20 Indicators of a Toxic Workplace

When trust is low and presuming ill intent about others is the norm, one of the cultural behaviors that will also be seen is that someone who presents high bully or manipulative behavior will not include key players in meetings.  They may also deliberately not progress a project or deliverable as a way to exert power.

Another way this indicator is seen is when those who do want to make progress on a task or delivery will spend more time finding solutions that do not involve those who bully and manipulate.

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20 Indicators of a Toxic Workplace

Hours in the office (beyond a normal business day) can be used as a punishment / reward system.  A sense of control and power often drive this behavior with “dedication” and “team player” being used as leverage.  Quality is not as important and the time someone is perceived to be at work, even if that time is not productive.

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20 Indicators of a Toxic Workplace

The broad belief that information is power is a belief that will drive someone hoard knowledge.  This creates chaos and confusion but also gives those who hoard knowledge a sense of power and control.  It increases risk to the organization because of all that is hidden.  It sets a foundation for political espionage and mind games. Time is spent scheming or trying to find answers versus building products and services that the market needs.

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20 Indicators of a Toxic Workplace

Outside of necessary analytical situations, comparison is a killjoy. Yet, it is a tool often used in work places as a method to evaluate how well someone does their job. This might be effective if objective measurements were installed and humans were not in charge.  In healthy organizations, this system can sometimes go badly.  In toxic organizations, it can become a tool of political power and control… it can also drive pressure to support unethical behaviors. 

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20 Indicators of a Toxic Workplace

This one presents almost as a caste system where a particular set of people are off limits for anyone outside a culturally-understood range: job grade, levels down on the org chart, or certain pre-existing associations that allow access.  As a result, there is often lost productivity, decreased quality, and higher levels of dissatisfaction because those who have the answers, often won’t speak to those who need their input.

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Trust at Work Survey

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Last year I conducted an initial, small sample survey on conflict at work.  One of the findings that stood out was in regard to two questions on trust:  

  • Do you believe your peers and coworkers trust you?  96% of responders said yes.

  • Do you trust your peers and coworkers?  Responses dropped by a clear 30%. 

I want to better understand this dynamic: Is this an indicator of a broader commonality?  Or, is this really not all that common?  

I would love your help by taking and sharing this survey – it is completely anonymous & takes 30 to 60 seconds of time to answer.  

Survey Link: Trust at Work