Toxic company cultures erode job satisfaction and drive talented individuals away. Research underscores that workplace toxicity is ten times more likely to cause attrition than compensation.

Many have experienced toxic cultures, but understanding and remedying them is essential. Identifying the elements that create toxicity is the first step towards remedying them. MIT research pinpoints five toxic attributes:

The "Toxic Five"

• Disrespect
• Noninclusivity
• Unethical conduct
• Cutthroat behavior
• Abusiveness

These toxins often originate from three core sources: toxic leadership, toxic social norms, and flawed work design. Let's use these to initiate the detox process:

1. Promote positive leadership

‍Toxic leadership is a major catalyst for a harmful culture. CEOs significantly shape the culture but competing priorities can overshadow importance of maintaining a healthy workplace culture. Use these steps to promote positive leadership in your organisation:

• Keep culture on the C-suite's agenda by quantifying cultural improvements with metrics like cost of attrition and productivity gains. Tie them to the bottom-line.
• Build trust through transparency and action by tracking and sharing progress with your employees, showcasing commitment to transform the employee experience.
• Foster healthier micro-cultures by providing coaching and training to managers on workplace toxicity.

2. Cultivate healthy social norms

‍Employees often conform to social norms shaped by leaders and influencers, so this is inextricably linked to positive leadership.

• Empower teams by allowing them to collaboratively define acceptable norms for their departments. Ensure these align with wider organisational norms, particularly for cross-functional teams.
• Seemingly small gestures like respecting meeting times, guided by influential figures, can significantly impact the culture.

3. Reimage Work Design

‍Stress borne from a toxic culture leads to burnout and health concerns. Designing your work in a way that allows for trust and psychological safety can help businesses avoid this.

• Cultivate trust and encourage work-life harmony by grant employees autonomy in work methods and locations. Celebrate those who find time to disconnect and unwind as well as working hard,
• Clearly delineate roles and responsibilities and empower people to raise concerns when workloads and types depart from this.
• Put wellbeing at the centre of of your culture by discussing how your values link to it. Consider ongoing wellness initiatives for your team.

To embark on the journey of detoxifying your company culture, connect with us now to discuss an action plan.