Toxic Shock

I’m usually of the opinion that no work culture is perfect, and no work culture is irredeemable. There’s always room for improvement, and that improvement usually comes through a steady, incremental building of trust and healthy norms. Sometimes, though, incremental change isn’t enough. There are elements of some cultures that are so toxic that they represent an existential threat to a team or organization. These have to be addressed immediately and decisively, or we run the risk of falling to a point of no return.

There are four toxic elements that we should consider deal-breakers. The presence of any of them is 10 times more predictive of imminent staff turnover than compensation is. And for those workers who remain, this kind of toxicity makes it 35-50% more likely that they will receive a new major medical diagnosis than if they worked in a non-toxic environment.

The first element is exclusion. This is when people feel systematically excluded from the team for reasons beyond their control: race, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, etc.

The second is disrespect: any work situation which deprives someone of their dignity. Examples might include harassment, malicious teasing, public criticism and bullying.

Third is cutthroat competition. This is a culture where team members compete against each other in a zero-sum game, only succeeding at the expense of others.

The fourth and final element is abusive leadership. This can take many forms, including anger, manipulation, retribution, belittling, shaming, unfair criticism, or unrealistic demands.

The thing that all of these toxic elements has in common is the destruction of trust and psychological safety. In a culture where trust and safety has been lost, don’t expect toxicity to show itself in plain view. Most likely, it will exist as a pervasive undercurrent, hidden by a veil of shame and fear of retribution. That’s why even the faintest whiff of toxicity requires a thorough investigation. The leader’s job isn’t just to avoid perpetuating toxicity--it’s to recognize it when it occurs and enforce a zero-tolerance policy.

Everyone deserves a chance to explain themselves. Everyone deserves some benefit of the doubt. But when this kind of toxicity is present, your team is in mortal danger, and you can’t afford to waste time. 

Call the code.