What of this sounds familiar to you?
🔘 Someone in your team can never remember your name or consistently pronounces it wrong
🔘 You achieve something you’re proud of but no-one on your team says ‘well done’
🔘 Someone mocks you because you don’t know the answer to something or asked for clarification
🔘 You make a mistake but you don’t dare tell anyone for fear of punishment or ridicule
🔘 Feedback you receive is delayed, not evidence based, and one sided
🔘 Someone keeps telling you what to do and doesn’t ask what you think or for your ideas
🔘 There’s no accountability on your team and people get away with all sorts: missed deadlines, rudeness, lateness, malicious gossip…
🔘 There are competing priorities, a lack of alignment, and burnout is rife
🔘 You’ve no idea how decisions are made, what the context is for the decision that’s been made, and don’t understand how what you’re doing aligns with the overall goal
🔘 You’re trying to connect some dots and forge some relationships outside of your team, and someone tells you to stay in your lane, get back in your box
🔘 Someone interrupts you when you speak, or tries to take credit for your ideas
🔘 You give your boss some bad news, maybe a deadline is at risk, and they yell, blame or slam their fist on the table
🔘 You disagree with something and say so, and someone shuts you down, tells you you’re not a team player
These are all common, everyday examples of toxic behaviours and a toxic culture.
Sometimes we’re really aware of them, and other times they are subtle, like an eye roll or arms being crossed, or even out of sight, like malicious gossip or post-meeting complaints.
But every single toxic thought or action will affect the team. And the company’s bottom line.
It creates fear, insecurity, erodes confidence, stifles sharing and learning, creates inefficiencies and time wasting, and leaves people miserable, stressed and unmotivated.
In a highly competitive, rapidly changing and ambiguous world, no company can afford this.
Companies need a strong vision and mission, clear and shared values that are visibly lived and seen every day, clear, concise and positive communication, and a caring environment that coaches and mentors, and encourages learning, growth and compassion.
And they need people who will question the status quo!
With this you’ll get increased commitment, an interconnected network of co-operation, eyes-open risk taking, collaborative problem solving and innovation, and a workforce that loves to experiment, fail, learn, teach, share and grow.
People will feel like they matter, have value, are contributing to something worthwhile, are growing, and that they belong.
Psychological safety, in other words.
Just imagine the competitive edge and growth potential!
What are the behaviours that you see around you, and in yourself? Are they toxic?
Is this something you would like to change?
