Episode: 493

Episode Title: Stopping Toxic Culture Before It Starts

When it comes to toxic work culture, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Here’s why, coming up next on The Perna Syndicate.

Ep 493 show:

This is The Perna Syndicate—welcome! One thing all toxic work cultures have in common is that they’re not planned. No one plans for the organization to allow bullying, harassment, unethical practices, or any of the things that make a workplace toxic to its employees. But that’s the point, isn’t it? No one plans. 

Without a plan for a healthy work culture, it’s all too easy to default to at least some aspects of a toxic workplace. Here, as in so many areas of life, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. 

Preventing toxic practices from becoming ingrained in the culture requires a plan to address the little things before they grow into bigger problems. And that means leaders need to get in the habit of paying attention to the little things. 

Employee voices are critical here. Creating channels for workers to give anonymous feedback ensures that things won’t get swept under the rug. If employees don’t feel safe, they won’t provide the honest input that the company needs to course-correct. 

If changes need to be made, don’t make them a surprise. Communicate to everyone ahead of time what’s changing and what the new standards are—and why they’re important. Then, set your sights on the outstanding culture you want to build.

The best way to prevent a toxic work culture is to plan for a great one. 

So what if your organization has some indications of a toxic culture already taking root? What can employees and managers do about it? Let’s tackle that question on the next episode of The Perna Syndicate. See you then!