The emergence of a toxic culture can be highly detrimental to an organization, leading to increased employee turnover and declines in performance and productivity. When leaders begin receiving consistent feedback that a toxic work environment is forming, it is imperative they take steps to identify and address the issue promptly and effectively. However, locating the origins of toxicity and initiating necessary changes without alienating team members can be a daunting challenge.
Below, 14 Forbes Coaches Council members share strategic approaches leadership teams can adopt to identify and address the roots of toxicity while fostering a harmonious workplace, ultimately paving the way to a healthier and more productive organizational culture.
1. Examine Your Organizationâs Structure
The saying âstrategy sets structure, and structure breeds behaviorâ is true. When all is said and done, the root cause will often be the organizationâs structure. Factors might include the number of managers, power distribution, autonomy levels and control and coordination mechanisms, to name a few. Designing an organization includes designing the factors that influence culture. – Peter Brodie, The Orgworks
2. Consider Maslowâs Hierarchy Of Needs
Companies that have reached this level of toxicity need to get back to basics. Consider Maslowâs hierarchy of needs (physiological, safety, love and belonging, esteem, and self-actualization) and whether you are meeting them. In addition, I would review organizational values. Are you embedding them in the leadership style, culture, decision making and business processes? – Eugene Dilan, Psy.D., DILAN Consulting Group
3. Have External Consultants Survey And Interview Employees
Bring in external consultants to facilitate anonymous surveys, followed by confidential interviews with employees at multiple levels in your organization that are informed by the survey findings. Ask the consultants to scrub the feedback for attribution and sort their findings into âyellow flagâ and âred flagâ themes that identify the source(s) of growing toxicity. – Sheri Nasim, Center for Executive Excellence
4. Start With The C-Suite
Starting at the top is crucial; toxic behavior in the C-suite can spread throughout the organization. The board must engage, particularly when toxicity stems from the CEO. It is vital to identify excessive narcissism and initiate a feedback process for the executive team. Getting confidential, expert external assistance is also essential to help diagnose any specific character issues. – Ana Reed, Newmanity
5. Do 360-Degree Assessments For The Executive Team
Culture is a mirror of leadership. High turnover and a toxic culture typically mean there is a systemic issue that originates at the top. The challenge is that a toxic culture breeds a lack of psychological safety. A combination of 360-degree assessments for the executive team, an engagement survey and an executive off-site to evaluate behavioral norms can help align the team to expected norms to rebuild the culture. – Alex Draper, DX Learning Solutions
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6. Hire An External Assessor To Collect Feedback
Itâs best to involve an external assessor to collect and analyze feedback from multiple sources while being mindful of legal considerations (such as confidentiality, privacy, avoiding discrimination and bias, informed consent and utilizing feedback for development purposes). Gossip can often become exaggerated, so it is recommended to use effective, evidence-based measures. – Joanne Valli-Meredith, PhD, BeyondAdmissions, Inc.
7. Nurture A Psychologically Safe Space To Hear Concerns
Addressing a high-turnover culture requires a strategic approach to identify root causes and implement effective remedies while minimizing significant disruptions. Leadership teams should start by nurturing a psychologically safe space where they can hear concerns, issues and suggestions without employees fearing retaliation. Conduct an organizational culture assessment with unbiased analysis to identify patterns. – Dr. Flo Falayi, Korn Ferry
8. Have One-On-One Conversations With Team Members
In group settings, it is unlikely that the elements of toxicity will surface. Through one-on-one conversations, however, leaders will be able to properly diagnose the issue, verify it through conversations with all members and decide on a course of action. Moreover, team members can also help raise the morale of those employees who may be feeling alienated. – Karina Ochis, Prof. Dr. Karina Ochis
9. Dig Into Problematic Areas With An Anonymous Survey
With a toxic culture, you need a safe way for people to come forward without feeling as if there could be retaliation. Youâll need to ask for feedback about the culture in an anonymous way to get the real truth. An anonymous survey that pokes at the areas you think are toxic is a good way to learn whatâs really going on. – Stacey Ackerman, NavigateAgile
10. Look In The Mirror
If you, as a senior leader in a company, start receiving feedback about a toxic culture forming, it is time to look in the mirror. Culture and toxicity start at the top and filter down, because the behaviors being exhibited were allowed to occur. That means, the buck stops with senior leadership, and you need to start asking themselves what you did, or did not do, that facilitated this situation. – John Knotts, Crosscutter Enterprises
11. Review Exit Interviews And Do Biannual Surveys
Itâd be surprising if the source of the toxicity wasnât uncovered through exit interviews, particularly if turnover is high. Iâd recommend a biannual, anonymous companywide employee engagement survey that encourages staff to provide constructive feedback on culture. This will uncover the issue, and a regular survey will both help monitor progress toward improvement and provide an early-warning detection system. – Angela Sedran, The Business Growth Accelerator
12. Understand Employeesâ Concerns And Seek Their Input
To address a toxic culture, leaders must understand employeesâ concerns. Conduct a survey or do interviews to gauge their perceptions. Consider an external facilitator to engage employees in sessions, seeking their input on solutions. Involving employees fosters a sense of being heard and empowers them to co-create a healthier culture. – Sandeep Jain, Value-Unlocked Private Limited
13. Always Listen To Team Membersâ Concerns With An Open Mind
Ideally, youâll never find yourself investigating the source of a toxic workplace culture. By the time a toxic culture has formed, especially one leading to high turnover, something has already gone terribly wrongâand has likely been going wrong for some time. This is why itâs important to always listen deeply and with an open mind to concerns being expressed by team members, whatever their position. – Carol Geffner, CB Vision LLC.
14. Tackle Uncovered Root Causes Head-On, With Empathy
First, the company must create psychological safety to allow people to speak up without fear of retribution. This is a must. Next, take strategic steps such as doing anonymous surveys or bringing in a third party to conduct audits and interviews to identify patterns and see if the issue is localized or widespread. Once the root causes have been identified, then tackle them head-onâand with empathy. – Supriya Venkatesan, Samskara.co