Toxic Team Treatment
Many of us work and communicate in team settings, at least some of the time. And we know what happens when one or more team members are unhelpful, unresponsive, or unethical. The dysfunction and frustration can lead to resentment, anger or worse, all of which can be vented on social media outlets. There’s the potential damage to trust, reputation, productivity, recruitment, etc. So, what to do?
Writing about toxic coworkers in the Harvard Business Review, Abby Curnow-Chavez says, “…the single most important factor in team success or failure is the quality of relationships on the team.” Her four steps to address this are:
1. Have an honest, candid conversation with the person.
2. Raise your own game and don’t stoop to their level.
3. Talk with your boss.
4. Take care of yourself and don’t let the toxic behavior damage your emotional and physical health.
It’s good advice but let’s explore the relationship aspect a bit more. Baseball Hall of Famer Casey Stengel had it right when he said, “Getting good players is one thing. The harder part is getting them to play together.”
Minimizing negative behaviors and interactions starts with a well-articulated organizational culture. I say minimize because, let’s face it, we’re human. Thinking we can have a perfectly harmonious organization is like believing in the tooth fairy.
We don’t always get to choose our teams: Some members are there by default or because of a special skill; some people won’t do the work and find ways to take a free ride; a dictator can take over the team and, before you know it, this person is delegating — not leading — without any consultation, and others will perform the work if assigned but they simply will not communicate.
Having a set of operating principles and setting expectations are not enough; the consequences for bad behavior must be clear. There are few things more destructive in the workplace when passive, aggressive, or passive-aggressive behaviors are tolerated.
I believe there is tolerance because 1) there is usually little fear of being penalized and 2) people want to avoid confrontations and be liked. Unfortunately, waiting and hoping things will improve will not make it so.
Few go looking for a confrontation but dealing with “bad apples” is a critical part of working in teams, and supervising and leading others. The situation should not get to a point where the toxicity births other disruptions or boils into a lawsuit. Terminating an employee can create temporary headaches for team members but it’s more likely than not that people will rally and be thankful measures were taken to protect them and the organization.
But let’s be clear: Having the courage to take some action is not the same as “making waves.” Making waves connotes stirring up trouble and creating new problems. This is about airing and addressing the issues by asking questions, and seeking clarifications while showing respect for different views. Like crisis communications, it’s always better to act in a timely way and to be visible so that others don’t fill in the voids with rumor or speculation, or give up.
