How to Identify a Toxic Work Environment
Before committing pen to paper, it can be helpful to refer to dictionaries, and in the biggest and most definitive of those, the words ‘toxic’ and ‘toxicity’ are defined in fairly extreme terms.
The Oxford English Dictionary explains that the word comes from medieval Latin for ‘poisoned, imbued with poison’ and something that ‘causes death or serious harm’
Extreme though it might be, the word toxic has now come into widespread usage to encompasses a range of issues that are unpleasant and unwelcome.
What is a Toxic Work Environment?
The atmosphere, ethos and vibe of a workplace usually comes from the top meaning that toxicity or dysfunction in a workplace is 80 per cent down to bad or ineffectual leadership. Allowing or tolerating a bad work environment to develop is really down to the organisation and its leadership culture and actions.
The breadth of what of a toxic or dysfunctional workplace can involve is vast. It might, for instance, encompass
narcissistic behaviour
offensive or aggressive leadership
harassment
bullying
ostracism
threatening behaviour from managers and co-workers.
A poor work environment can lead to various negative effects. First, productivity, effectiveness and work performance all suffer enormously. Second, each worker is likely to be demotivated at best, or at worst seriously affected in terms of self-esteem, job satisfaction or mental health. Just how much anxiety, angst, worry, and gloom can accumulate if one feels stuck in a toxic environment at work?
Harmony in a Toxic Environment
If you were an empathetic leader: in each case you should be able to devise a strategy that would avoided the toxicity. Sometimes it will be to listen better; or to be more approachable; to have progressive staff recruitment, retention and development policies; to stamp out bullying or discrimination; to put training in place; or to be humble and accessible.
Seeking another’s opinion, I spoke to a wise and experienced business leader I know well, forty years at the head of a small business in the creative industries. Most of the company’s employees spoke highly of the organisation and had been with the company for over twenty years. None of them had a bad word to say about their work. I was therefore interested to hear his perspectives. What is the secret of such harmony and success, I wondered.
‘Essentially, I listen. People need to be heard, and know that their views matter. In my experience, all organisations contain talented, dedicated and often innovative, creative people. If leaders don’t view their workforce in that way, it is likely because we as leaders have failed, either to recruit the right people, or more likely we have not led, supported, encouraged, or developed them properly. Just be really diligent, empathetic, consistent and careful. Treat them well as people and as employees, and they will thrive. When they thrive, the business does really well.’
‘So good leadership is vital?’ I asked.
‘Totally,’ he said. ‘We get paid more than everyone else, partly to make the organisation successful, but just as importantly to make sure that everyone has a close, collegial, collective and supportive environment in which we can all deliver. Leaders have that task. No one else.’
It is sad but instructive to examine the curricula of many ‘leadership’ courses … very few tackle this issue in the sense of educating future leaders to be truly effective as people managers. If the economy and society are to thrive, doesn’t that need to change?