How to Respond in a Toxic Workplace Caused by the Boss

 In 2018, Oxford Dictionary made toxic its word of the year. Toxic work place, toxic culture, and toxic relationship were among the utmost effective ten'toxic'collocates in 2018.

Business executives, managers, and disengaged employees create toxicity. But businesses don't monopolize toxicity. It engulfs charities and churches, too. Some charismatic leaders in mega churches set the tone for toxic workplaces by their narcissism and greed.

Spotting a poisonous workplace could be simple, not only from within, but outside. We don't have to examine turnover statistics, reports, or interview anyone to learn Donald Trump's White House was a super toxic environment. Here certainly are a few signs of a dangerous workplace:



Not enough articulated and lived core values
Procedures, practices, decisions made situationally
Poor communications
Disengaged employees
Not enough Articulated and Lived Core Values


Leadership is advancing others, not promoting self. Leaders set the tone and create safe workplaces. Leaders set and live core values.

Values are our default position, our North Star. Doing what's right, period! Values include respect for individuals and families, trust, integrity, transparency, caring, rigor, good stewardship, and accountability.

Donald Trump and Justin Trudeau's actions showed no ethical guiding principles or core values. Trump pressured his loyal vice president - among others - to overturn certified election results. Trudeau pressured his attorney general to full cover up his conflict of interest. Both acted in their best interests. Neither suffered legal consequences; thus, their message to compatriots: Core values are not beacons for decisions - the conclusion justifies the means.

Without consistent application of ethical guiding principles and core values, leaders ignore trust, integrity, caring, good stewardship, and accountability in support of a particular outcome - a basis for a toxic culture.

Procedures Practices Decisions Made Situationally

Align procedures and practices with core values. Hire individuals of character, train, develop, and empower them. Accept mistakes because they grow and learn. Don't micromanage or rebuke them for learning curve blunders; utilize them to show and learn.

Values includes providing a safe environment. Don't compromise and "cut costs" related to core values, like safety, to "save" money when times get tough. Do what's right and bear the costs!

When leaders and managers create procedures and practices despite core values, they confuse, frustrate, and cause disgruntled employees. Employees become fearful, accidents occur, rumors abound as toxicity creeps in. Values'statements need consistent decisions to affirm them.

Poor Communications

Leaders build trust by action. Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines trust, the foundation of good communications, as "assured reliance on the character, ability, strength or truth of someone or something." Telling an employee eleven months later about poor performance doesn't help. Regular feedback shows care and a want to listen, learn, and help the employee succeed. Employees need positive and negative feedback; positive feedback alone is as bad as none.

Practice the TAP Principle:



Be transparent: what you see is who I'm, which fits with core values.
Be approachable: effective managers and leaders listen, ask questions, and encourage.
Be predictable: apply core values always. In the event that you see one which lowered costs by $100,000. Fix it because that's right.
Once the workforce see core values applied consistently, they know who you're and what you believe in practice.


Leaders must answer employees'legitimate issues. Share company performance with the workforce. Let them have an opportunity to ask questions about the business enterprise, and share their challenges. With best intentions, it's hard to eradicate a rotten culture:

Disengaged Employees

In accordance with Gallup, the top reason people change jobs today is for career growth opportunities. Yet, most firms do not engage employees.

Worldwide, 85% of employees are disengaged versus 65% in the U.S.. Disengaged employees gossip, spread rumors, which breed toxicity, lowers productivity and increases turnover. Any wonder the common period of service of U.S. employees is 4.2 years; 2.8 years for a millennials, the biggest generation in the workforce!

To activate employees and eliminate toxicity, hire people of character, train, develop, and empower them. And appoint leaders who live the entity's values.

How Should Employees React to a Toxic Boss

One size doesn't fit all. Dealing with a manager with a toxic attitude (toxic boss) depends upon the situation. Is she a micromanager, a bully, an ignorant and arrogant talker? Let's look at micromanagers:



Stay one step ahead: feed them with project updates. Don't await requests.
Be proactive: provide solutions to boost processes and effectiveness.
When their projects swamp you, request priorities. Let them know you certainly can do their requests, but with limited time, you will need their priorities.
Ask questions to understand requests; playback what you grasped.
Clarify team member's role and responsibilities. Micromanagers want to generally meet your direct reports alone; be present once they meet your staff.
Understand your results will never satisfy them; they desire their way.
Concentrate on what you control. Ensure you have a solid red line you will not allow them to cross-ever.
Form alliances with like-minded colleagues. When micromanagers get what they need, they might trust you. Still, some people never change.
Not everybody works with micromanagers. Don't stay, grumble, and accept "this is the only way." Find a route to provide the toxic situation. That's what workers in Canada's Governor General's office did and succeeded.


How about the bully bosses? Don't accept abuse. Seek help; but don't allow them to cross your red line.

Responding in a Toxic Workplace: A Case Study

I interviewed an individual over 6 months to understand about his toxic workplace. Robert (pseudonym), a vice president in a medium-sized, multi-location corporation, is certainly one of seven reporting to the principle operating officer (COO). Robert's boss, Bill (pseudonym), a micromanager, reports to the principle executive officer (CEO).

Bill holds weekly meetings with fifty people: Robert's level (10 people) and the level below (40 people). At these "feedback" sessions, Bill speaks 99% of the time, delve in minutia, often criticizing the second tier for not meeting unattainable, inexplicable standards. Bill doesn't see the harm in bypassing his direct reports.

He wants everything tomorrow and believes if you don't have needed resources that's your problem. You have to deliver.

Bill's approach frustrates Robert because Bill goes right to his team with specific tasks without Robert's knowledge. Asking Bill to prevent hasn't worked.

"Why do you remain?" I asked Robert.

"I believe I will really make a difference in the larger picture." Robert replied.

Robert follows the eight items above. He stays in front of Bill, anticipates needs, and provides quality information. Robert's team funnels Bill's requests to Robert who clarifies them with Bill before he presents brings about Bill. In Monday meetings, Robert takes questions about his division, which delights his staff. Currently, it's working.

"Has Bill changed?" I asked Robert.

"No, but we're at peace, and we continue doing our best. We don't expect him to improve, and we don't want to leave." He replied.

The culture remains toxic. Turnover is high, stress rampant, and productivity low. Robert won't accept abusive language or behavior, and is considering meeting the CEO because of the rising stress and poor morale.

Toxic Workplace Brought on by Owner/Boss

Robert is definitely an executive with options. What about workers in your small business where in actuality the owner/boss creates toxicity? He shouts, distrusts, throws tantrums, demands long hours, and ignores tenets of healthy relationships? These employees don't have any safety outlet where they believe someone will hear and understand them. I interviewed several such folks. A number of them leave one toxic place for somewhere less bad, but still unhealthy! Others stay because they require the salary to survive. This can be a real problem. Form eight points above, one other practical answer is prayer.

What Happens With Toxicity in a Team

This situation must be easier to correct because the basis for a healthier workplace exists at the leadership level. It requires effective intervention to learn the difficulties:



Unclear goals: Common goals foster cohesiveness and lowers conflicts. Clear team member's role and team goals help combat toxicity.
Lack of trust: Rely upon the leader and each other could be the glue in a team. People work better in a supportive, trusting environment.
Poor team leadership: Listen, encourage, and resource the team. Be authentic, humble, and fair.
Lack of recognition: Thank team members for everyday tasks; engage with team members often. Give credit when things go right; accept blame when they go wrong,.
Poor communications: Ensure most people are for a passing fancy page. Inspire, motivate, and reassure team members.
Sometimes one person won't get with the program. Delve deep to find out the cause. Is something happening in the home? Often, the employee has valid concerns she won't discuss because she doesn't trust you. Maybe the team member needs reassignment to workout her issues. Provide funding for counseling, if needed.


Conclusion

A dangerous work place is harmful to your health. Seek professional help if you feel trapped in your position. But set a red line and don't allow one to cross it. Beware: effects of your toxic workplace will spill over to your house, marriage, and family.

"Leaders" who promote self and take credit for everything aren't leaders, but mavericks. Leaders develop and promote others, embed values-driven processes, and set and maintain the proper culture in their firms. Research indicates firms with positive cultures do better in lots of metrics. They attract better talent, record higher productivity and profits, have lower turnover, and higher employee engagement. Arrogant, rude, unethical leaders set unrealistic expectations, and create chaos which foster toxicity.

A toxic workplace will cause burn-out at any level. No organization is immune. Toxicity infects businesses, government, charities, and churches. Learn symptoms, identify them early, and work to improve the culture. While some creators of toxicity won't change, make them even if they need to leave the organization.

Michel A. Bell is composer of six books including Business Simplified, speaker, adjunct professor of business administration at Briercrest College and seminary, and founder and president of Managing God's Money, a mission dedicated to providing free Christian financial and biblical