That Monday feeling

We all get it... that Monday morning feeling every now and then.

Even for those of us who LOVE our jobs, there are times when work, feels a drag, and when other things in our lives need to take priority, and that is OK.

But what about when it is more than just a Monday Morning feeling – When it isn’t a one-off, but becomes a Monday to-Sunday feeling.

When we came across an article earlier in the year published by People Management UK, Here which reported that more than 2 in 5 employees are using their Annual Leave or taking sick days to avoid a TOXIC work environment, we were not shocked.

As a company focused on management training we always say, that one of your best tools, is to be able to put yourself in your teams' shoes and to have perspective on everything and not just see things from your viewpoint.

Your Team is your first consideration, the foundation of your business, and your priority, this is the single most important piece of advice that we give to the delegates we train.

We were curious about the research and wanted to explore the data further. The article went on to say that 77% of employees surveyed (out of 800) by into, had experienced toxicity in the workplace.? 77%, to put that into perspective would be 616 out of 800!

But this is where we can help.

We help businesses deal with these issues if they are experiencing them.

So, what is a TOXIC WORKPLACE? Here are a few of the traits which you might recognise:

·??????? Offensive or aggressive leadership

·??????? Bullying and Harassment

·??????? Ostracism

·??????? Manipulation, bullying, or shouting

·??????? Lack of productivity & trust,

·??????? Burnout and high stress levels

·??????? Infighting and discrimination

·??????? Poor communication, conflict, unfair competition

The problem is that when any of these traits are allowed to go unchecked, there is a severe impact on the team, both in terms of their Health and Mental Health.

This is where you will start to see increases in sickness absence, and low morale and your team will start to disengage with you, and with each other. It is bad for productivity and staff turnover, which can damage the reputation of your business and even cause issues when you are trying to recruit new staff.

The way that a manager reacts to this, is what can make a difference.

Here is the good news and something we want to share with you today. If you recognise this as being your workplace, it can be fixed and here we will share a few of our hints and tips, which will help you to stop the rot.

Communication: For us, this is one of the most important parts of a successful business. Get your communication strategy right and you are doing great.

Communicating in a meaningful way is so important, and it is all about getting the important messages out to everyone, without overloading their mailboxes with protracted emails. It is also about listening and hearing what someone is saying. Listen to understand what someone is saying to you; don’t be distracted by preparing your answer before they are finished.

?When you are meeting with your team whether in a group or 1:1 setting, give them your full attention, give the meeting the time it needs, switch off your phone and be present.

?It is not a tick-box exercise, so let’s not treat it like one.

?Values: Does your business play to its values. Do your staff even know what they are? These should be your business bible, your daily pre-match speech. Your values should guide and motivate your team every day.

Take a look at Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs, which are physiological, safety, love and belonging, esteem, and self-actualization, which can help you understand our basic needs.

?Employee Feedback: Give your staff a voice and ask them what they think. You may get a few surprises, but if the responses are consistent, it could give you a few quick wins in terms of what needs fixing.

When you get the feedback, what are you going to do with it?

Our advice would be to act on it and to let your TEAM be a part of that. They have raised and issue, how would they like to see it fixed?

?There are times when solutions are not practical for a variety of reasons and this is where we go full circle and go back to communication.? Make sure you feedback in a positive and informative way.

?There are so many ways that you can act and turn around a TOXIC culture, try these few simple steps and let me know how you get on.

I regularly share more Hacks on key management topics here on #LinkedIn, follow me to get posts straight to your inbox, each week. Or drop me a DM if you have any questions about our programmes or services.?

If you are ready to chat or have a question to ask about a management situation or need some advice, book a virtual cuppa with me at https://calendly.com/tracy-anne/chat-with-the-managers-training-co ??

Tracy-Anne is the founder of The Managers Training Company Ltd – a leading, high-quality, management training provider for educational establishments whose mission is to equip your leaders and managers with the strategies, tools, and skills that enable them to create a positive and productive team culture that puts rewarding pupil experiences at its heart. To find out more: www.themanagerstrainingcompany.co.uk ??

?