5 signs your workplace is toxic.

No matter the ongoing advancements in technology, the success of an organization comes down to people successfully solving problems. Problem-solving requires effective and efficient collaboration. Collaboration flourishes in environments built on mutual respect and mutual trust. 

A toxic work environment cuts away at that respect and trust. Collaboration breaks down, productivity declines, and the organization slowly and steadily atrophies from the inside out. 

Sure - solving difficult problems is often a struggle. From that struggle comes learning and growth. It can often be hard to tell . . . is the struggle a natural part of progress and growth - or is the struggle indicative of a toxic work environment?

So - how does one differentiate between the purpose-driven “struggle” and pointless “toxicity”? 

1) Broken communication:
Are you trying to operate with unclear direction, expectations, and/or goals? Do you begin projects and have coworkers chime in with “Oh, really? That’s not what I hear.”? Is there no reliable, consistent channel for feedback to senior management? If so - communication is broken.

2) Cliques:
Are there coworkers that are on the “in” with managers and executives and others on the ”outs”? Do your coworkers gossip in whispers in the kitchen and then disperse when someone walks in? Do you hear about company business through the grapevine more often than through official channels? That is all fertile ground for pointless, middle-school drama.

3) Dissent is discouraged:
Are participants in meetings encouraged to point out potential pit-falls and suggest ways to avoid them - or is everyone simply nodding their heads in rapturous agreement? Does your boss, your boss’s boss and your boss’s boss’s boss give fair consideration to differing opinions - or do they simply expect everyone to get in line? A diversity of opinions and varying points of view give an organization flexibility and resilience. An organization of “yes men” will quickly yes its way into irrelevance.

4) You’ve stalled:
Do you feel like you’re on the hamster wheel? Does every work-day feel like Groundhog Day? Do out point out to HR, your boss, and your boss’s boss that you’re doing donkey’s work - but you've received no respite? Have you grown weary of these animal-themed idioms . . . as well as doing the same work over and over and over . . . and over . . . and over . . . ?

5) Frankly - you already know:
An intense day of working hard, bringing our best, and feeling valued leaves us feeling tired but fulfilled. When our head hits the pillow we feel a satisfying combination of exhaustion and accomplishment. We happily fall to sleep - excited for the next day. That’s far different from the anxiety we feel after a long day of battling tooth and nail to give our best and leave work feeling beaten down and unappreciated. On those nights, we're restless and fearful of the coming workday. So ask yourself - because, in your gut, you know. 

If you're getting mixed messages, there is an "us vs. them" mentality, you’re told to keep your counter-point to yourself, you can't get unstuck, and/or your gut is telling you "This place is toxic" - those are all strong signs that it surely is.

In future pieces, we'll discuss your options.