Toxic workplaces are bad for business. In fact, research by McKinsey found that toxic workplace behavior is responsible for more than 60% of negative workplace outcomes, including intent to leave, burnout and depression. It’s therefore a priority that leaders know how to counter toxic behaviors and create a positive, inclusive workplace where everyone can thrive. So, how can they do this?
1. Understand how your expectations influence the team
“When it comes to spotting and dealing with toxic behaviors in the workplace, the first place leaders should look is themselves,” says Nik Kinley, a leadership expert and co-author of Re-writing Your Leadership Code. “We all have assumptions about what is acceptable and what is not, most of which we learned as children from our families, long before we ever entered a workplace.”
You might expect everyone’s ideas about what counts as toxic to be the same, but that’s not necessarily the case, according to Kinley. “On the headlines – like bullying – they usually do,” he says. “But on the details – such as what precisely counts as bullying – there is a lot of variance between people. For instance, if you grew up with critical and occasionally harsh parents, you are likely to see a much broader range of behavior as acceptable than someone who grew up with fairly permissive and positive parents.”
The challenge for leaders, Kinley says, is to recognize that just because they don’t interpret something as toxic doesn’t mean it isn’t toxic for the performance of their team.
2. Recognize that thinking or acting differently isn’t necessarily toxic behavior
Research suggests that one in seven people in the UK are neurodivergent. With neurodivergence come different operating and communicating styles, which can easily be misunderstood as ‘toxic behavior,’” says Leanne Maskell, an ADHD coach, director of training provider ADHD Works and author of ADHD Works at Work and ADHD an A-Z.
“Neurodivergence is not an excuse for poor behavior,” Maskell notes, “but it can sometimes explain it. So, as public awareness of neurodivergence continues to sky-rocket, it is vital for leaders to provide organization-wide, neuro-affirming education for their employees on working effectively with difference.”
Maskell emphasizes that neurodivergence is not a barrier to overcome, but “an opportunity for everyone to learn how to overcome their own bias, regulate their emotions and communicate clearly.” “With this in mind, leaders can often turn situations that appear ‘toxic’ into opportunities for greater understanding, recognizing that we all have a different interpretation of ‘normal,’” she says.
3. Be ready to challenge toxic behavior
“Spotting toxic behaviors in a team is tricky, but it is also imperative to the team’s success,” says Katie McKenna, a professional psychotherapist and co-author of You’re Not the Problem: The Impact of Narcissism and Emotional Abuse and How to Heal.
It can be very difficult for leaders to challenge a toxic person, says McKenna, since they will often use motivational empathy, such as exploiting mental or physical health concerns or family stresses to avoid accountability. If that doesn’t work, they may even use anger (overtly or covertly) to silence attempts to hold them responsible.
“A leader should document every interaction, keep as many records as possible, and ideally have as much as possible in writing rather than spoken conversations,” McKenna advises. “Remember that toxic people will behave like children and demand to be ‘rescued’ from their feelings. Treating them as the adults they are will create boundaries and expose toxicity.”
Navigating toxic dynamics in a team means making sure all team members have an equal voice and a safe way of raising complaints or concerns. “One of the best ways to do this is to use an anonymous space for team members to submit concerns,” says McKenna. “Most importantly, leaders should be aware of the type of behavior toxic people use and should learn about emotional abuse such as love bombing, gaslighting, stonewalling and smear campaigns. This will lead to a safer, happier and more productive workplace.”
4. Check in with employees
“Toxic behavior in a team often starts with an individual exhibiting what I call ‘solo toxic traits,’” says Mark Price, a business expert, founder of digital platform WorkL and author of Happy Economics: Why The Happiest Workplaces are the Most Successful. “This person might perform adequately, but show signs of disengagement, such as not contributing to meetings, or being disruptive or overly negative. Over time, this undermines team harmony.”
If management ignores negative behavior, team members become frustrated and the work environment is destabilized, Price warns. “A disengaged individual can influence others,” he says, “souring the atmosphere for everyone.”
Price believes that to identify toxic behaviors leaders should regularly check in with their employees, to understand how happy they are in the workplace. “It’s imperative that solo toxic traits are identified quickly so the root cause can be addressed,” he says. “For example, if a leader wants to stop an employee from being overly negative, they should look to engage with them and find out what is making them negative. Could it be they are struggling with a particular aspect of their work? In that case, the leader could change the way the employee works or provide more information to help them do their job well.”