Nobody enjoys a toxic workplace. It’s never fun working unnecessarily long hours or with unsupportive colleagues. In recent memory, complaints of toxicity were a large part of the exodus of people from organizations during the so-called Great Quit. So, what is the opposite of a toxic work culture? Beware of being overly sweet, warns Tessa West, a professor of psychology at New York University and author of The Book Jerks at Work: Toxic Coworkers and What to Do About Them.
Similar comments by West about the dangers of excessive “niceness” have been previously reported CNBC Make It.
“We’ve created a culture where critical comments are called toxic,” West said. luck. “I think we combine kindness with things like empathy, constructive feedback, a growth mindset and all these kinds of good positive buzzwords that we hear, but the way you actually tend to work is to avoid criticism.”
West says that because critical feedback is seen as harmful, managers often deal with eggshells around employees.
“There has been this movement in the workplace for people to prioritize mental health and mental well-being. And what that often means is that you can’t say anything negative.” “I would say that this lure to make people feel better, is actually completely counterproductive.”
How does kindness hurt employees, even if it’s not the toxic way?
Lots of things can make a workplace toxic—including environments that are inclusive, abusive, or unethical, or where leaders don’t take responsibility for addressing employee problems within the organization. In extreme cases, toxic culture can lead to large-scale movements such as #MeToo. No matter how toxic, employees are often forced to consider leaving their jobs if they are not sponsored or supported by their employers. But to remedy that, excessive kindness isn’t the answer because it doesn’t communicate the truth as well, according to West.
“Ironically, this temptation to make people feel good about themselves causes leaders to avoid feedback altogether,” West said, adding that the consequence of this could mean that employees don’t really know where they stand in their ability to fulfill their jobs.
“Kindness is when it leads to avoiding the necessary critical comments that people need to thrive — the specific things — then it becomes a problem.” She said. “In the end what happens in the end is people are laid off or fired (or) demoted without any feedback as to why.”
What this ultimately does is amplify the level of uncertainty and exhaustion people feel at work because they never know how close or far they are to outcomes like a promotion or being laid off. West points out that employees also feel psychologically insecure — the idea that people can talk, make mistakes or ask questions without fear of negative consequences.
So, what can managers do? West suggests communicating with employees with neutral comments first, followed by simple or casual comments so that people get used to being on the receiving end. You also believe that feedback should be about specific employee behavior rather than managers’ impression of it.
“Starting with fairly neutral content can kind of warm people up, if you have that kind of culture of avoiding comments in the workplace,” West said.
How do employees deal with toxic workplaces?
studies I showed That a toxic workplace has driven American employees up a wall during the COVID-19 pandemic, culminating in many of them quitting their jobs in search of greener pastures. In 2021, nearly 48 million people left their jobs and that number rose to more than 50 million in 2022, according to Government data.
While the pandemic has put a spotlight on toxic workplaces, and mass resignations have been a response (of sorts) to that, we may be far from the reality that no such corporate culture exists. Some job listings still ask potential employees for the ability to “handle stress” or “work under pressure,” which can be a red flag regarding employee expectations in the workplace.
Some of the ways you ensure you’re not contributing to this culture are by noticing the little things, writes Kathryn Mincio, CEO of recruitment platform The Muse. Lucky comment in March. This includes checking if you are the first to speak in meetings, having very specific action items for people who report to you or often adjusting your expectations.
Ultimately, employees want a safe and nurturing space for professional and personal growth. In the words of billionaire and veteran Wall Street investor Charlie Munger, the best way to live life is to “avoid toxic people and toxic activities.”