This is Part 2 in a series on Preventing Toxic Behaviors at Work. Read Part 1 here.
Now that you understand a bit about performance, let’s shift our focus to defining toxic behavior. Some behaviors are easy to see, while others are more subtle and do damage over time. Everfi, a company that educates employees on the topics of harassment and discrimination, defines a toxic workplace as a workplace “characterized by productivity-hindering interpersonal conflicts that tend to be characterized by distrust, bullying, resentment, unethical behaviors, manipulation, mean-spiritedness, or even harassment or discrimination.” In the US, we place a lot of emphasis on educating leaders and employees about harassment and discrimination because these behaviors are illegal. We clearly outline the behaviors we don’t want to see. Often that is where the education on our expectations for behavior ends.
Behaviors and attitudes of your employees create your culture. They can lead to a positive culture or a toxic culture. I describe toxic behavior on a continuum. On the lower end of the continuum, you may see employees who dominate meetings, know-it-all attitudes, and chronic negativity. These behaviors can do damage over time, but most people would just find them annoying and may even attribute them to an employee’s personality. Near the middle of the continuum, you find behaviors like taking credit for other’s work, blaming others for mistakes, and gossiping. These behaviors are intentional and will quickly erode trust and teamwork. On the high end of the continuum are intentional, malicious, and destructive (and even illegal) behaviors like bullying, harassment, and discrimination.
Sometimes it is hard for leaders to see toxic behaviors. For example, you may not know that someone is taking credit for someone else’s work or gossiping to colleagues. In other instances, it is easy to overlook behaviors because the employee is producing results. Essentially, they ARE doing what you are paying them to do. Does “how” they behave towards others really matter? Yes, it does.
While you cannot avoid or eliminate every ounce of toxic behavior in your workplace, you can take steps to eliminate some of the attitudes or behaviors from popping up in your organization.
Here are a few key items to consider.
Too often we describe what needs to get done, but we rarely describe how the work should get done. Think about what you want employees to experience when they are working for you. You don’t want employees to fake happiness in their work, however, you can describe how you want employees to interact with you and with each other. For example
Regardless of the employee’s position in the company or their connection to the owner of the business all employees must be held to the same level of accountability. If the owner’s son shows up late everyday creating productivity or quality issues for the team. That behavior needs to be addressed just as it would be with any other employee. If it isn’t addressed, morale (not to mention Focus and Fire) will be out the window.
Don’t just reward high performance based strictly on numbers. The way people conduct themselves around customers and colleagues should also be figured into the equation for promotions and raises.
A study done at London Business School found that companies with more “action” language in their mission statements or as a part of their company values had more culture issues and more Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) complaints than companies that had more thoughtful language.
After Uber faced legal and cultural trouble, the new CEO engaged company employees in taking a critical look at the company’s values. Words on a page can’t be to blame for all the company’s issues. However, current CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi, says that values like “Always be hustlin’,” “Principled confrontation,” and “Meritocracy and toe-stepping” were intended to encourage employees to be entrepreneurial and to share ideas freely. Instead, Khosrowshahi says, “they were used as an excuse for being an asshole.”
Take a look at your mission statement and values. Are they encouraging and supporting the culture you want? Or are they sending the wrong message.
Owning a business and leading people are both stressful. Do you take your stress and frustration out on your employees? Everyone has an off day now and then, but if you are consistently allowing your stress to impact the way you feel and act at work—you could be a part of the problem.
Addressing toxic behavior is always difficult, but necessary. It is important that you address it as quickly as you can and handle the conversation in a respectful and productive way. The longer the behavior has been going on the more difficult the conversation.
Here are some tips for conducting the conversation.
I recommend practicing what you will say prior to the conversation. Think about the potential reactions an employee might have to your message. Think about how you will respond to the different reactions. If you practice with someone you will be more prepared and less likely to get lost in your own emotions during the conversation.
If you can’t get the employee to change their behavior you may need to let them go. Be sure to prepare for this outcome long before you come to the end of your rope. You can take a good partner (like Audacity HR!) to guide you through this process.
Remember the behaviors and attitudes of your employees impact your culture—positively or negatively. As the leader, it is your responsibility to set the tone and expectations. By considering performance PLUS attitude AND behavior as a measure of success you can create an atmosphere where every employee can be their best.
This is Part 2 in a series on Preventing Toxic Behaviors at Work. Read Part 1 here.
Author Bio:
Dawn Johnson is an author, speaker, and the founder of On the Rise Development, LLC. As an advocate for thriving workplaces, Dawn has dedicated more than a decade to helping leaders and employees grow in their careers.
She earned her B.A. in Psychology along with a Master of Business Administration and a Master of Arts in Management, all from The College of St. Scholastica.
Dawn was recently certified in the Reina Team Trust and Leadership Trust Scales which are used to assess trust levels of individual leaders and within teams.
She is eagerly anticipating the publication of her first book. Outwit the Workplace Bully: 8 Steps You Need to Know to Reclaim Your Career, Confidence, and Sanity will be available on Amazon in January of 2022.
To learn more about Dawn and On the Rise Development, visit www.ontherisedevelopment.com
Read Dawn’s article on TRUST in the workplace here.
HR Resources
Is your Employee Handbook updated and in compliance with Minnesota law? Read about the changes here.
Input your search keywords and press Enter.
Sign up for our newsletters and never miss an HR update!
Comments are closed.