An unhealthy work environment always turns toxic and exhausting quite quickly. Ineffective or negative communication, punitive practices or policies, unprofessionalism and dishonesty can add to the burden. As a result, no matter how much validation and security the job provides, you will not enjoy doing it. It will be a key factor for your mental exhaustion, can decline your productivity and even decrease your morale. It can even lead to several physical illnesses and be extensively damaging to you.
You’ll be surprised to note that 52% of the employees actually consider their workplace to be dysfunctional and toxic. Stress, anxiety, hypertension, depression, alcoholism and so on are more than often experienced by these people. The good news though is the fact that you can help deal with it and emerge as someone who is mentally strong, healthy, positive and connected in a productive manner to your workplace.
5 Ways To Deal With A Toxic Work Environment
Before we get the ball rolling on how to deal with a toxic work environment, here is exactly what a negative workspace looks like. It’s very important to note that toxic work environments can seem very subtle in the beginning, but they soon start to have a severe ripple effect. Non-existent communication, poor productivity, unchecked office grapevine, micromanaging bosses and so on can lead to a very toxic work environment. However, here are 5 ways you can fix it.
1. Focus On Better Team Management
Most team leaders often fail to look at the effort that employees put in. As per Forbes, 66% of employees wish to quit due to lack of appreciation and in millennials, this number jumps up to 76%. If there’s a sizeable disconnect between team leaders and employees, it’s high time to acknowledge it. Focusing on better team management and even a small ‘Thank You’ or ‘Good Job’ can go a long way.
2. Remove The Sting From Your Words
Your team members will gravitate towards you if you are optimistic and upbeat. Employees are more likely to respond to you in a positive manner and will go beyond the call of duty for you. So be nice and remove the sting from your words when annoyed and try to gain perspective on the challenges the employees face as well.
3. Be Vigilant
Watch out for signs that are indicators of toxicity so that it can be controlled in time. One easy way to know how your employees feel about the work environment is through a tracker such as a mood tracker.
4. Listen To Employee Concerns
Listen to what your employees have to say. A major red flag is when you’re unable to address the concerns raised by your employees which adds to the toxicity. Resolve the conflicts between your subordinates and ask for grievance handling policies in your company.
5. Set Clear Expectations
Unclear requirements can lead to workplace negativity. If job expectations keep changing without employee notice, then they are bound to get stressed. This will lead to a battle of negative emotions and the constant fear that they will lose their job. Fix this by setting clear expectations from the beginning and provide a defined task list or a plan of action.
