7 Ways Leaders Contribute to a Toxic Workplace Environment
Toxic work environments are unfortunately all too common. And while it’s easy to place blame on individual employees, often the root cause of the toxicity can be traced back to the leaders of the organization.
In this article, we’re going to discuss how leaders contribute to the toxic work environment and what can we do to fix it.
What causes toxic leadership?
In today’s workplace, leaders have a tremendous impact on the environment. Unfortunately, leaders can also create and maintain a toxic workplace if they lack the skills to lead their team effectively.
According to the article published in the journal of the Academy of Management Perspectives, Vol. 20, №1, The Good, the Bad, and the Misguided: How Managers Inadvertently Encourage Deviant Behaviors, Barrie E. Litzky, Kimberly A. Eddleston and Deborah L. Kidder found that even relatively modest levels of toxic behavior can cause major organizational cost, including client loss, loss of employee morale, increased turnover, and loss of legitimacy among important internal and external stakeholders.
Toxic workplaces are defined by unhealthy behaviors, such as bullying, harassment, and discrimination. These behaviors can lead to a decrease in motivation, productivity, and morale, as well as an increase in stress, anxiety, and health issues.
In Alan Goldman’s book, Transforming Toxic Leaders, he points out that toxicity is a fact of corporate life. Toxic leaders are often the result of a complex combination of personal and organizational issues. Understanding the root cause of the toxic behavior is essential to resolving the problems.
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How do leaders create a toxic work environment?
Leaders can play a pivotal role in creating an unhealthy work atmosphere. They may do this consciously or unconsciously. A toxic leadership style and lack of empathy can lead to team members feeling demotivated, demoralized, and disengaged from their work.
While there are many ways leaders can create a toxic work environment, I picked 7 of the most common ways they negatively affect the work environment and how to prevent it.
1. Poor Communication
Poor communication has the potential to create a toxic work environment by creating feelings of mistrust, disrespect, and frustration. If employees feel like their questions or concerns are not being heard, they may become resentful towards the organization.
Furthermore, a lack of leaders’ response to electronic communication such as emails or messages can make employees feel like their efforts are not valued and unappreciated, leading to a decrease in morale and productivity. Poor communication can also lead to misunderstandings, which can escalate into bigger issues and create a stressful and hostile work environment.
To prevent poor communication from creating a toxic work environment, leaders should keep an open dialogue with their employees. This means actively listening to their ideas and concerns and responding in a timely manner.
Leaders should also create clear channels of communication, such as an email list or chat group, so that employees can easily reach out with any questions or comments.
Additionally, leaders should provide training on how to communicate effectively, such as how to give and receive feedback or how to use different communication platforms. Finally, leaders should encourage employees to speak up, and make sure that their voices are heard and respected.
2. Playing Favorites
Playing favorites creates a toxic work environment because it shows favoritism among certain employees and undermines the value of others.
It can create feelings of resentment and lead to a lack of trust among employees. This can have a detrimental effect on morale, productivity, and the entire team dynamic.
To prevent playing favorites, leaders should evaluate employees objectively and focus on their performance and not any other external factors. Leaders should also make sure that they give all employees equal opportunity and access to resources.
Leaders need to stay mindful that some may expect favoritism and take steps to avoid any suggestion of bias in their actions. Finally, leaders should be consistent in their decision-making and strive to be fair to all employees.
3. Lack of Recognition
Not recognizing and rewarding employees for their achievements can create a toxic work environment by causing feelings of resentment, frustration, and a lack of motivation.
Employees will become deflated and discouraged if their hard work is not acknowledged or rewarded. This can lead to increased turnover, decreased productivity, and a decrease in morale.
To prevent this, leaders should make sure to regularly recognize and reward employees for their accomplishments. This could include verbal praise, written commendations, bonuses and other monetary rewards, promotions, and other forms of recognition.
This will help foster a culture of appreciation and show employees that their successes are being valued.
Additionally, leaders should ensure that they are setting appropriate goals, providing feedback, and offering meaningful rewards to ensure that employees are receiving the recognition they deserve.
4. Overworking Employees
Overworking employees by expecting too much from them and not allowing them to take breaks or have time off can create a toxic work environment in multiple ways.
First, it can lead to burnout, which can cause employees to become physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted, leading to depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues.
Second, it can lead to resentment among employees who feel that their workload is not fairly distributed or that their efforts are not valued. This can lead to a decrease in morale, motivation, and productivity.
Leaders can prevent this type of toxic work environment by respecting the boundaries of their employees and understanding the importance of a healthy work-life harmony.
Leaders should ensure that they are not overloading employees with an unrealistic amount of work and allowing them to take breaks throughout the day and have time off when needed.
If there are changes in the behavior of their people, leaders should provide support. Finally, leaders should be open to feedback from their employees to ensure that their needs are being met.
5. Lack of Transparency
Lack of transparency in the workplace can create a toxic environment by creating an atmosphere of distrust and uncertainty among people.
When employees do not have access to accurate and timely information, they struggle to make informed decisions. They also feel like their voices are not being heard, and cannot trust the decisions that their leaders are making.
This can lead to a lack of commitment to the organization’s goals, low morale, and high employee turnover.
Leaders can prevent this type of toxic work environment by being transparent with their people. This means keeping them updated on any changes, decisions, processes, and other developments within the company.
Leaders should also be open to feedback and suggestions from their employees and involve them in the decision-making process. Finally, leaders should strive to create an environment of trust and mutual respect, where employees feel valued and they take their ideas into consideration.
6. Unclear Expectations
Unclear expectations can create a toxic work environment by leading to confusion, stress, and frustration among employees. When expectations are not clearly stated, it can be difficult for employees to know exactly what leaders expect of them and how to fulfill their role within the organization.
This lack of clarity can lead to feelings of uncertainty and insecurity among employees, which can spark feelings of resentment, distrust, and anger. Additionally, it can be difficult to hold people accountable when expectations are not clearly defined, which can further contribute to a toxic work environment.
Leaders can prevent this by setting clear guidelines and expectations for their people that are specific and achievable. They should also communicate these expectations clearly, often, and consistently, to ensure that people understand their roles and responsibilities.
Additionally, leaders should provide regular and constructive feedback to people, as this helps ensure people met expectations, and that people understand what they’re accountable for. Finally, leaders should use an open-door policy to ensure that people can come to them for help and clarification when needed.
I know, the open-door policy is a double-edged sword and people have conflicting opinions about it. What are your thoughts on it? Let me know in the comment section.
7. Unsupportive Attitude
Failure to provide emotional support and encouragement to employees can create a toxic work environment by causing feelings of neglect, distrust, and lack of appreciation.
Without a healthy work environment, employees may become resentful and unmotivated, leading to poor performance and a lack of commitment to their work.
Leaders can prevent this by taking the time to check-in with their people regularly and make sure they address their concerns.
They can also actively engage with their people, showing appreciation for their work and efforts. This will foster a sense of camaraderie and team spirit, and providing people with opportunities for growth and development.
Finally, providing resources such as mental health support or professional development courses can further show employees they are cared for and valued.
How do you solve toxic leadership?
Leaders play a critical role in creating a workplace environment that is free from toxicity. Taking the time to truly understand their people, actively engage with them, and provide resources that show care can help cultivate an atmosphere of respect, trust, and appreciation.
By doing so, leadership teams can create workplaces that are more conducive to holistic wellbeing, productivity, fulfillment, and success.
If you want to create a healthy workplace, read the article below next. After reading it, you’ll know how to make your employees FEEL like they’re part of an AMAZING COMMUNITY and that YOU care about them.
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