which he was so proud.

He was the co-author and editor of dozens of books, but Toxic Emotions At Work was his first solo effort and I think it was the one of which he was the most proud. It followed on the heels of his first articles in the Harvard Business Review, starting in 1999. After a career of plowing away on the margins of organizational theory, he had finally cracked the mainstream, and his work was being read widely and used in organizations by people who were really suffering.

In the obit he is quoted this way: “I will continue to promote attention to the need for humane workplaces and for dignity and compassion toward all members of all organizations, wherever they are.” Even in his dying he practiced that dignity and compassion.

If there was one thing I learned from being with him while he was dying, it was the power of telling stories to heal, connect and hold one another. Stories were so central to his work, but until then I had never thought of storytelling as an act of compassion.

We miss him terribly at this cold time of year, but it’s nice to remember him warmly.