In my experience, a toxic culture isn’t down to any one person, or a bad boss, it’s down to the whole environment. When you start working in a place with a toxic culture it takes a while to really realise it. There are subtle clues. Nothing anyone says outright. Just little hints, subtle clues. So subtle you only spot them in retrospect. But by the time you realise it, it’s usually too late. It’s become normal. Like a fish that doesn’t know it’s swimming in water, you’re blind to it.
When you start working in a place with a toxic culture it takes a while to really realise it. There are subtle clues. Nothing anyone says outright. Just little hints, subtle clues. So subtle you only spot them in retrospect. But by the time you realise it, it’s usually too late.
The first clue I had that I was working in a toxic culture was when I started to notice what happened when things went wrong at work. Things go wrong every day. It’s normal. It’s life. But if you’re in a work environment where, if anybody in the team makes a simple, normal error but is made out to look and feel like they’re guilty of misconduct, it’s time to look for the exit. The number 1 rule of a healthy culture is that people have to be open – so there’s nothing they need to hide. This is a clue to a toxic culture. It’s a sign.
In a healthy culture there needs to be open discussion. When things go wrong, examine it but accept it and move on. Whoever a company hires, the company has got to accept that they will not be best at everything. Blame-storming creates a bad feeling, then a feeling of talking behind people’s backs, and this escalates, it plays on the mind.
It’s only when there’s an open attitude towards failure that people can grow at work. We all have weaknesses and strengths. To pretend otherwise makes no sense and breeds fear. By not allowing people to speak up, they’ll keep things within themselves. There needs to be time allocated for people to be open about mistakes, and for this to be seen as a positive thing and an opportunity to learn.
In my past I’ve worked in companies that are international and I’ve learned a lot from that time. People adapt to culture. If someone who’s aggressive by nature is in a culture that’s defensive – then they become defensive, and the same other way round with someone who takes a softer approach. I learnt this at a company I was in a few years ago. I worked with a group of German senior managers and I learnt to be aggressive just like them, but it took me a couple of years. My first experience was when I was quite junior. I was in a meeting and it was all guys, in a stand-up with Germans and Israelis and the discussion was aggressive with lots of shouting. Afterwards, my friend who was Indian and senior said it was just a discussion and nothing to worry. I’d still say I prefer a less confrontational style, but open and honest has its benefits. What looks like confrontation is often not what it seems.
I worked with a group of German senior managers and I learnt to be aggressive just like them, but it took me a couple of years. My first experience was when I was quite junior. I was in a meeting and it was all guys, in a stand-up with Germans and Israelis and the discussion was aggressive with lots of shouting. Afterwards, my friend who was Indian and senior said it was just a discussion and nothing to worry about.
My survival tips for survival in a toxic culture are simple. When you realise it’s toxic, get out. If there’s no strategy in place to change the culture, get out. It’s simply not worth the impact on your mental health, stress levels or the impact it then has on those around you. When you’re not happy at work, you bring that back home and it starts impacting your family as well. It’s just not worth it.
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