The online recruitment company Monster recently conducted a survey of more than a thousand employees and found that 80% described their work environment as toxic. Before offering advice to leaders who want to prevent this in their own organizations, a few important caveats are worth mentioning.
First, it would help to know what percentage of those surveyed are truly solid, hard-working employees. This matters because organizations shouldn’t overreact to feedback from people who are cynical, lack hustle, or simply don’t occupy a role best suited for them. Sometimes, the worst thing a leader can do is try to address the demands of people who don’t belong in the organization.
Second, the survey didn’t define what “toxic” actually means. While we can safely assume it’s not a good thing, there are many possible interpretations, and each one would require a different solution.
What’s most surprising, though, is how many of the proposed “solutions” miss the mark entirely. Many are calling for more mental health programs, flexible schedules, or extra paid time off. Now, those are good things, and leaders should absolutely care about the well-being of their employees, but those fixes don’t get to the root of the problem. Toxic cultures aren’t cured with wellness initiatives or new policies. They’re cured when leaders take ownership of the politics and dysfunction that always start at the top.
Too many leaders try to fix toxic cultures with perks—wellness programs, flexible schedules, free snacks—thinking they’ll boost engagement. They won’t. Culture changes only when leaders change. No policy or program can repair a culture broken at the top. When leaders model or tolerate unhealthy behavior, the rest of the organization follows.
People problems aren’t solved by policies. They’re solved by effective leaders.
So, what will work? Here are three ways leaders can build a healthy culture.
1. Start at the top.
This is not an empty euphemism, but rather a stern warning. If employees are being mistreated by their managers, there’s a very high likelihood that executives are either doing the same to their own direct reports or allowing poor treatment to continue unchecked. That’s almost always where cultural problems begin. Whether it’s a poor work ethic, a lack of attention to customers, or disengaged management, people in an organization tend to model what they see above them or what they see tolerated.
2. Eliminate confusion about priorities.
Again, this begins with the team at the top. When employees feel torn between conflicting goals—like serving customers versus cutting costs—they can’t win. In most cases, this confusion exists because executives haven’t had the tough, uncomfortable conversations required to establish clarity. When leadership isn’t fully aligned, it’s impossible—and I’ll repeat that—for people deeper in the organization to operate with unity, confidence, and focus.
3. Confront people who don’t fit the culture.
Few things damage morale more than leaders avoiding hard conversations. When leaders tolerate behavior that contradicts the company’s values, the best employees are often the first to leave. It’s essential to either help struggling employees improve or help them move on.
Policies, perks, and programs matter, but they only work when leaders live the culture, align around priorities, and hold people accountable. Without that, confusion and dysfunction take hold. And that, without question, would be worthy of the label “toxic.”
Comment
Show comments
Hide Comments
