Many leaders work to build a healthy workplace culture. This could mean maintaining a good culture or trying to improve an unhealthy culture.
Employees and their experiences are a crucial part of determining whether your workplace culture is healthy.
Inc. shares the following signs your company culture may be moving in a negative direction.
- Employees stop giving honest feedback. When people do not feel psychologically safe, they do not speak openly. This can be a sign employees are disengaging emotionally.
- Burnout becomes part of the identity. Some companies may glorify exhaustion without even realizing it, leading to employees who compete over who works later or sacrifices more. Burnout creates resentment and turnover.
- Leaders become emotionally unpredictable. A volatile personality creates tension in the workplace. Consistency leads to emotional stability.
- Meetings become political instead of productive. Collaboration and honest communication are vital. Employees should not spend meetings trying to protect themselves.
- Accountability becomes inconsistent. Trust is damaged when certain employees face consequences and others do not. Treating employees fairly and consistently is important to morale.
- Gossip replaces direct communication. If a leader does not communicate clearly, employees rely on gossip to fill in the information gaps. Transparency can put an end to rumors.
- Good employees emotionally disconnect. Disengagement often is about disappointment rather than lack of caring. Employees will withdraw emotionally when they stop believing things will get better.
Leaders are an important part of shaping company culture. Ensure you behave consistently in a way that sets a good example for your team.
