Signs of toxic workplace culture
People often don't even realise that they are working in a toxic workplace.
But there are many clear signs of a toxic atmosphere.
The right inspiring work environment provides opportunities for professional development, positive self-image development, social interaction and self-esteem growth.
You may have read about this topic in a previous publication:
But what if the negative influences prevail, and they increasingly feel drained, anxious and exhausted at work?
To create a better employee experience and improve engagement and retention, management needs to recognise the signs of a toxic workplace to combat negativity.
After the first waves of the coronavirus epidemic, a completely different approach to the labour market has emerged than has been prevalent.
We can now do our work in a very different way in terms of space and time, away from conventional formats and time frames.
Surely we all know that we spend a significant part of our time and our lives at work.
The environment and corporate culture in which we do this is very important.
A toxic workplace culture can have a very destructive impact on your personal life and mental health.
So it is worth looking out for these clear signs, whether as an employee or as an employer.
As an employee, you should always check how your current environment matches these characteristics and draw conclusions from this.
For a company, it is equally crucial to understand what is causing the current atmosphere that has a negative impact on the internal/external perception or the effectiveness of the company.
Some employees can combat burnout by quietly resigning and doing their minimum at their jobs.
Signs of a toxic workplace culture
#1 Autocratic leadership
I have mentioned in several of my publications that this kind of leadership style has become a completely ultra-conservative and outdated method.
New generations immediately reject this autocratic approach.
My subjective opinion is that if a company doesn't recognise this - it will lose its competitive edge with the younger generations in a very short time.
This style brings a sense of worthlessness to the employees with a total lack of confidence. This has the immediate effect of stifling innovative solutions and creativity.
Constant control sends the message "I don't trust you."
It is important to define and monitor tasks accurately but excessive control destroys trust.
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#2 Fear of making mistakes
Everyone makes mistakes every day. If you don't make mistakes, you don't do anything.
If an employee is on a path of improvement, they will certainly make mistakes.
However, it does matter how a manager supports this by getting the right consequences.
In toxic workplaces, blame can be observed: What was the mistake and who is responsible for it?
It is of course important to take responsibility, but in a healthy inspiring workplace culture this can also be approached as: What did we learn together from the situation? What should we do differently or better next time in a similar situation?
#3 Irrelevant expectations and deadlines
The effectiveness of delegation often depends on the competence of the leader. For each task to be delegated, it is necessary to have an accurate knowledge of the time, resources and skills required to complete the task, taking into account the current competence level of the employee.
The manager needs to know these attributes in order to create an individual inspiring development plan for the employee to achieve a healthy increase in efficiency.
A great example - we all know roughly how many kilograms of oranges we can squeeze 1 litre of orange juice from. We certainly have the scope to increase efficiency if we do this with better quality equipment or if we grow oranges with more attention to the orchard.
However, there is a limit beyond which you can no longer squeeze oranges or workers.
#4 Enervated colleagues
Everyone can have a bad day and a bad mood. I've slept badly, the weather is bad, I feel sick, the bus is late - it's natural.
As with everything, there is a larger pattern to this peculiarity.
This is one of the most basic signs of a toxic workplace culture.
Look around your workplace and regularly observe the facial expressions of colleagues.
You can always see who is happy, who is very focused on the task at hand.
Similarly, in such a negative environment, we can observe faces that are anxious, frustrated, rude and lethargic.
There are many reasons for this: These can include overworked employees, lack of recognition and trust, or even extreme situations such as harsh and abusive treatment.
Low employee morale can feed negativity throughout the workplace and affect others. Any negativity should be addressed immediately. Management needs to get to the root of the problem to prevent the cycle of vicious negativity and create a more productive workplace culture.
#5 High turnover
Of course, in the life of any company, there can be temporary economic effects that increase the otherwise normal level of employee turnover over a period of time.
It may happen that for a short period of time the company is unable to offer its employees competitive salaries or a variety of inspiring tasks/projects.
However, a persistently high trend should be a red flag that sends a serious warning signal to employees and management alike.
If a company has very few long-tenured employees, it could be a sign of a toxic work environment.