Dealing with Dysfunction: When Workplace Culture Goes Bad
Before we begin…
The Vocationist wants to equip you to overcome challenges, learning curves and diverse personalities. But we always want you to fundamentally secure and safe. You should NEVER be threatened, demeaned or afraid for your wellbeing. Abusive actions and speech are never acceptable, and your only priority when faced with such behaviour should be your own safety and security. Take care of yourself and do what you need to do to ensure your own wellbeing.
Workplace Culture
Culture is complex. For the purposes of this article, I will grossly oversimplify: workplace culture is what is okay and is not okay in a specific environment.
When something is okay, it is rewarded, celebrated, accepted and/or tolerated.
What is not okay are things that will be corrected, removed, challenged and/or changed.
Some culture is explicit - stated outright and clearly in formal documents, on websites and in meetings.
Some culture is implicit - not openly discussed but evident in interactions, structures and consequences that confer advantages or disadvantages, security or instability.
The culture of a workplace is the result of many people. It is the dynamic, interactive and ever changing way that people speak, perform, manage, mentor, engage, discuss, measure, communicate and relate. Culture can absolutely be influenced by a single person and experienced differently by different individuals - for better and worse - but it is ultimately the result of multiple people.
Cruddy workplace culture varies but may include: gossip, arbitrary inequality, a lack of transparency, poor leadership, limited mentorship, cliques, sexism, gender-based prejudice, porous work-life boundaries, excessive workload, underutilizing people, unethical treatment of colleagues/clients, harmful pressure to meet targets and a myriad other factors.
If you find yourself in a work environment with a dysfunctional article, I am sorry. Hopefully this article will give you actionable tips on how to improve your present situation or pivot yourself into a better future.
Early action is key
Do not hesitate to recognize or address a behaviour that is not okay is the first time you see or experience it. For example, if you witness gossip, aggressive language, micromanaging, claiming credit for others' work or ideas, you don’t have to wait for it to become an entrenched pattern. Managers can address garbage behaviour more directly through disciplinary action, warnings, mentorship or training.
If you are in a peer-to-peer situation, subordinate or target situation, this is much more complex and sensitive. When people behave poorly, you don’t have to retaliate or criticize them in return. You can simply state your expectations and limits.
If someone is belittling or mocking a co-worker, you can say ‘Craig, I like Donna and I think she did great on that presentation’.
If someone is blurring work-life boundaries, you can say ‘That’s not a topic I discuss at work, Jim.’
If possible, speak up or remove yourself in the first instance of unacceptable language and actions. This can help ensure you are not implicated in the wrongdoing or encourage the offending colleague think twice before repeating or escalating.
You may not always feel able to address an issue in the moment - because you are surprised, or because you are concerned about your safety. Use your best judgement, take care of yourself and speak to a trusted colleague / manager as soon as you feel ready.
Involve other people and seek support
If you witness something inappropriate, communicate the situation to a senior person, HR or other internal resource. You do not have to keep secrets for shady people. Standing up and speaking out in a workplace or about superiors in a hierarchy is hard. But seeking the support of others will hopefully prevent feelings of being isolated and carrying a burden alone.
You may (sadly) discover that when you share your concerns, there is general apathy or inaction about misbehaviours. If you realize that the issues are not originating in one individual, but part of a larger system or culture or impropriety or injustice, then perhaps your focus should be less about managing within your current role and more about searching for a new job.
Think carefully about the root cause
Usually a 'bad' culture has a cause. Think carefully about what it is? Is it coming from the top of the workplace hierarchy - an absentee or abusive leader? Is it coming from the foundation of the workplace structure - cruelly competitive or cliquey behaviour among a group of peers or a cadre of support staff? Depending on your role in an organization, you need to understand why something is happening in order to take corrective action.
Be careful about assigning blame too quickly to an individual. You might have a colleague who is outspoken about the problems in a workplace, but that does not automatically mean the critical person is the cause of the problematic culture. Punishing people for speaking honestly about a poor work culture will exacerbate your issues. Taking the time to understand that problems are caused by unequal compensation, absentee management or failure to celebrate wins can allow you to make intelligent changes that result in long term improvements to workplace culture.
You are still accountable for you
In a deteriorating or poor work culture, it can be very tempting to go along with the norm. To participate in gossip, to vent about a colleague who is pissing you off, to slack off in an environment of neglect. Please do not do it, my friend! Stay positive. Do not build patterns of behaviour, avoidance and procrastination that reflect a broken workplace culture, because they will be hard to break when you find yourself in a positive environment. Stay productive and think of your achievements as additions to your resume that will help you find a new opportunity.
Keep your distance from instigators
Maintain collegial relationships, but if your work 'friendships' are contingent on talking $#!*, then create distance. If the talk turns critical or rude, change the topic or redirect to something positive. Avoid alone time with negative colleagues by inviting another colleague or politely declining. Pack your lunch so you are not roped into lunch dates. I understand this can add an element of awkwardness to your work life if you are creating distance between you and a previous work-friend, but if the alternative is jeopardizing your career, opportunities and mental health, it is worth some social discomfort.
Plan your escape
When you cannot change a culture - and the norms and experiences of your workplace are harming your well-being - it is time to consider your alternatives. Is there another team in your current workplace that is healthier and happier? Is there another employer in your field you want to work with? Start researching opportunities for you in other departments or workplaces. Spruce up your resume. Dust off that LinkedIn profile. Talk to people in your field to get some insider knowledge on other workplace cultures before taking the leap to ensure you are not out of the proverbial frying pan and into the fire. And get researching alternatives that will offer you a safe and professional place to grow your career.
Stay true to you
Your escape may not happen overnight, so in the meantime, do what you can to take care of yourself and find meaningful projects to work on. Keep track of your own successes and contributions to boost your sense of pride and confidence. Do not stoop to the level of dastardly people around you. And save your venting for people OUTSIDE of your workplace.
