Toxic workplace makes not the right recipe for healthy revenue growth
The kind of behaviour that workers exhibit at the workplace has an impact on overall production of the company.
All administrations and organisations are in danger of becoming toxic. Would this toxicity be due to the management, leadership, hierarchies in place or lack of motivation? Or a combined effect of various factors?
Perhaps some rotten apples in the clean carton? One of the presumptions for companies having formidable hierarchical structures is that these firms are autocratic by nature, unsuitable for the uncertainties and dynamism of the modern world.
In recent years, we have witnessed large companies prosper steered by their ability to be flexible and responsive in face of changing environments. But the organisations that have spectacularly prospered are the ones who had a productive taskforce. A taskforce that can deliver if employees have a conducive and non-toxic work environment.
Management specialists have predicted for long that hierarchies at the workplace will be replaced by matrix structures.
In 1989 Peter Drucker foretold that businesses would gradually be modelled on an orchestra whereby a single conductor would lead performers directly without any intermediaries.
Several theorists gave further insights and we have noticed this change in most workplaces over time, especially owing to technology and the workplace evolution enhanced by progress in artificial intelligence.
Job dissatisfaction
Cut forward to 2021 where workplaces encourage everyone to work independently at the best of their abilities and the efforts are then synthesised.
What leads to the situation of job dissatisfaction and toxicity in the workplace? Is it the leadership? Leaders are supposed to commit to the care and success of those around them. Leadership should have nothing to do with rank.
Many individuals will make it to the top of the rank but fail on the leadership qualities front. They would have authority but may lack certain traits which are necessary to integrate the teams for greater productivity.
Leadership involves sacrifice and individuals in such positions must inculcate a habit of considering the views and needs of others, frequently before their own. A good leader stands behind and leads the team. Where there are any shortcomings, they go out of their way to complete tasks without letting the company or team seem to fail. Of course at times leaders fall prey to toxic manipulative and political team mates.
Toxic workplace
The forceful substance that infiltrates a toxic workplace is suffering, but how does the management recognise its presence in order to remedy suffering? Nobody in the workplace would like to give their maximum effort towards leaders who do not or would not listen.
Some are dismissive, authoritative and assume they are always right. Others have a need to control everything and micromanage the minutest of tasks. Perhaps this trait is seen by the subordinates as neurotic. Some leaders wish to take over tasks and projects from others as they want to do things on their own with limited participation from teams which leads to an insulted team.
Others abuse their “powers” and make workers feel threatened and will perform poorly since they view the leader as being despotic. Work projects get affected by sabotage especially where there is evident groupism present at the office, which leads to side meetings and covert agendas with complex nonproductive scenarios. Groupism based on cast, culture, professional qualification must be avoided in order to have a mutually beneficial work environment for all. Logic and rationale, with a focus on profit should ideally prevail.
Democracy
Individuals today have access to online courses and are constantly renewing their skills. There has to be a level of democracy in allowing individuals to perform tasks without scrutiny. However individuals must be held accountable for all actions and timely deliverables. Today, staff wish to have instant recognition for small tasks and roles as a means of instant gratification. Is this a viable trait in the long term?
Lately, many companies have been forced by the prevailing economic conditions to curtail expenditures or downsize to remain afloat. However, many profitable firms have also been using the economic downturn as an excuse to carry out salary cuts and retrench employees.
It is the junior level staff who are mostly retrenched, whilst surprisingly management may be receiving salary raises. This counterintuitive action leads to a toxic environment of insecurity and mistrust.
Toxic environment and toxic behaviours among teams and leaders lead to destruction and could lead to the downfall of an organisation. Each and every one of us should identify and own the effect workplace behaviors can have towards profitability, especially during these challenging times.
Ritesh Barot is a business and financial analyst, humanitarian, conservationist, occasional artist, recipient of OGW honor.
