Finding out you will be leading a new team is usually a very exciting time! New leaders look forward to sharing their vision and helping a team reach new heights. But what if you find out the culture of the team is not all you believed? Toxic cultures are more prevalent than we would like to admit – whether in a corporate setting, a sports team, or even in a volunteer organization. Transitioning a toxic culture to a more positive, engaging one takes deliberate action, time and attention, and can make even the most experienced leaders cringe at the thought. Success can be found in both positive and negative cultures. But positive cultures will take a team much further!
What is the culture of an organization? According to achievers.com, “organizational culture is the set of values, beliefs, attitudes, systems, and rules that outline and influence employee behavior within an organization.” It can feel like the code of ethics people operate under. It’s the environment and expectations of behavior when joining a group. Cultures can be positive or negative. And they can change over time. Peter Drucker once said “Culture eats strategy for breakfast”, meaning you can’t implement strategy until you have the right culture that supports it. In the wrong culture, a great strategy will never have the chance to be realized.
Positive cultures are ones where we feel empowered and grow. They are energizing and uplifting. Toxic cultures, on the other hand, drag us down and deplete our physical and mental energy. They create damage both professionally and personally. Yes, toxic is a strong word. These aren’t environments where people don’t just fit in. But what does it really mean?
Toxic cultures usually have a bully – someone who belittles others through yelling or insults, or uses intimidation and exclusion as a way of getting what they want. This can be outright, or subtle – outside the normal team environment through social media or just behind the scenes. We know these people as the ones who are gracious to your face but tear you down with others. Bullies can make people feel excluded if they don’t “go along” with their way of thinking. While we often attribute toxic cultures to the leader being the bully, what I’ve seen more often is team members who have been allowed to act in such a way, who set the tone. Leaders get the behavior they tolerate. If this type of behavior is allowed to go unchecked, or is even rewarded, it is the culture that will prevail. Without a strong leader, bullies can take over and rule the work environment. But sometimes, despite the leader’s best efforts, the bully who’s dominated the culture can still win out.
The end result of a toxic culture is employees feeling demoralized, disengaged and lacking trust in their leader or teammates. Often there are communication challenges because of unclear roles and responsibilities. Finally, little more than what is required gets done because team members fear being called out for mistakes. Turnover is typically high due to the increased stress. It’s an environment where you won’t see much in the way of collaboration, or even laughter, as work gets done.
I have been part of both positive and negative organizational cultures. Early in my career, I worked at a manufacturing organization that was focused on growth and innovation to increase market share. We were using “old school” manufacturing principles and needed to find a better way to support customer demand in a cost effective manner. An informal team was allowed to create new ideas, collaborate, and ultimately rewarded for implementing innovation that supported organizational goals. We were not a formally appointed team with a team charter or purpose, but represented stakeholders from key areas that had a common purpose: Jordan (manufacturing engineering), Bill (information technology) and me (production planning). As a group, we understood that if something didn’t change we might all be out of a job. With leadership support, we had the ability to challenge the status quo, experiment with new ideas, and change the way our manufacturing facility supported our customers. Other than product design, nothing was off limits for improvement. Senior leadership was informed but gave us the ability to experiment and create. We changed processes, implemented new technologies, and moved the organization forward – all with very little budget allocation. As I look back, this was a wonderful example of empowerment and positive culture. The three of us often worked late due to the energy created by our progress and ideas, willing to give more than what was required every day. I am incredibly thankful for having experienced this!
I’ve also worked in a negative environment. During my time in another organization I worked for several different presidents. Two were wonderful role models, exemplifying servant leadership. But two were examples of what not to do, and demonstrated how an organizational culture can change quickly based on the behavior of the leader. Intimidation and fear were the driving forces then. I remember not wanting to take a risk because if it didn’t work out there would be severe consequences. I watched people who offered opposing opinions being reorganized out of the organization. The culture was one of “keep your head down and try not to get noticed”. Staff didn’t collaborate, blamed each other for problems and mistakes, and people “did what they were told”. Healthy conversation was at a minimum, innovation was non-existent, and you could often “feel” the fear in the air at meetings. These presidents often reminded you that they were in charge. Staff often joked, wondering how we ever survived before they got there! It was mentally exhausting. I realize now how I fell in line with the culture just to survive, and certainly did not do my best work.
What if you find yourself as the leader in a negative or toxic culture?
- Focus on creating an environment that supports collaboration over competition. Reward behavior that supports team members rather than tearing them down.
- Open the door for discussion. You cannot change what you do not understand.
- Understand the past or you could be destined to repeat it. Toxic work cultures often create trauma for those involved. Trauma responses need time to heal, and can often be triggered without even knowing it.
- Be clear in your expectations. What behaviors will you hold yourself and others accountable to? How will you collect feedback?
- Share your vision for what the organization can be, the culture you wish to see, and how everyone contributes to it.
- Lead by example – consistently behave with high integrity, and in the way you want others to follow. Expecting more from others than you are willing to give doesn’t create a culture of accountability.
- Express gratitude for people and their value to the team. Even bullies can be appreciated for their positive contributions.
- Recognize what you want to see more of and be honest about what you want to see less of.
- Be fair and consistent with your standards of behavior. Toxic cultures often have favorites. Inconsistency breeds fear. Once team members know everyone will be held to the same standards, including you, people will open up and likely contribute at a higher level.
Culture is a product of the leader and the behaviors they tolerate from their team. The culture of a team can be more or less positive than that of the entire organization. As a leader, you have the ability to influence it in a positive or negative direction every day by your words and actions. Choosing to stay positive, avoiding blame and intimidation, and asking good questions to understand will take you a long way. Take time to sit back and observe. What are you modeling and what are you rewarding? If the answer isn’t what you want, take steps to change. It all starts with you!
“Don’t tell them what you’re going to do – that’s vision. Do what you are going to do – that’s culture.” ~ John C. Maxwell
Hallway Consulting Group 
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