A toxic work environment can be detrimental on several fronts. Not only does it result in an organization being unable to hold on to high-quality talent, but it can also negatively impact the work being done for and with customers.
Leaders may expect employees to speak up before leaving, but the truth is that many employees likely won’t bring problems to leaders’ attention. Instead, leaders have to develop a discerning eye for identifying key signs of toxicity and then swiftly address those issues before they become embedded in the culture of the organization permanently. To help, 20 Forbes Business Council members each offer one symptom of a toxic environment that leaders must watch out for and what leaders can do to implement lasting change.
1. High Turnover Rates
One symptom of a toxic work environment that leaders should be on alert for is high turnover rates. If employees are frequently leaving an organization for any number of reasons, it could signify underlying issues such as poor management, micromanagement, microaggressions, lack of support, low morale or constant stress. Addressing these concerns promptly can prevent a toxic culture from taking root. – Danni White, DW Creative Consulting Agency
2. A Lack Of Psychological Safety
One symptom of a toxic environment that leaders must watch for is a lack of psychological safety. When it’s compromised, employees don’t feel like they can take risks, voice their opinions, ask questions and make mistakes without consequences. Managers who don’t participate or show an interest in learning and development or empowering leadership in employees is a strong indicator of such an environment. – René Janssen, Lepaya
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3. Employees Won’t Speak Up
The flashing red sign is when people aren’t willing to speak up. Someone recently shared with me that their employee engagement survey came back with 300 comments from only 200 employees. The ratings were low and the comments were harsh, but it was a great sign of an open culture where people cared enough to comment. Everyone has issues, but you can’t address them if you don’t talk about them. – Dan Michelson, InCommon
4. An Increase In Hushed Or Secretive Conversations
Toxicity thrives when there is an environment that allows for it to happen. A noticeable increase in hushed or secretive conversations can be a telltale sign of such a toxic atmosphere. In this scenario, employees often don’t feel comfortable sharing their thoughts, suggestions or concerns openly. Employees may feel unsafe or undervalued, and this communication breakdown must not be ignored. – Lyn Corbett, PhD, The Pivotal Group Consultants, Inc.
5. Disengagement
I see toxicity as any interaction that is not mutually beneficial, which broadens the scope of what we would label as toxic and what symptoms we would see as resulting from toxic behavior. The first and most serious symptom is staff who have simply resigned themselves to trading time for money or those who have otherwise abdicated any ownership in their work product. – David Ellis, Neto
6. A Decrease In Team Support And Collaboration
I personally get concerned when I hear the phrase “I don’t want to step on toes” as I feel this shows an underlying crack in a team’s ability to support each other to solve business problems. A good culture should encourage recognition of the power of collective strengths. That phrase makes me want to understand more about team dynamics and how to help people thrive and take ownership. – Kirsty Jarvis, Luminous PR
7. A Clear Divide Between Team Members
A toxic work environment is, unfortunately, something that we see too often, as it’s noticeable when it comes from managerial or senior employees. A clear symptom of this can be seen with a clear divide between certain team members. When cliques are formed and some are left out, it can make them feel as though they are not wanted or welcome to work with the rest of their team. – Dina Mattar, DVerse Marketing and PR LLC
8. Silence
I remember hearing a funny phrase about culture when I was in the Royal Navy: “If the sailor is not complaining, then there is something seriously wrong.” Sailors normally feel comfortable sharing any issues or concerns. Problems were shared when sailors knew they were being listened to. Silence either meant there was a big issue or worse, they felt detached and unheard. Beware of silence! – Manley Hopkinson, Manley Talks Ltd – Compassionate Leadership Academy
9. Growing Passive Aggressiveness Or Discomfort
I worked in broadcasting and I once saw a manager throw a chair at somebody. A long time ago this was actually acceptable and, of course, scary. If you notice passive aggressiveness or feel uncomfortable in somebody’s presence, then something is off. One bad apple can spoil the whole bunch. – Samantha Frontera, Samantha Frontera
10. A Rise In Rumors About Management
Leaders must tackle a critical symptom of toxicity: damaging rumors circulated by employees about management. Open communication and swift issue resolution are vital for effective intervention in such environments. Creating a supportive and transparent work culture encourages employees to speak up and helps leaders proactively address issues, fostering a healthier and more productive workplace. – Vinayak Mahtani, bnbme Holiday Homes
11. Unprofessional Jokes
Inappropriate jokes and slurs could be a sign that the work environment has become toxic, and it is the team leader’s responsibility to change that culture. This is done firstly by awareness and then communicating clearly what the consequences are if these boundaries are violated. Everybody needs to know that they will be held accountable by someone. – Richard Harrington, Richflix Inc.
12. No Desire For Responsibilities Or Accountability
In a toxic work environment, people run from or fear accountability. This results in ownership of teams, initiatives and objectives being constantly assigned in a top-down way. In a healthy culture, ownership is filled more organically and people run to responsibility and accountability, knowing they’ll be supported by their colleagues and the organization. – Nathan Christensen, Mineral
13. A Lack Of Open Communication
Lack of open communication and unresolved conflicts among employees is one of the symptoms of a toxic environment. This, therefore, indicates a toxic work environment that leaders must be vigilant about. – Salvador Ordorica, The Spanish Group LLC
14. An Increase In Employee Absenteeism
In a toxic work environment, employees often hesitate to voice their concerns to leaders, leading to critical issues. One key symptom leaders must watch for is increased employee absenteeism and turnover. When good employees start disengaging and leaving, it indicates deeper problems that demand immediate attention. Prioritizing a supportive culture fosters trust and leads to a healthy workplace. – Starr Codd, Baby Doll Luxury Hair
15. Growing Competitiveness
A famine mindset is one of the most detrimental perceptions that can hinder a team. Competition is a wonderful motivator, however, when outperforming your peers takes priority over team growth, the environment must be adjusted. A good leader promotes a rising tide that lifts all vessels. – Danny Massa, Breathe In With Danny
16. A Decrease In Interactions Between Colleague
William Bruce Cameron is credited with observing that “Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts.” The same is true in identifying problematic symptoms. I suggest leaders attend to the nature of interactions among colleagues. Are conversations regularly taking place or only sporadically and when required? Do colleagues look happy and engaged or not? – Scott Friedman, Lippes Mathias LLP & Varia Ventures LLC
17. An Increase In Overtime
If you start noticing your employees doing overtime, this means either the workload is too heavy or someone in your team is not fulfilling their tasks on time, which is causing the rest of the team to work even harder than they do. At the end of the day, your employees will be more stressed and unmotivated. They will start seeing the workplace as something they want to avoid and end up leaving. – Raquel Gomes, Stafi
18. Low Morale
One of the symptoms that always stands out in a toxic work environment is low morale. Low morale can lead to high turnover, poor work and a loss of reputation for a business. One way to prevent this is to stay on top of the numbers in your business. Too many leaders delegate oversight of their businesses, and the cause of the low morale may often be the very person the leader is relying on. – Chris Clear, Clear Storage Group, LLC
19. A Lack Of Trust
One major symptom of a toxic environment that leaders should be vigilant for is a pervasive lack of trust. This is shown via secrecy, fear of mistakes, gossip, high turnover, low morale and unresolved conflicts. – Jeremy Bradley-Silverio Donato, Zama
20. The Inability Of Employees To Take Personal Responsibility
When people don’t own their mistakes and don’t trust their team to help them, it’s a clear breakdown for the entire team. It can lead to customer issues, process problems and a chaotic environment. Look out for individuals who don’t trust that the team is there to help them, feel attacked when a problem is presented or have an issue admitting any wrongdoing or blaming others. – Adam Rumanek, Aux Mode
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