What makes teams toxic and how do we deal with them?

One of the biggest indicators that our cultures are off kilter is that ‘toxic’ teams or people pop up and don’t get resolved.

As HR, we often try to understand the issues, but we are not called in until things have gone wrong and a "rescue" is required.

By then, it's really bad. People are entrenched in their own view positions, they’ve dehumanised each other, and issues have grown such strong and significant roots that day-to-day impact is minimal.

That’s often when we get called in as consultants with a request for some team building or mediation…. The truth is a context-free, externally driven intervention just won’t work in that situation.

To resolve toxic situations, we need to understand what created them in the first place. The key often lies in understanding the role leaders play in creating (or preventing) toxicity in teams.

Some of the most common factors we find in toxic situations are:

1. Poor Communication: Lack of open, honest communication often breeds misunderstanding, resentment, and frustration. When information is withheld or filtered, team members may feel excluded or undervalued, which can escalate into bigger issues over time.
2. Lack of Accountability: Toxicity thrives in situations where responsibilities are unclear or understood differently, as it often leads to finger-pointing when something goes wrong. Without accountability, team members are left without clear roles, which creates confusion and resentment.
3. Favouritism and Inequality: If team members feel certain individuals receive preferential treatment, it can breed mistrust and resentment. Team members need to feel valued equally and that opportunities for advancement or recognition are accessible to all.
4. Micromanagement: Overly controlling leaders can sap team members' morale and motivation, who feel they aren’t trusted or respected. This behaviour stifles creativity and initiative, and team members often become disengaged.
5. Lack of Empathy and Support: When leaders are disconnected from their team members’ needs, it creates an atmosphere of isolation and alienation. In these conditions, people are less likely to open up about problems or seek help, exacerbating minor issues into major ones.
6. Constant Crisis Mode: Teams that operate in a constant state of urgency and stress become fatigued. Treating every task as an emergency leads to burnout, irritability, and frayed relationships within the team.

Leadership plays a crucial role in setting the tone for team dynamics. Leaders who foster positive communication, model accountability, and promote inclusivity help build healthy, resilient teams.

But in many cases, we, as HR leaders, are positioned as the behaviour police. We are brought in as a last resort to address team issues that could have been mitigated earlier with more effective leadership.

?Things are often so bad, and leaders are either so ill-equipped or unwilling to take control of the situation that we step in and take over the management of the situation.

While responding to risk in the short term, in this dynamic, we are reinforcing the norm in our business that dealing with sort of thing is HR’s role. Increasing the likelihood of having to deal with it again.

If you are finding yourself caught in a cycle with the leaders in your business, its likely you are a lone ranger of culture there, too, so you might find it helpful to join us on our next free masterclass on the 6th December.

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We’ll be exploring practical ways to address toxic teams in your business, giving you tips on how to respond to the issues in a way that resets the deal with your business leaders. With insights into the best approaches for nudging the ownership and accountability for resolution back to them while still giving full support.

You can sign up for the session here .

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