Be it for an organization or a specific department, toxic behaviors in the workplace means inefficiency and even attrition.
For creating a thriving and opportunity-filled environment that offers a lot of space for workers to grow and advance, toxic behaviors have to be prevented or alleviated.
Here are 5 red flags for leaders to look for to spot a toxic workplace:
Pessimism: Nothing excites your team member or members and all that you hear often are complaints, and remarks about how the task is impossible and that nothing is working out. Negativity is visible in actions that are not productive often.
Gossip: Did you know what he said? I feel we are not being shown the entire scenario! Did you know that the rest are getting a hike?
These are examples of how gossip looks in a workplace. Gossip indicates doubt and uncertainty. People engage in whataboutery and interpretation because they are not seeing the actual picture.
Bullying: When a team member or a group is being put down on any given occasion, saddled with work unfairly, and pulled up constantly for different things— it is toxicity in its most detrimental form. These could also consist of microaggressions.
Absenteeism: Often, an employee or a few employees take-offs, citing different reasons. Toxicity can take a toll on physical health and cause mental stress. It can manifest as bouts of fatigue, headache, or reasons to not report to work and shirk responsibility.
Silos: It is a matter of concern when there are silos within a team or in an organization, in place of exchanges and healthy conversations every day. Blocked communication impedes process and affects results.
A toxic workplace means personal conflicts between people or groups. Preventing it needs robust systems of communication, transparency, and culture that support everyone’s progress.
