It doesn’t take a Harvard Business School study for most of us to know that toxic work culture can impact our team’s productivity. Yet, those HBS articles do offer some intriguing insights on the topic. For example, one study showed that nearly half of employees who experienced a lack of respect in the workplace cut back on their effort and made a conscious choice to spend less time at work. Possibly even worse? Just under 40 percent intentionally decreased the quality of their work!
These numbers are alarming, but what is even more concerning is how nose-blind we can be as leaders that our work environment is spoiling. So, how can we tell if our workplace culture is unhealthy? More importantly, what can we do about it? Let’s take a few minutes and explore.
5 Characteristics of an Unhealthy Work Culture
Is your workplace unhealthy? This is one of those instances when it’s smart to trust your gut. The fact that you’re questioning the well-being of your organization’s culture says that there’s probably plenty of room for improvement.
But if your intuition isn’t quite enough to persuade you, here are four other signs that your work environment leaves something to be desired.
1. Curbed enthusiasm
Here’s your sign – If you look around at your team, do a lot of faces seem like they just found out that they need a root canal? Negativity is often a result of workplace culture and ultimately impacts team performance. Who really puts forth their best effort when working with/for a place that brings more pain than gain?
2. Safety is an issue
Here’s your sign – People are scared to step out of their comfort zones. When this happens, the whole team suffers. In fact, Google’s Project Aristotle discovered that psychological safety has the greatest impact on team effectiveness – even above meaning, dependability, and team structure.
3. Made for TV drama
Here’s your sign – If your typical day at work feels like you’re featured in a reality TV show, we’ve got a problem. When open communication is rare and, instead, whispers, side-eye glances during meetings, and passive-aggressive remarks are common, this is a tell-tale sign that something is off.
4. People just won’t stick around
Here’s your sign – If people are running for the hills, that’s a red flag. If your organization struggles to keep people for two years or more, you may have a culture problem. Yes, there are many reasons that employees leave jobs, but one of the more frequently cited reasons is a toxic work environment (specifically a boss).
How to Address a Toxic Work Culture
Ok, so maybe you see your work environment in one (or even a few) of the indicators above. Now what? Here are two strategies to make improvements.
Concentrate on what you can control
Ask yourself this question: What control do I have over this?
For some of us, the answer to this question is a lot! We have the influence and power to make decisions that will impact the overall direction of our organization. If this describes you, please, for the sake of your mission and those under your care, make changing your work environment a priority!
If you’re not in a senior leadership position, you’re not off the hook. You have influence, and you do have some authority to leverage. Stay focused on what you can impact.
Provide honest feedback
When dealing with a negative culture, it’s tempting to just bite our tongue for fear of adding fuel to the fire or experiencing negative pushback. However, when you’re given the opportunity to speak up, please step in to provide feedback. It’s possible that the senior leadership team doesn’t see what you’re experiencing and would benefit from your perspective. Can we guarantee that the culture will change? Not necessarily. But the odds are better than if you say nothing at all.
If you’re a senior leader, invite and encourage feedback. Listen carefully to what others are sharing with you. We can tell our team that they need to speak up, but the feedback systems and approach we take often squash the assurance that their voice matters. Don’t let this be the case in your organization.
Reflection – Do you see any of the signs of an unhealthy culture at your place of work? What action steps can you take to improve your organizational culture?
