The #1 Tool You Need to Manage Toxic Behavior at Work
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“It’s not sweat or revenue that makes companies tick; it’s trust,” says John Hall writing for Forbes.com. Trust is a foundational principle of the work we do with teams at Resologics, which is why we study interpersonal relationship factors in the workplace that either enhance trust or erode trust.
My work with teams and leaders has convinced me that it's a worthy effort to assess individual styles and behaviors and their impact on the level of trust within a workplace. The most poisonous situation I see that challenges trust involves the abrasive coworker or leader.
We see how a persistent pattern of disrespectful, aggressive, even bullying behavior drives people away from that individual and the goals they're trying to accomplish. It erodes trust in the individuals at the receiving end of this behavior, and also in the perception that management isn’t doing anything to address a problem that seems so obvious and harmful to them.
Chronic unacceptable conduct can do irreparable damage to an organization, not to mention the individuals who have been so cruelly targeted. The cost to a leadership team that ignores or accepts toxic behaviors is high.
What’s the first step in changing this situation? The Tool
The first step is to diagnose the problem. Awareness that there is abrasive behavior going on can come from several sources — the boss, the coworker, the target or targets, the HR department. Or, it may show up in more subtle ways (as statistics show): Employees who are connected to that individual often react with an erosion of their work quality, higher absenteeism, requests to shift out of the department, or even leaving the company for a safer work environment.
How do you figure out if there is a problem, and the extent to which it’s occurring?
You are able to diagnose abrasive behavior by using our "Abrasive Leader Diagnostic," and it is available free to you via this direct link. It's an online survey designed for anyone to take, confidentially and anonymously (we do not collect the respondent’s information). It’s especially useful for HR pros, managers, leaders, coworkers, and even for individuals who might believe THEY could be exhibiting abrasive behaviors.
The research-based Abrasive Leader Diagnostic identifies problematic behaviors through factors such as:
Types of behaviors to consider
Range of symptoms that have been noticed or reported
Behavioral history (to establish if it was a one-time or a chronic situation)
For leaders committed to an organizational culture that creates an environment of safety and builds trust among workers, the Abrasive Leader Diagnostic can be an invaluable tool. The identifying factors and symptoms outlined in the questionnaire can be built into your company policies to help you discern any chronic abrasive behavior before it becomes toxic.
Next steps to address the issue
Once you've noticed or received a complaint about someone's behavior based on the guidelines of the ALD, keep notes of the behaviors and symptoms to identify a thread. At best, you'll find a personality conflict that can be remedied between the two parties.
Concerning behavior is that which is "chronic" — either against everyone or targeting an individual — and needs immediate attention, no matter what position the individual holds in the organization. Engaging an outside professional will be helpful to intervene especially in the delicate situation of an otherwise valued leader.
Through individualized coaching, the person can reach awareness of what the behavior is, how it is being perceived by others, and ways to shift their style in a positive direction.
Wondering if an individual in your workplace — or you — could be exhibiting chronic abrasive behavior? Take the confidential ALD survey, or schedule a call with us here.
When we join a company, partnership or team, our expectation is that everyone involved will exhibit professional behavior toward us and each other. Instead, it’s highly possible that we may become one of the more than 60 million adults in the United States who are affected in some way by bullying behavior at work.
What kind of behaviors are we talking about? Our definition is any interpersonal behavior that causes emotional distress in others sufficient enough to impede their productivity or disrupt organizational functioning. It isn’t just a personality conflict — it’s a chronic pattern of disrespectful behavior.