I remember the first time I heard the word “toxic” in reference to something other than a poisonous substance. My daughter had just joined a competitive soccer team where she was thriving in her sport and enjoying her teammates. As the new mom on the block, I found other parents clamoring to give me the lowdown on who and what to look out for, in particular, one parent who was deemed “toxic” to the team. At the time, I thought it was an interesting – and extreme – use of personification. As stories emerged of sabotage and backstabbing stunts used to promote one child at the others’ expense, I was appalled but cautious, both in my interaction with this person and in making any rush to judgment. My advice to my daughter at the time was simple: “You can’t control others, only your response, so own that piece. Don’t entertain the nonsense, play your sport, and do your very best.” And so it went.
Fast-forward ten years and we not only survived the soccer drama, but my daughter thrived in her sport, we both made lifelong friends, and she learned how to travel with and work as a team even when circumstances or people were difficult – or worse. The life skills she learned as a teen on the soccer pitch carried over into adulthood and are remarkably similar to those she uses daily in her work in professional services. Yet, a decade later, the “T” word is common vernacular overused to label people, relationships and organizational cultures. Scholars study it, psychologists counsel on it, consultants reveal it: the “poisoning” of organizations, root causes and identifiers, and how to prevent one bad apple from ruining the whole bushel – or business.
Regular consult with C-level professionals and law firm leadership confirms the research and more intimately reveals the good, bad and ugly of organizations, and more often than not, the ugliest of them all are the effects of “toxic” colleagues on individuals, teams, and firms. Common adverse consequences described by our legal administrative partners include: transparency neglected in the pursuit of position, talent bypassed in the traffic of manipulation, and efficiency, delivery, trust and organizational culture casualties in the battle of getting ahead at all costs.
But what makes a person, group or organization “toxic”? Most of us can recognize the less than desirable behaviors that experts deem the markers of a “toxic” environment: underhanded and self-promoting pursuits, operating in silos, tangled communication, infighting, and gossip. A study by Harvard Business School warned us in 2015 of the effects of even moderate amounts of such behaviors and the ruinous impact they can have on morale, culture, retention, client relations, firm reputation and ultimately, the bottom line.
Despite the abundance of research conducted, awareness raised and initiatives implemented, the culture problem persists consistently across all industries:
Seventeen percent of employees who consider themselves well paid still consider leaving their job because of a negative work environment. They also report that a toxic culture is the main cause of burnout in their current organization.
Twenty percent of American adults have directly experienced abusive conduct at work.
Sixty-one percent of those who’ve experienced such conduct reported that toxic behaviors came from people in leadership positions.
Ninety-six percent of American workers have experienced incivility in the workplace.
Ninety-nine percent have observed it.
Ninety-nine percent of us have observed it, yet the level of disruption is often unrecognized by leadership until the roots of the problem are deep-seated.
So why, in an industry full of intelligent, perceptive and highly motivated people, is something we know to be so destructive also something we encounter so regularly? It seems this is the area where theories diverge.
No single expert or study has been able to identify the ‘secret sauce’ that definitively leads to the deterioration of a culture or brand. There are countless ways things can go astray and those paths may be easier to follow than the high road. However, the “road less traveled” isn’t always avoided out of ease; unhealthy and counterproductive behaviors in an organization are often reinforced.
Take, for instance, the trend of glorified workaholics. If working excessive hours and remaining at the unreasonable beck and call of the organization is something regularly lauded, motivated employees looking for their next promotion – or even personal validation – may follow suit. Unfortunately, the more common result is burnout, dangerously high stress levels, and subpar work products.
The fact also remains that some of the most underhanded employees also tend to be some of the most productive, making it easier for managers to overlook or rationalize poor behavior. Firm management reports it far more difficult to remove or even discipline workers who add consistent value even while practicing divisive behaviors. The trouble with this allowance approach is the manipulative individual often gains influence over colleagues, creating copycat behavior and permeating departments and depending upon the level of influence, the entire organization.
Sadly, many firm leaders report that in the face of uncertainty in how to revive firm culture, taking no action has proven as worthwhile as failed attempts to remedy the culture crisis. You read that right: many opt to throw in the towel.
Even more disturbing is the less common but still existent trend in which leadership creates an undesirable culture intentionally, grooming only those with similar practices and mindsets toward success. Yes, some breed such work environments on purpose.
Perhaps the absence of an answer to “Why?” IS the answer – the issues are complex, deep seated and far reaching and cannot be resolved with a one-size-fits-all approach. Solutions must be specifically tailored to the level of dysfunction and disruption within the organization, and there’s no easy – meaning comfortable – way to tackle it. The discomfort involved in addressing the issues and our desire to avoid that discomfort often lead to ineffective, one-dimensional efforts such as an update of policies or the presentation of wall signage, none of which is then reinforced by modeled behaviors. The box is checked, but no one is walking the walk that matches the talk.
We talk plenty about the need for extra care in preserving firm culture in rapidly growing or merging organizations; the need for model bosses who lead by example; the need for strong corporate values demonstrated through action versus wall art. We talk plenty about the people in our workplaces, in our community, even in our families, and how their “toxicity” affect us and the world we live in.
What we do not talk about regarding this issue is personal accountability.
Kara Lowentheil, Harvard Law grad and litigator turned thought-work coach, shares how we deflect responsibility for our thoughts and actions and allow our brains to play the “blame game.”
‘Toxic’ is a trendy word these days, used to describe everything from cleaning products to workplaces to people. I think we like this word because we think it's empowering - that if we label something as poisonous, we can protect ourselves from it. But what I find in my work is the opposite. When we believe that a workplace or a company or a team or a person is ‘toxic,’ we feel incredibly disempowered and afraid of it. We give it enormous power over our performance, happiness, and productivity and tell ourselves that it threatens all of those things. The human brain evolved to be extremely sensitive to what it perceives as danger, so if you tell it that something is dangerous, it will fixate on its fear of that thing. That's what happens when you label someone or something “toxic” – you become obsessed with thinking about how harmful it is and fearing it. And then suddenly YOU are the one creating all of the stress, distraction and dysfunction. The problem isn't that person; it's your runaway brain.
This advice is refreshing, but for some, a tough pill to swallow, as it places personal accountability as the very first step – the only viable step – to bring about change in our surroundings or even the perception of change. This goes against what most of us have ever believed or practiced in our daily lives, and retraining our brains to view things differently than they always have is no small feat. Still, many feel the work is well worth it.
Law firm leadership continues to report a lack of accountability and proactivity across all administrative matters and personal and professional dealings within their organizations, with a leading reason being that even those with the strongest opinions about the need for culture shifts just don’t want to deal with confrontation when challenging the status quo. However, there are those who contend that self-promoting behaviors at the expense of other people or even firm culture manifests in ways that may help the individual in the short-term, but ultimately hinders the culture of an organization for much longer, often long after a “toxic” party has left the firm.
Barry Kozak, COO of Harris Beach, PLLC in Rochester, NY, reminds us of our role in shaping our careers and our workplaces, and it begins with accountability from the very beginning – the hiring process.
I've seen enough disastrous hires to know how important a good one is. Organizations survive them much better than individuals do. I tell everyone I interview that it's not my job to convince them that our firm is the right place for them. It’s theirs. They need to ask questions and push and prod to ensure it's the right place because the firm isn't going to change for them. Most lawyers ask about economics and aren't used to someone caring, but I do care. It has to be a good match for them because they have to make money for the firm in order to be successful, but if they don't like the fit, the firm values, the structure, they’re going to be right back out the door in 18 months having wasted their time. Candidates and firms should do their due diligence early on to avoid bad decisions.
Bad decisions lead to high turnover and low morale, both of which are directly reflected in firm culture and internal and external image. Basically, every interaction matters, every conversation matters, the decline of individual values adversely affects organizational culture, and culture affects every moving part of the firm, including the bottom line. Most concerning are the effects a toxic culture can have on the physical and mental health of employees.
Yes, a corporate organizational structure is far more complicated than soccer team dynamics (most of the time!), but the advice is eerily similar to that which parents offer when their children complain about the actions of others. “You can’t control others, only your response, so own that piece. Don’t entertain the nonsense, do your work, and do your very best.” The common denominator is human behavior, perception and reaction, and Lowentheil reminds us that at the end of the day, all we can really control is our response to a situation and help others learn how to do the same.
“So many companies are obsessed with identifying ‘toxic’ work circumstances or people but I recommend the opposite. Teach your employees how to take responsibility for their own mental state and work product, and you'll be surprised how many fewer ‘toxic’ problems you have.”
Kara Loewentheil, J.D., C.M.C., is a former litigator and academic who now runs a boutique life coaching practice. As a former lawyer and Certified Master Coach, Kara is intimately acquainted with the unique challenges women lawyers face in their professional careers and personal lives. Kara teaches her clients cognitive-based techniques for dealing with stress, anxiety, and lawyer brain so that they can create confidence to build the lives and careers they want. She is also the host of the only podcast that teaches lawyers and other high-achieving women how to actually rewire their brains so that they can feel confident and get what they want in life. The UnF*ck Your Brain Podcast is available on iTunes or wherever else you get your podcasts.