How can you tell if your store has one?
Everyone has heard of toxic work environments, and how they can have severely detrimental effects on how the company runs, but can you identify the symptoms of one? It can often be even more difficult for managers to realize what’s happening, because employees may be “on their best behaviour” in front of the boss.
Of course, that’s not to say that every workplace is toxic – far from it. But there’s always a possibility, and if you don’t know what to look for, any issues could continue to grow. And once you identify a problem, you need to know how to repair it.
It’s not made any easier by the nature of your business, as a sales environment is inherently competitive. It’s important to watch for situations that can spill over beyond that into toxic conditions. Here are some possible warning signs.
Frequent absences or employee turnover. In addition to people staying home to avoid the workplace, excess stress can actually make them feel physically ill. Watch for people who need to take extra “time-outs” throughout the day, who seem on edge, or who frequently want to be left alone. You may also notice so-called “quiet quitting,” where people do the absolute minimum required of their job, or those who hand in a resignation. It could be restricted to one department, or could be a larger issue that affects most or all of the store.
Bullying and manipulation. There’s often a “pecking order” in many businesses, so watch for it and note if it’s getting out of hand. It could include bullying, making jokes at someone’s expense, racism, or people higher up dumping tasks on those lower down. If your salespeople are on a rotating basis for walk-in customers, watch for anyone who muscles in to get to them first. Employees often group together – for lunch, for quick conversations, or maybe even get-togethers after work. If anyone’s being habitually left out, this might be someone who’s being bullied, or conversely, that might be the bully.
Office gossip. Just about everyone loves a juicy story, but gossiping about fellow employees can quickly turn an office into a toxic environment. Even fairly innocent stories can turn sour as they get repeated – the old game of “telephone” where the final story is nothing like how it started out, once people retell what they think they’ve heard. Don’t engage in gossip yourself, and put a stop to it if you hear any.
Online activity. A toxic environment can potentially spill out and be harmful to people who aren’t even part of your organization. Be watchful of online bullying outside of it, such as employees who put up social media posts with jabs at customers or people they know outside of work, even if they don’t specifically identify them. Not only does it make your store look bad to strangers reading the posts, but other employees may wonder if that person is jabbing them online as well.
Blow-ups over mistakes. Everyone makes errors; as they say, it’s “only human.” But if managers take it out on employees when they do make honest mistakes, people will be afraid to own up to their errors, or only do the bare minimum in order to avoid making them. Employees should be told about mistakes and how to fix them, but in a constructive manner. Shouting, throwing items, name-calling or ridicule should never be tolerated in your workplace.
Rude and belittling behaviour. The “Monday Morning Meetings” that some dealerships hold each week are meant to pump up the team, but be careful you’re not picking on some of the members. Some salespeople will often do much better than others, and it’s fine to give them a shout-out, but don’t belittle those who haven’t hit the high numbers. That can create an “us-against-them” attitude, rather than the unified team you’re trying to maintain.
Stand up for your employees. The old line is that “the customer is always right,” but in reality, it isn’t necessarily so. If someone is giving your employee a hard time, step in to defuse it, and then look at both sides. If the customer is being unreasonable, be courteous, but defend your staff. Employees need to know that you have their backs if they’re being treated improperly. Don’t just look after the people directly under you – if it’s someone mistreating people at the service or parts counter, step in to help everyone work through it. A caring environment throughout the dealership makes everyone feel better and more likely to work together for the store’s benefit.
So, what’s the fix for a toxic environment? That toxicity wasn’t installed when the store was built. It’s caused by people’s behaviour, and you must find the root of it.
If you find that people are on edge, speak with them privately – you noticed they don’t seem to be themselves lately, and is there anything you can do to improve things? Watch for recurring themes that will help you find the issues. And always start from the top down, making sure that you’re doing all you can to ensure a safe, friendly, and productive workplace.