“Toxic” is a word that all bosses want to avoid at all costs. When employees believe that the company culture is toxic, it means it’s beyond saving. At the very least, the workplace will require gutting from the inside to ensure none of the former environment remains.
It’s rare for leaders to see the signs of an unhealthy workspace and ignore them because they impact the entire business. But what about the signs that you miss? What about the stuff that goes under your radar?
You may not think that the following indicators point to much, but they may highlight how much your company’s culture is deteriorating.
A Lack Of Communication
Take a look around the office – is everybody dutifully working away and focusing on their workload? On the face of it, this appears to be a positive thing. Although they aren’t speaking, your team is concentrating on being productive, which is their job.
However, the fact that there is silence in the room is revealing. Firstly, it highlights that colleagues aren’t comfortable working with each other. As a result, they can’t solve problems or share information.
Alternatively, it’s a sign that they are scared of the repercussions of openly talking in the office.
Money-Based Perks
The company perks are pretty extensive in your view. As long as everybody works hard, they’ll earn more money. There’s nothing bad about that.
LifeWorks disagrees because the business that is dedicated to corporate welfare has a revealing stat. 60% of job seekers say that perks are major incentives when choosing an employer, whereas 80% of employees prefer benefits over a pay rise.
You are probably doing it subconsciously, but only offering financial rewards implies that a balance between life and work isn’t important. It is.
Giving You A Wide Berth
You need a healthy level of respect if you’re going to be a successful leader. Of course, respect is earned and not given. Sadly, too many managers resort to shouting and yelling to cover the gaps in their leadership abilities.
This is toxic because it stunts debate. Your employees won’t feel comfortable raising concerns, so they won’t bother. When this happens, morale plummets and the opportunity to analyse authentic feedback goes by the wayside.
There’s one surefire indication that you’re a shouter – everyone gives you a wide berth. If this is the case, you must learn when to raise your voice and when to put an arm around a shoulder.
Not Realising Errors Are Human
Your employees are going to make mistakes. This is as inevitable as the sun rising and setting every day. The problem is not a human error – the issue is not understanding the limitations of your workers.
When something goes wrong, you want to punish the person so that they know not to do it again. However, this teaches them one thing – that risks aren’t worth taking. As a result, the entire office becomes androgynous clones that play it safe.
Should this happen, your business won’t be successful. It will get to the middle of the road and plateau as it lacks the innovation to go further.
