Dysfunctional (or toxic) employee behaviour poses a significant threat to productivity, organizational culture, and team effectiveness. This behaviour can take bizarre forms, ranging from manipulative negativity to outright discrediting of colleagues and evasion of professional responsibility. Such patterns create a detrimental working atmosphere. This leads to a decline in the team’s morale with cumulative effects that can spiral into larger issues.
The Many Faces of Toxicity
- Harassment and Discrimination: Manifesting through spiteful remarks about gender, age, race, sexual orientation, or religious beliefs, as well as inappropriate jokes or overt sexual innuendo. This behaviour fosters a hostile work environment, leading to rapid emotional exhaustion and professional burnout of the targeted individuals. This will prompt the toxic individual to seek new victims.
- Manipulations and Intrigues: Toxic employees use manipulations to advance their interests at the expense of others. They spread rumours and engage in deceit to discredit colleagues. Typically, these are classic sociopaths adept at mimicking socially acceptable behaviour to slip through interviews and communications with management unnoticed.
- Idea Theft: In competitive environments, toxic individuals often claim others’ ideas as their own, undermining team trust and sparking conflicts.
- Sabotage: Deliberate actions to undermine colleagues’ or the entire team’s success, including ignoring important communications or misrepresenting project timelines. Sabotage sometimes serves as a means to pressure management for additional resources, regardless of the collateral damage.
- Aggressive Behaviour: Exhibiting aggression, shouting at colleagues, and violating personal boundaries creates an atmosphere of fear and tension. As a result this may reduce overall team productivity.
However, not all non-conformity is harmful. The presence of a “constructive dissident” in a team can be invaluable. This individual is often seen as a devil’s advocate. However, they ask challenging questions and point out overlooked details. This helps stimulating innovation and preventing groupthink.
Distinguishing Between Constructive and Destructive Behavior
- Constructive Feedback: A beneficial “thorn” offers constructive criticism and seeks to improve team performance, unlike a toxic employee who indulges in relentless, solutionless critique.
- Motivational Determinants: Constructive dissenters act out of a desire to enhance team outcomes, whereas toxic individuals are driven by self-interest, envy, or a desire to undermine others.
- Impact on Corporate Spirit: Critical employees can cause temporary discomfort without dampening the team’s morale, unlike toxic employees who consistently undermine confidence and collaboration.
- Openness to Feedback: A constructive critic is open to feedback and self-improvement, in stark contrast to toxic individuals who ignore criticism and show no interest in personal growth.
- Collaboration Ability: Even when critical, a constructive employee can effectively collaborate and support colleagues, unlike a toxic individual who isolates themselves or stirs conflicts.
Managing Toxic Behavior for a Healthy Workplace
For decades, management consultants have emphasized the importance of interacting productively with all employees, including the toxic ones, by creating conditions conducive to productive work. One of the systemic management’s tasks is to foster a sustainable balance among diverse personal qualities and roles, including managing inevitable conflicts. Thus, it’s crucial to identify and nurture those who can serve as a beneficial “thorn” to propel the team forward. However, timely recognizing and mitigating the impact of toxic destructors helps preserve the team’s harmony.