How toxic workplace culture is poisoning your organization
While toxic workplace culture might seem like an obvious thing to avoid, you’d be surprised at how many organizations struggle with something that can be absolutely catastrophic for a business.
In a study of 500 companies, toxic culture was determined to be the number one predicting factor of attrition, or turnover. Simply put, people who work in toxic cultures have had enough.
So what defines toxic culture?
There are 5 signs that contribute to toxic culture. They are:
Employees feel disrespected at work.
A noninclusive environment makes people feel left out because of their race, gender, or other factors.
There is a pattern of unethical or illegal behavior, such as a lack of regulatory compliance.
People are cutthroat, choosing to go out of their way to undermine one another.
Leaders are abusive — for example, shouting or yelling at people.
While most people can probably agree to not engage in these behaviors, tell me what leaders are actually going above and beyond in making sure they do the direct opposite? How about workplaces that have just the tiniest bit of disrespect in their communication, just a slight level of exclusion (but it’s okay because almost everyone has the same identity), and just a small dose of competition?
Yup, still toxic.
It’s not enough anymore to say, “Oh, but it’s not that bad”. With a global pandemic, the rise in social justice, and The Great Resignation, we can’t ignore even the smallest signs of a toxic workplace culture. Employees are demanding work-life balance and benefits that support their wellbeing.
Furthermore, there are additional cultural practices that can make employees feel under-appreciated, unmotivated, and on the road to burnout such as micromanaging, working round the clock, and a high level of turnover. Turnover doesn’t just affect the quitters and the work they do, it’s a blow to the entire organization.
And no, just not having a nontoxic culture is not enough. It HAS to be strong, promote wellbeing, and instill inspiration in order to impact business and work towards your mission.
So how do we develop a workplace culture of wellbeing AND doing extraordinary work?
When a strong and thriving culture is created it:
Increases attraction and retention
Impacts reputation (which is important in a candidate-driving market!)
Employees understand how management wants them to respond to any situation
Employees feel a sense of belonging to a large goal
Employees know they will be rewarded for demonstrating the organization’s values
Additionally, in that same study of 500 companies, the top 21 that were seen to be “Culture Champions” over a 5 year period were seen to earn twice the returns of NASDAQ, almost four times the returns of S&P 500, while 80% of them outperformed their industry.
It doesn’t just happen overnight.
If your workplace is struggling with toxic culture, it takes a high level of commitment in order to change it. If you’re unsure if this is something you’re experiencing here are a few questions to ask:
What is our turnover rate?
Does every employee feel safe expressing their thoughts and opinions?
Is there a sense of collaboration amongst all employees and departments instead of competition?
Is our communication always respectful?
Do we ethically comply with all regulations in our field and as a business?
If even one part of you is unsure about an answer to any of these questions, let’s talk. I offer personalized and strategic support to companies to create thriving workplace cultures that value wellbeing while getting the job done. Through my unique approach, we dive deep into your current culture then co-create an action plan to achieve your culture and business goals.
