Undoing a toxic culture

This went out in yesterday's Trust Insights newsletter - but it's a message that bears repeating. If you're someone who is working towards healing yourself and the company culture, keep reading ??

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How can we undo a toxic culture?

We've all been there. We've shown up to jobs that are just a paycheck. They don't care about us, and we don't care about them. We do our thing and then get out as fast as possible. Sometimes, there is an added layer of toxicity that is created by our coworkers. People are afraid to fail. Team members get reamed out for not delivering on expectations. There are more tears than cheers.

It's shocking to believe that this is still a part of corporate culture in 2024, but here we are. Let's say you've managed to get rid of the problematic team members, the ones creating the toxic culture. How do you rebuild trust and turn it around?

Pause

Take a breath. Literally. Give people a moment to breathe. I used to have a manager who would openly yell at me in meetings in front of the rest of the team. It didn't matter if what he was angry about had anything to do with me. To him, that was irrelevant; I was the best person to take the blame. Once the company decided to let him go, I needed some time. I was no longer going to get my butt handed to me in meetings for no reason. It took a few weeks to feel like I could actually relax and speak up again. If the rest of the management team had moved too fast to make changes or replace his role, I never would have recovered from that experience. Give your people time to readjust.

Listen

You may have team members who aren't used to speaking up. The toxic environment may have made them feel like it wasn't safe to do so. When you're rebuilding, make time to listen to those who lost their voice. But really listen. And let them do it in their own time, in their own way. Give options to set up team meetings or one-on-ones. Don't force the conversation. There is a lot of healing that happens when someone has the chance to sit in silence without expectation.

Acknowledge

The people who lived through the toxic situations need to know that they didn't imagine it. Develop communication that acknowledges the situation did, in fact, happen, and that we want to learn and grow from it. Personally, I would stay away from phrases like "move on" because it indicates that we want to pretend it didn't happen. Your team wants to know that you have their backs and will work with them to create a more open and positive culture. Not that you're just going to ignore past mistakes.

Patience

Rebuilding your culture, which is rebuilding trust, takes time. Not everyone will suddenly show up with a smile. Allow people to process the situation at their pace. Some team members may decide that it's no longer a good fit, despite removing the toxic people. It's hard, but it happens. Those who stay, those who want to work with you to create a better culture, will become your champions.

As you move into 2025, I would encourage you to take a break from your planning to take stock of how people are feeling around you. Are your teams happy? Are they afraid to speak up? Do they feel motivated and excited? Auditing your culture is as important as auditing your marketing. A toxic culture doesn't happen overnight. It's gradual and, at times, hard to notice. Those who tend to create a toxic culture can be good at hiding that they are the cause. Make your people part of your planning. Add in tactics that allow you to check in often. As the saying goes, you'll catch more flies with honey. If you're only putting out vinegar, you're going to have a difficult time getting things done.