The right workplace environment brings with it overall success. Not only will employees be more productive and creative, but they will also be more likely to share ideas that elevate the business and take it to the next level. On the other hand, a toxic work environment can lead to critical issues that inevitably contribute to a business’s downfall.
In day-to-day work, it can be difficult to see the forest for the trees, meaning that leaders aren’t always able to see the warning signs that something is going wrong. Below, 17 Forbes Business Council members each share one symptom leaders should continuously watch for to ensure a healthy workplace is being created and maintained.
1. Poor Communication
Poor communication between management and employees often leads to a toxic environment. In our company of 15 employees, we have set meetings each quarter where everyone—and I mean everyone—sits down and takes a turn to openly share their thoughts or concerns regarding how things are going. It took some time to get going and to build confidence, but it has proved to be a real success. – Gareth Parkin, GoPromotional
2. Fear Of Speaking Up
Fear of speaking up and recriminations is a sign of a toxic environment. Leaders need to remember that we’re not perfect and problems are normal. The earlier you identify issues, the easier it is to prevent toxicity. Leaders should also invite specific input. Asking whether they have any questions may generate zero responses—some due to fear. Instead, ask inviting questions like “How might we make this decision and act upon it?” – Jerry Cahn, Age Brilliantly
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3. ‘Selfish’ Goals
Leaders need to first take a good look at themselves. A toxic work environment is often created (or enabled) by management itself, marking the main difference between a boss and a leader. If management’s goals are “selfish” with little to no consideration of the team’s mental health and motivation, that’s a good place to start looking for symptoms. – Sal Pazhoor, Naztec International Group LLC
4. Mental Health Decline
One symptom that leaders must watch out for is a decline in the mental health of their people. A recent survey we conducted revealed that 54% of workers say their focus at work has changed over the last 12 months. This survey revealed that many global employees’ number one priority in life is their mental well-being. As such, leaders must consider implementing new strategies and programs that prioritize their employees’ mental health. – Tony Jamous, Oyster®
5. Disengagement
The definition of disengagement is the action or process of withdrawing from involvement in a particular activity, situation or group. When a decline in interest or passion for job duties occurs, there is usually an underlying issue that becomes the drive or “park” of workflow and productivity within the team as a whole. Identify the toxicity and deal with it head-on. – Kimberly Branham-Nelson, Nelson and Associates Insurance
6. High Turnover Rate
One symptom of a toxic work environment that leaders should watch for is a high employee turnover rate. When employees often leave, it may indicate underlying issues like poor management, lack of support or a hostile atmosphere. To address this, leaders should encourage open dialogue, offer anonymous feedback channels and proactively seek to understand and resolve the root causes of the problem. – Andrei Neacsu, HyperSense Software SRL
7. Constant Team Conflict
One clear sign that you are dealing with a toxic workplace is constant conflict in the team. Conflict in the workplace arises when employees on the team can longer communicate honestly and openly about the things that are bugging them. This allows resentment to fester under the surface, leading to passive aggression. This then creates the perfect conditions for toxicity to thrive. – Erik Pham, Health Canal
8. Hyper-Competitiveness
Over-competitiveness in the workplace is one symptom of a toxic work environment because it often shows a lack of teamwork and tension between employees. If employees feel like they are constantly in competition with one another, it is a sign that leadership is not properly creating a collaborative and cohesive work environment. – Josh Thompson, Thompson Exterior Services
9. Lack Of Collaboration And Communication
One symptom of a toxic work environment is a lack of collaboration and open communication. When employees don’t feel safe expressing their ideas or concerns, they become disengaged and unwilling to take risks or speak up. Therefore, leaders must watch for signs of low morale and decreased productivity as a result of closed mindsets and fear-based decision making. – Tomas Keenan, Step It Up Academy
10. Chronic Complainers
Leaders must take notice of chronic complainers in the workplace. They can damage the business by spreading negativity, lowering morale and reducing productivity. These employees create a toxic work environment, harm the business’s reputation and hinder progress by rejecting solutions and contributions. – Udi Dorner, SetSchedule
11. ‘Quiet Quitting’
Leaders must be aware of one symptom in a toxic work environment: “quiet quitting.” This results in employees doing the bare minimum, disengaging from the company’s values, refraining from sharing their opinions and not being passionate about what they do. If employees aren’t striving for excellence, providing solutions to problems and taking initiative, it shows that a team’s culture is destructive. – Kent Ingle, Southeastern University
12. Low Morale
Leaders must watch for low employee morale as a sign of toxic work culture. Ignoring it risks productivity, talent and the loss of team morale even more. Leaders must encourage open communication and engage employees to identify and fix the root of the problem. A healthy workplace culture investment leads to long-term success and employee satisfaction. – Chris Kille, Payment Pilot
13. Lack Of Zeal
Lack of zeal in employees is a symptom of a toxic work environment. This can happen when employees feel that they are moving without a proper direction or a clear roadmap. When they do not know what to achieve or when they know that they are not going to achieve what they aspire for, employees show least interest in work and will quit when they get something better to work on. – Raj Maddula, Global Squirrels
14. No Desire To Take Risks
A toxic culture can emerge when there is no incentive to take calculated risks. This often happens when the founder has left the company or if corporate bullies are not reprimanded. Taking risks must be encouraged and commended, even if the outcome is unsuccessful. A 360-degree review process can ensure that all employee’s ideas are heard and bullying is kept in check. – Chris Haroun, Haroun Education Ventures, Inc.
15. Contempt
If a subordinate or fellow employee is being treated with contempt, that is different from simply calling out someone for not following company rules and regulations. One sign of contempt is the ratio of reprimands to praises. If interactions are mostly on the reprimand side, something is wrong. – Zain Jaffer, Zain Ventures
16. Gossip
Gossip in the break room can be tremendously toxic. It’s often the result of someone who’s unhappy with someone else on your team. They prefer to whisper behind their back and don’t want to confront the issue that they have with the other person directly. – Dr. David Lenihan, Tiber Health
17. No Workplace Boundaries
Toxic environments often normalize and even reward the lacking of healthy boundaries in the workplace. Whether it’s an in-office or remote environment, the end result often comes back to prioritizing work over everything else. Look out for Friday afternoon emails with tasks that have Monday deadlines as an example. Training all levels of management on this is key to avoiding perpetuating toxicity. – Dana Neiger, HIVE Talent Acquisition Firm
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