Toxic behaviour in the workplace doesn’t have to be blatant and deliberately in your face types of behaviours to be extremely detrimental to your workplace culture.  It can be subtle, the type of behaviour that in isolation you would dismiss as annoying but not necessarily toxic or damaging to your team.

These small, seemingly insignificant actions or words can accumulate over time, creating an unhealthy work environment that can impact employee well-being and organisational success. Understanding and addressing these micro behaviors is essential for fostering a positive workplace culture.

Feedback void

Feedback is a critical requirement that leaders need to learn to be comfortable delivering.  It’s not all about correcting behaviours or pointing out errors, feedback regarding a success is equally as important. Timely and appropriately delivered feedback helps build trust and improve working relationships as it is the cornerstone of open and clear communication.  It allows your team to know where they stand and what needs to be adjusted so they can continue to meet milestones.  Positive and constructive feedback are both necessary and important!

We often talk about the behaviour that you walk past is the behaviour you accept.  If you see a behaviour or poor performance occurring in your workplace, feedback will clarify to your employee/s as to what is expected of them.  We always recommend using the least amount of ‘management’ to correct a performance or behaviour gap. Start with a gentle nudge, ‘Tommy, don’t forget to make sure you put the drill back in its rightful place; don’t leave it lying around’. Starting with a gentle nudge may correct the behaviour. If it doesn’t, escalate to another level. Not everything needs to become serious or formal – feedback on the fly fixes the majority of issues….

Regardless of whether it is poor behaviour or performance, take the employee aside and have the appropriate conversation and clearly outline what is acceptable.  Unless it’s a gentle nudge, any type of corrective feedback should be given in private, Feedback is not designed to humiliate or embarrass your team member; rather it should be delivered in a respectful manner and designed to illicit a positive change.

It’s super important to remember to provide positive feedback often! There’s barely a person amongst us who doesn’t respond well to positive feedback. No-one wants to work in a business where the only time they hear from their manager is when they’ve done something wrong.

Creating a culture of positive feedback often, and corrective feedback when required, builds a culture pf positivity and trust, where workers know that their efforts are noticed and appreciated, and they more readily accept constructive feedback when given.

It’s Us against Them

The language we use has an incredibly significant impact on those around us.  It can be very subtle, but divisive language can be extremely damaging to a team so it is really important that you adjust your language to be more inclusive. 

For example, you may need to advise your team about changes that senior management need them to implement.  Rather than saying “They said we have to do this now”, adjust the language to “We agreed to work on this project now as this would deliver the best result for everyone.” Take out the them and us language and you will find that the connection between the team, management and the goals of the business will be more united.

Excluding others

Exclusionary practices involve intentionally leaving someone out of meetings, conversations, or even those after work drinks on a Friday night. Exclusion can make employees feel undervalued and isolated, negatively impacting their engagement and productivity. 

While we hope that these sorts of behaviours were left in the schoolyard, sadly they do still occur in the workplace and are very divisive in nature.  Ensure all relevant parties are invited to meetings or are involved in conversations or be sure to be clear about why they weren’t required as there may be a legitimate reason.  Clarity can help avoid any misinterpretation and mitigate potential issues from those who feel left out.

Note that deliberate exclusion of a person or group of people is considered bullying in the workplace, and should be taken seriously.

Don’t be dismissive

Ever sat in a meeting where someone talks over you? Or rolls their eyes when you do have the opportunity to speak.  Perhaps they let you speak and then completely ignore any contribution you made.  This type of negative micro behaviour can make others feel disrespected, undermine their confidence and destroy team trust.

First up, think about whether you have ever behaved this way.  Ever called a teenager out for rolling their eyes at you?  They will fight you to the death, sure in their belief that they did not, never ever, no way rolled their eyes at you and sometimes, some adults will do the same as they are completely unaware of their own micro reactions. 

Secondly, take note of anyone behaving in this way in your team and call it out.  Depending on the situation, you might simply stop a team member talking over the top of another and ask the first person to continue with their contribution to the conversation.  Sometimes it may require that private feedback about respectful behaviour in the workplace.  Either way, stop dismissive activity in it’s tracks as it can be deadly to your team culture.

Allow all of the ideas to come forward

We’ve all sat in those team meetings where we are asked to make suggestions to help solve a problem and there is silence.  Crickets in fact.  No one wants to contribute.  This may be because the experience of the team is that they are ridiculed or dismissed by others who deem their idea to be “bad”.

OK, so not every idea is great and sure, some can be ridiculous.  However, the very nature of having a skilled group of people working in your business is their ability to come up with diverse ideas and opinions.  You want to encourage a culture that embraces innovation and allows for healthy debate or discussion without individuals feeling intimidated or reluctant to share.  The fact that your team is able to share their views suggests that you have built a psychologically safe workplace.

1% of 100 brains is always better than 100% of one!

The Impact of Toxic Micro Behaviours

While each micro behaviour might seem trivial on its own, their cumulative effect can be profoundly damaging to any business. A top line look at some of the impacts include:

• Decreased morale: Constant exposure to toxic micro behaviours can lead to a decline in employee morale. When employees feel disrespected or undervalued, their motivation and job satisfaction can plummet.
  
  
• Increased turnover rates: A toxic work environment is a significant factor in employee turnover. When employees feel unhappy or unsafe at work, they are more likely to seek opportunities
  elsewhere. You lose skilled team members and the cost of recruitment and replacement is significant.
  
  
• Reduced productivity: Toxic behaviours can lead to a lack of collaboration and communication, resulting in decreased productivity. Employees who feel marginalised or disrespected by their colleagues or their leadership may not perform at their best.
  
  
• Damage to company reputation: A toxic work culture can damage an organisation’s reputation, making it difficult to attract and retain top talent. In today's digital age, negative reviews on platforms like Glassdoor or social media platforms can spread quickly and can be very damaging.
  
  
• Mental health implications: Continuous exposure to toxic micro behaviours can lead to stress, anxiety, and burnout, affecting the mental health and well being of your team.

The role of leadership in combating toxic micro behaviours

Leadership plays a crucial role in shaping workplace culture and addressing insidious behaviour before it does damage. Great leaders get out on the front foot in building positive workplace cultures and will deliver on some or all of the following actions:

1. Set the tone: Leaders should set a positive example by demonstrating respect, empathy, and inclusivity in their interactions with employees. Their behaviour sets the standard for the business as a whole.
   
   
2. Foster a culture of accountability: Hold employees accountable for their actions and ensure that there are consequences for engaging in toxic micro behaviours. This accountability should extend to all levels of your business, including your senior leadership team.
   
   
3. Provide training and development: Offer training programs that focus on communication skills, emotional intelligence, and diversity and inclusion. These programs can equip employees with the tools they need to navigate workplace dynamics effectively.
   
   
4. Recognise and reward positive behaviour: Acknowledge and reward employees who contribute positively to the workplace culture. Recognition can reinforce desired behaviours and motivate others to follow suit.
   
   
5. Actively listen: Engage with employees regularly to understand their concerns and experiences. Active listening demonstrates that leadership values employee feedback and is committed to making improvements.
   
   
6. Address issues promptly: When toxic micro behaviours are identified, address them promptly and decisively. Delaying action can exacerbate the issue as they can fester and lead to further damage to the workplace culture.

Human beings come with all sorts of positive and negative attributes and a huge part of being a leader is managing individual behaviours for the benefit of the business and the broader team. It’s really important to recognise that some of these niggly little nuisance behaviours can cause huge problems if ignored so don’t stick your head in the sand; deal with them as they arise.  Of course, if you have any behavioural issues in your workplace that you need support managing, call on the HR Staff n’ Stuff team to help.  We’re here whenever you need us!