The Top 3 Things You Can Do to Create a Healthy Workplace and Culture

As a leader, how often do you assess your workplace environment and culture? Is it healthy? Is it toxic? Are there some aspects of the workplace and culture that are better than others?

In today’s fast-paced world, toxic workplaces are more prevalent than leaders would like to admit. In fact, according to the American Psychological Association’s 2023 Work in America workforce survey almost 20% of workers reported that their workplace was toxic, and more than one in five shared that their work environment has negatively impacted their mental health. These findings are yet another indicator of the importance of checking in with employees frequently and staying open to what they have to share.

Toxicity can permeate an organization, negatively impacting employees, productivity, and the bottom line. It can also manifest itself in a variety of ways including stress, anxiety, feelings of excessive workload, a lack of support, etc. So, what can leaders do to ensure a healthy workplace and culture? Here are three actions that can be taken:

1. Get Curious

Consider the current state of your workplace and culture, and when you assess do so with curiosity and a commitment to learning. This is not an activity in judgment. In fact, letting go of any judgments will create pathways for greater awareness and understanding. And, once you are aware, you can begin to discover solutions and make the necessary changes to move toward the organization you want it to be.

So, get curious and ask questions. Gather data and invite feedback. Pay special attention to what your direct reports are sharing and, if any internal judgments come up for you, take a breath. The key here is to learn what you can and align what you are seeing or experiencing to what others are seeing or experiencing as well.

A question we often ask at Winning Ways of the executive leaders and teams we coach and those who participate in the Leadership Evolution Program is, “What evidence do you have?” For example:

• What evidence do you have that shows the experience your direct reports are having in the workplace?
• What evidence do you have that the culture you are leading is healthy?
• What evidence do you have that the workplace or culture has become toxic?
• What evidence do you have that your direct reports are seeing you as the leader you want to be?

Again, it’s important to remember when asking this question that it is not about judging, rather it is about testing reality, making sure that you are seeing things the same way your direct reports are seeing them, and closing that perception gap.?

1. Take Responsibility

If you have been following me for a while, then you know that I often say leaders bring the weather. This means that leaders decide how cultures are shaped. For example, if you are a leader who comes to work in a bad mood all the time, employees may feel as though they need to walk on eggshells or that they cannot bring their true selves to work. The culture may feel psychologically unsafe for them.

Toxicity often stems from poor leadership. When leaders don’t acknowledge how pivotal they are to how direct reports see their purpose in the organization or feel about their roles, they may miss the red flags being raised such as direct reports not speaking up and sharing their ideas, high turnover, or overall disengagement.

As leaders, it is up to us to model the behaviors we want to see and recognize the power and influence we have. Take responsibility for who you are and the weather that you bring, and you will inevitably see any changes that need to be made to create a healthier workplace and culture for your team.

1. Develop Your Emotional Intelligence

Transformation takes time, whether you are transforming a culture, the employee experience, or you as a leader. However, one of the quickest pathways to transformation is by developing your emotional intelligence. In doing so, you develop skills to recognize, understand, and navigate your emotions as well as those of others.?

High levels of emotional intelligence are a game changer in your relationships, leadership, and an organization’s culture. This is because emotional intelligence promotes self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy, collaboration, trust, and psychological safety, to name just a few benefits. Knowing this, imagine how developing your emotional intelligence can positively impact your workplace and culture.

Toxic workplaces are a significant threat to employee, leadership, and organizational success. By actively working toward a healthier workplace, you will see increased employee engagement, improved performance, and a stronger, more resilient organization. And, as you continue your quest to get curious and learn, to take responsibility, and to embrace the transformative power of emotional intelligence, a culture of empathy, respect, and collaboration will be cultivated.

Would you like more tools, resources, and strategies to cultivate a healthy workplace and culture? We help leaders of Fortune 500 companies and national organizations better understand the actions they can take that work best for themselves, their teams, and their organizations. Contact us to learn more about our executive coaching opportunities and Leadership Evolution Program at [email protected]. We will talk soon.