Last week I was approached by an organisation that wanted me to run a team building workshop to ‘fix’ their ‘toxic culture’.
I had to take a deep breath and explain that delivering a workshop as a fix for that sort of problem is a bit like putting a band-aid on a broken bone 🤦♀️.
A toxic work culture in a business can take many forms, but some common signs include:
1. High turnover rates: If employees are constantly leaving the company, it could be a sign of a toxic work environment. People may not feel valued, respected, or supported in their roles.
2. Poor communication: If there's a lack of open communication, feedback, and transparency between employees and management, it can lead to confusion, misunderstandings, and resentment.
3. Micromanagement: If managers are constantly looking over employees' shoulders, not trusting them to do their jobs, it can create a stressful and demotivating work environment.
4. Lack of work-life balance: If the company culture rewards overwork, long hours, and being always "on," it can lead to burnout and exhaustion, which can negatively impact employees' mental and physical health.
5. Discrimination and harassment: If employees feel discriminated against or harassed based on their race, gender, sexuality, or other personal characteristics, it can create a hostile and unsafe work environment.
6. Blame culture: If employees are constantly blamed for mistakes or failures, rather than being supported and encouraged to learn from them, it can create a culture of fear and defensiveness.
7. Lack of accountability: If managers and leaders are not held accountable for their actions or decisions, it can create a culture of impunity, where there are no consequences for unethical or inappropriate behaviour.
Overall, a toxic work culture can lead to low morale, decreased productivity, and a high turnover rate, which can negatively impact the success of a business.
Fixing a toxic work culture is a complex and challenging process, but it's possible with a concerted effort from leadership and employees.
Here are some steps that can help:
1. Acknowledge the problem: The first step is to recognise that there is a toxic work culture and identify the specific issues that are causing it. This requires honest and open communication from all levels of the organisation.
2. Lead by example: Leaders need to model the behaviour they want to see in the workplace. This means treating employees with respect, being transparent and accountable, and creating a supportive work environment.
3. Get feedback: It's important to listen to employees and get their feedback on what's working and what's not. This can be done through surveys, focus groups, or one-on-one meetings.
4. Implement changes: Based on the feedback, leaders need to take action to address the issues that are causing a toxic work culture. This may involve changes in policies, procedures, or leadership styles.
5. Provide support: It's important to provide resources and support for employees who may have been impacted by the toxic culture. This could include counselling, training, or mentoring.
6. Celebrate progress: As changes are implemented, it's important to celebrate progress and recognise the efforts of employees who are working to improve the work culture.
7. Stay committed: Fixing a toxic work culture is not a one-time event, but an ongoing process. It requires a long-term commitment from leadership and employees to create a positive and healthy work environment.
For this particular business, I have put together a comprehensive strategy to reverse the toxic culture by addressing the underlying causes and promoting a positive and healthy work environment. It will involve a number of steps, namely:
1. Conducting a thorough assessment of the company's culture, including employee surveys, interviews, and focus groups to identify the root causes.
2. Developing a set of clear values and expectations that align with the company's mission and vision, then communicating these values to all employees and hold everyone accountable for living up to them.
3. Providing training and support to managers and employees on topics such as communication, conflict resolution, diversity and inclusion, and leadership skills.
4. Encouraging open communication and feedback from employees at all levels, and creating channels for employees to share their ideas, concerns, and feedback with management.
5. Recognising and rewarding positive behaviour that aligns with the company's values and expectations, including incentives, promotions, and other forms of recognition.
6. Making sure that leaders understand they are accountable for creating and maintaining a positive and healthy work environment, which includes setting a good example, enforcing company policies, and addressing toxic behaviour.
I have explained that changing a toxic culture takes time and effort, and so it’s important to be patient and persistent in implementing the strategy and measuring progress regularly to track changes.
At the end of the day, reversing a toxic culture requires a sustained effort from all levels of an organisation, and prioritising the well-being of employees by fostering a positive work environment where everyone feels valued and supported, is a worthy reward!
Wish me luck!!
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