Transforming Workplace Toxicity To Workplace Engagement

They say data does not lie. The International Labor Organization (ILO) says that in 2023, 50.5 per cent of employees in India worked more than 49 hours a week (as against 11.8 per cent in the US and 8.9 per cent in the UK). And here is one more. The National Crime Records Bureau data shows that 38.5 per cent of suicides linked to professional stress in India happened among individuals aged 18-30 years. The recent tragic death of a young chartered accountant in a reputed firm has turned the spotlight on the human cost of our productivity-driven work ethos. 

When we dive deeper into what is overarchingly termed ‘professional stress’, there is one inevitable reality that stares us in the eye. Workplace toxicity. Believe me when I say that none of us as organisations and its leaders can afford to turn a blind eye to this truth. The question is, how can we transform the looming threat of workplace toxicity to workplace engagement?

At the heart of it, a deeply cultural issue 

The toxic workplace goes far beyond just a corporate issue — it is a deeply cultural one. It prevails when the organizations do not articulate strong core values — leaders neither walk the talk nor can employees cite or experience them with pride. Or, it could be that the company’s policies and practices do not align with its rhetoric of values, however well-intended they may be.

Whatever the reasons, the outcomes are never good. Success is equated with how well one can submerge the authentic self to toe the company diktat with anxiety — and even fear. Overwork is proudly synonymous with dedication. Social cliques thrive within the organization which enables exclusion and favoritism. Managers ignore their team’s concerns. And sadly, everyone does things because “that’s how it’s always been done here.”

Nothing positive ever comes out of despair. So, let’s see how can pave the road to repair.

The answer lies in each company’s uniqueness

Remember, no two organisations are alike — neither is its journey to a toxic work culture. And thus, there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach or solution to set right a damaged work culture. 

The first step involves taking a hard look at the organization’s values, with an open mind and a strong determination to identify specific challenges. As leaders, we will encounter uncomfortable truths, and we will need to face them head-on. Are there discriminatory beliefs that have led to an imbalance in work policies or the dehumanisation of employees? Does the organization suffer from poor communication and unclear expectations? Is the leadership and managerial style too aggressive — to create hostility, fear, resentment, and helplessness? What are the levels of accountability, empowerment, and recognition in the organisation? 

Once we have identified our cultural weak links, it’s time for positive action.

From strategy to action, radiate positivity

In all the differences between organizations, here is one vital ‘fits-all-size’ need — as leaders, we need to engage with our people with a positive presence. This calls for leading by example to create safe working spaces for healthy discussions, establishing respect for diverse employee needs through fair and transparent policies and processes, enabling team-building opportunities for inclusion, collaboration, and belonging, and providing healthy autonomy and flexibility to own their work with initiative and pride. This will not only instil confidence and trust but also foster emotional intelligence in an environment that breeds good relationships with both colleagues and superiors.

Drilling this down to ‘on-the-ground’ tactical actions, it calls for coaching managers to actively listen to their team members, assign fair and realistic workloads and deadlines, communicate with clarity and transparency, and acknowledge good performance while creating the right environment to learn and grow.

Normalise positive behaviours to cascade 

Erika Andersen (author of Growing Great Employees) believes that any new behaviour change can be motivated by making it easy, rewarding, and normal.

By modelling positive behaviours, managers and leaders can become strong influencers of the change they wish to bring about. Additionally, through a supportive environment to remove barriers to implementation, they can make it easy for employees to willingly practice the changes. 

Simultaneously, we must be prepared to protect a positive culture and deal firmly with people who will willfully flout or undermine it. When an engineer at Google circulated a vitriolic criticism of the company’s diversity policies and indulged in gender bashing, the leadership took measures to fire the employee. The need to protect a safe culture of diversity prevailed over a misplaced sense of open exchange of ideas — and rightfully so. 

Review, refresh, and reinvent

Implementing change is a continuous effort requiring constant review and modification. With an efficient review and evaluation mechanism for wins and setbacks, organizations will need to measure improvements and enlist new perspectives (internal and external) to refresh and reinvent for continuous improvement. In doing so, we should not forget our primary goal — to institute a culture of psychological safety that rests on the bedrock of empathy, compassion, and belonging. People should be able to trust themselves, their colleagues, and their superiors — and have friendly mechanisms to deal with disagreements and conflicts. And communication must provide people with both information and expectations to succeed in a safe environment.

Creating a cultural change is, without a doubt, a big undertaking. Equally certain is the fact that it is well worth the effort.  Lou Gerstner, former CEO of IBM made a telling statement on work culture. “Culture,” he said, “isn't just one aspect of the game, it is the game. In the end, an organisation is nothing more than the collective capacity of its people to create value.” Let’s raise a toast to this wisdom!