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Organizations that work to mindfully generate positive culture are more likely to attain it. Organizations that allow culture to occur by happenstance are less likely to generate a positive culture.
Workplace culture can mean the difference between an organization retaining top performers and superior employee satisfaction, or an organization continually trying to find replacements for top performers and low morale.
Creating a positive culture keeps employees satisfied and motivated, all while saving money in the long run. How does positive culture save money in the long run? Less expenditure for elevated absenteeism, high turnover, and increased stress, which could lead to poor health and general lethargy.
Five Indicators You Work in a Positive Culture
Purpose
A positive culture in the workplace requires a clear and specific purpose for existing. This is found in the mission statement. Employees have a clear understanding as to how their roles help achieve the mission.
Community
A great workplace possesses an atmosphere that enhances a sense of community throughout the organization. Employees believe they come together for the common good.
Open and honest communication
Everyone communicates candidly, which solves challenges. There is not back-stabbing and hushed tones of gossip. Constructive criticism is craved because it creates a growth opportunity.
Recognition
Workplaces with positive culture show appreciation to deserved employees. The organization is proactive about how they value employees and their contributions. They celebrate success often; they reward employees in formal and informal ways.
Training & development
In today’s atmosphere of rapid change, it is beneficial for organizations to be up on changes and train their employees accordingly.
Most employees have an innate sense of the overall health of their workplace. The majority of organizations likely fall somewhere in-between positive and toxic cultures. Nonetheless, this post identifies areas where employees might keep their eyes open to their organization’s tendencies.
Five Indicators You Work in a Toxic Culture
Poorly implemented or non-existent procedures
In some companies, policies are not written down and exist in the minds of employees. In other situations, there may be a policy manual, but it is entirely ignored. This leads to performance inconsistency, poor quality, and unaccountability.
Toxic leadership
Toxic leaders and toxic workplaces usually go hand-in-hand. One prevalent characteristic of toxic leaders? Narcissism. They view themselves above others.
Condescension and manipulation are two tactics the toxic leader has perfected. Eventually, organizational trust and teamwork deteriorate, turnover soars, and whatever positive culture existed deteriorates.
Increased physical and emotional illness
You and your coworkers develop stress-related physical and/or emotional illnesses. These illnesses can come in the form of gastrointestinal distress, anxiety, depression, and even autoimmune diseases.
Everyone’s in a bad mood
If everyone’s in a bad mood, it’s a toxic workplace. Along with a general moodiness, employees likely feel undervalued, distant from the company mission, and can’t wait until the end of the day.
Communication issues
A key sign of a toxic workplace is significant communication problems. These problems often saturate the organization—poor communication between employees and supervisors, from management to departments, and throughout departments.
Evaluate Your Organization
If you are fortunate to work in an organization with a positive culture, that’s great news. If you are one of the less fortunate, you can detach from those who disperse toxicity, work on your positive attitude, and spread positivity. If none of this helps, you can always look to move on. Especially if your personal relationships outside of work start to become affected.
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