By this we mean what problems can arise between peers that can have a toxic effect on the culture. It’s not just the management that set the cultural tone, the interaction between staff will shape the perception of the company environment. These are things the “easy wins” that you, as a manager, can try to address to prevent negatively influencing the environment.
The messy co-worker
People will usually be to agreeable to call it out but you should fix this if you know who is doing it. It will create conflict within the team just like it would if it was a flatmate leaving a mess in their wake. In same vain, it might be a good idea to intervene if someone is bring really strong smelling food. They are setting themselves up for social isolation and it’s far easier to just have a word about it.
One person that is really over dressed
This doesn’t mean nice hair and top quality clothes. This when everyone else is in jeans and a shirt and one person always comes in wearing a suite. It may not be a problem but it’s worth talking to other staff in case this is seen as an attempt to undermine them and impress senior staff. It may seem a bit petty but this sort of thing will cause resentment if it isn’t addressed. It just comes across as self imposed alienation from the team while making them look bad by comparison – even if no one cares in reality. When there is no stated position people will just create a narrative, even if it’s untrue.
The loud voice in the room
If there is one person that is, deliberately or not, doing a daily Brain Blessed impression then take them aside and remind them not to distract everyone else. This can quickly start to really annoy people if their voice is coming through while co-workers are on the phone/video calls. It may even effect productivity.
The “Gossip”
This doesn’t need much explanation but the line between gossip and bullying is thinner than you might think. It’s best to make it clear that sort of thing is just not acceptable.
The person that isn’t pulling their weight
This doesn’t mean someone that is underperforming sufficiently to warrant a true intervention. It’s more about the person that doesn’t stay at the same level as everyone else in those manic periods. People always notice the person that isn’t pulling together with the team and this is another example of someone setting themselves up for isolation and general toxic effect on moral.
