In 2018, oxford dictionary made its word of the year toxic. Toxic Work Environment, Toxic Culture, and Toxic Relationship were among the top ten most “toxic” locations in 2018.
Uninterested business executives, managers, and employees create toxicity. But companies do not monopolize toxicity. It also involves charities and churches. Some charismatic leaders in mega churches set the tone for toxic workplaces by their narcissism and greed.
Detecting a toxic workplace can be simple, not only from the inside, but also from the outside. We don’t have to look at turnover statistics, reports, or interview anyone to know that Donald Trump’s White House was a super toxic environment. Here are some signs of a toxic workplace:
- Lack of articulated and lived core values
- Procedures, practices, decisions made situationally
- bad communications
- disengaged employees
Lack of articulated and lived core values
Leadership is advancing others, not advancing oneself. Leaders set the tone and create safe workplaces. Leaders establish and live core values.
The values are our default position, our pole star. Do the right thing, period! The values include respect for individuals and families, trust, integrity, transparency, care, rigor, good administration and responsibility.
The actions of Donald Trump and Justin Trudeau showed no ethical guiding principles or core values. Trump pressured his loyal vice president, among others, to overturn the certified election results. Trudeau pressured his attorney general to cover up his conflict of interest. They both acted in your best interest. None suffered legal consequences; therefore, his message to his compatriots: fundamental values are not beacons for decisions: the end justifies the means.
Without consistent application of ethical guiding principles and core values, leaders disregard trust, integrity, care, stewardship, and accountability in favor of one particular outcome—a foundation for a toxic culture.
Procedures Practices Decisions made situationally
Align procedures and practices with core values. Hire people of character, train, develop and empower them. Accept mistakes as they grow and learn. Don’t control or reprimand them for making mistakes on the learning curve; use them to teach and learn.
Values should include providing a secure environment. Don’t compromise or “cut costs” associated with core values, like safety, to “save” money when times get tough. Do the right thing and bear the costs!
When leaders and managers create procedures and practices contrary to core values, they confuse, frustrate, and dissent employees. Employees become fearful, accidents happen, rumors abound as toxicities appear. Value statements need consistent decisions to affirm them.
bad communications
Leaders build trust through action. Merriam Webster Dictionary defines trust, the foundation of good communications, as “secure confidence in the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something.” Telling an employee eleven months later about poor performance doesn’t help. Regular feedback shows interest and a desire to listen, learn, and help the employee succeed. Employees need positive and negative feedback; positive feedback alone is as bad as none.
Practice the TAP principle:
- Be transparent: what you see is who I am, what fits with the core values.
- Be accessible: Effective managers and leaders listen, ask questions, and encourage.
- Be foreseeable: Always apply core values. If you see a bug that reduced costs by $100,000. Fix it because it is.
When the workforce sees that core values are consistently applied, they know who you are and
what you believe in practice.
Leaders must respond to legitimate employee problems. Share company performance with the workforce. Give them the opportunity to ask questions about the business and share their challenges. With the best of intentions, it is difficult to eradicate a rotten culture:
disengaged employees
According to Gallup, the number one reason people change jobs today is for career growth opportunities. However, most companies do not hire employees.
Globally, 85% of employees are disengaged vs. 65% in the US Disengaged employees gossip, spread rumours, leading to toxicity, reduced productivity and increased turnover. Not surprisingly, the median length of service for US employees is 4.2 years; 2.8 years for millennials, the largest generation in the workforce!
To engage employees and eliminate toxicity, hire people of character, train, develop and empower them. And driving leaders who live the values of the entity.
How should employees respond to a toxic boss?
One size does not fit all. Dealing with a boss with a toxic attitude (toxic boss) depends on the situation. Is she a micromanager, a bully, an ignorant and arrogant talker? Let’s look at micromanagers:
- Stay one step ahead – feed them project updates. Don’t wait for requests.
- Be proactive: provide solutions to improve processes and efficiency.
- When your projects trade you, ask for priorities. Tell them you can fulfill their requests, but with limited time, you need their priorities.
- Ask questions to understand requests; reproduce what you captured.
- Clarify the role and responsibilities of team members. Micromanagers want to know only their direct reports; Be present when they meet with your staff.
- Understand that your results will never satisfy them; they want their way.
- Focus on what you control. Make sure you have a solid red line that you will never let them cross.
- Form alliances with like-minded colleagues. When micromanagers get what they want, they may trust you. Still, some people never change.
Not everyone will work with micromanagers. Don’t stay, grumble and accept “this is the only way”. He finds a channel to present the toxic situation. That is what the workers of the office of the Governor General of Canada did and achieved.
What about the bully punches? Do not accept the abuse. Seek help; but don’t let them cross your red line.
Responding in a toxic workplace: a case study
I interviewed one person for six months to learn about their toxic workplace. Robert (pseudonym), vice president of a midsize multi-location corporation, is one of seven who report to the chief operating officer (COO). Robert’s boss, Bill (pseudonym), a micromanager, reports to the CEO.
Bill has weekly meetings with fifty people: Robert’s level (10 people) and the lower level (40 people). In these “feedback” sessions, Bill does the talking 99% of the time, going into minutiae and often criticizing the second level for not meeting unattainable and unaccountable standards. Bill doesn’t see the harm in evading direct reports from him.
You want everything tomorrow and believe that if you don’t have the necessary resources, that’s your problem. You must deliver.
Bill’s approach frustrates Robert because Bill goes directly to his team with specific tasks without Robert’s knowledge. Asking Bill to stop hasn’t worked.
“Why do you stay?” I asked Robert.
“I think I can make a difference in the big picture.” Robert replied.
Robert follows the eight elements above. He gets ahead of Bill, anticipates needs and provides quality information. Robert’s team funnels Bill’s requests to Robert, who clears them with Bill before presenting the results. At Monday meetings, Robert answers questions about his division, which he delights his staff. To date, it is working.
“Has Bill changed?” I asked Robert.
“No, but we are at peace and continuing to do our best. We don’t expect it to change, and we don’t plan on leaving.” He answered.
The culture is still toxic. Turnover is high, stress is on the rise, and productivity is low. Robert will not accept abusive language or behavior and is considering meeting with the CEO due to mounting stress and low morale.
Toxic workplace caused by owner/boss
Robert is an executive with options. What about the workers in a small business where the owner/boss creates toxicity? Yelling, suspicious, throwing tantrums, demanding long hours, and ignoring the principles of healthy relationships? These employees do not have a security exit where they believe that someone will listen and understand them. I interviewed several of those people. Some of them leave a toxic place for a less bad, but still unhealthy place! Others stay because they need the salary to survive. This is a real problem. In addition to the eight points above, the other practical answer is prayer.
What happens with toxicity in a team
This situation should be easier to fix because the foundation for a healthy workplace exists at the leadership level. You need effective intervention to learn the problems:
- Unclear goals: Common goals foster cohesion and reduce conflict. Clear role of team members and team goals help combat toxicity.
- Lack of trust: Confidence in the leader and in others is the glue of a team. People work best in a supportive and trusting environment.
- Poor team leadership: Listen, encourage and provide resources to the team. Be genuine, humble and fair.
- Lack of recognition: Thank team members for daily tasks; engages with team members often. Give credit when things go well; accept blame when they go wrong.
- Bad communications: Make sure everyone is on the same page. Inspire, motivate and reassure team members.
Sometimes a person does not understand the program. Dig deeper to discover the cause. Is something wrong at home? Often the employee has valid concerns that he won’t discuss because he doesn’t trust you. Perhaps the team member needs a reassignment to resolve their issues. Provide funds for counseling, if needed.
conclusion
A toxic work environment is bad for your health. Seek professional help if you feel stuck in your position. But set a red line and don’t let anyone cross it. Be careful: the effects of your toxic workplace will ripple through your home, marriage, and family.
The “leaders” who promote themselves and take credit for everything are not leaders, but mavericks. Leaders develop and promote others, embed values-driven processes, and establish and maintain the right culture in their companies. Research shows that companies with positive cultures perform better on many metrics. They attract better talent, report higher productivity and profits, have lower turnover and higher employee engagement. Arrogant, rude, and unethical leaders set unrealistic expectations and create chaos that fosters toxicity.
A toxic workplace will cause burnout at any level. No organism is immune. Toxicity infects businesses, government, charities, and churches. Learn the symptoms, identify them early, and work to change the culture. Although some toxicity creators will not change, help them even if they must leave the organization.