Ultimately there's only one way to handle a toxic culture, leave it, and hope that in the next place you can help build a better culture with people who will listen..
Having been in places with toxic culture, I can say this is not true. Yes, leaving it and hoping for better elsewhere is easy, but it's not the only way for it to be fixed. If you're the leader, you fix it. If you're not, you "manage up." People are not interchangeable, and sometimes a culture is toxic, but the people are worth fighting for to make it not so. Even the most toxic employee can turn around - I've been there, I've done it.
i started at a job and the person who is supposed to teach me is sabotaging me, teaching me the wrong things, so other people is telling me the mistakes I'm doing, but the reality is that thia girl is doig this on purpose. The manager saw that I was left alone trying to understand the work on my own.
It's possible that becoming a leader, even if it's informally among your workmates, might just be the key to dealing with a toxic workplace, though... Instead of the decent people just passively weathering the latest workplace shitstorm and then waiting for the next one while being miserable the whole time, you foster camaraderie and trust among your group, so at least the toxic people don't control the mental environment. You probably won't win a direct confrontation, especially if the toxic people are your bosses, but you can control the territory. And if the opportunity arises, you good guys seize it and give the bad guys the shiv. Anyway, that's just my take on it. All the best, everybody.
I utilized these skills and was unfortunately terminated from my position for, as of yet, unknown reasons. It worked out overall because I found a company that cherishes great leadership and really shows that they care about those in their employ. Thank you for all of the exceptionally useful advice on leadership and workplace culture. Your content has allowed me to make some really great connections and help foster my friends' and peers' careers.
Leadership is also about INTEGRITY (or doing the right thing even when no one is looking). Like what Simon said, make another pot of coffee when you had the last cup, so others can have their coffee - presumably also when no one is looking. Fully agree - leaders ask if you need help. They explore ways and provide the tools/methodology for you to succeed. Non-leaders just judge your performance and output regardless.
Be the change, build the environment you want. You can’t control other people or the outcomes of how people react to what you put out into the world. But you can be the person and contribute to building the environment you desire with your daily actions rooted in empathy. Worry less about being right and more about being human. Your team will stand apart from the other teams (and this often brings attacks from other leaders looking to win) but continue to move forward and be what you want everyone else to be.
It's hard to lead in a toxic environment. It's exhausting. It results in punishment. In such environments, when you do 'step up' it's looked upon as challenging authority and power. It's disagreeing with Good 'Ol Boys and having them wreck you. BTW - you never seem to get fired as long as you keep the customer and the Sales people fat and happy. They'll torture you forever if the customers like you, and you can't steal them away from the company if you leave. I don't mind the little things: helping and committing to the team, but it gets old, and you begin to realize there's no changing the executive mindset of "get the sale". The $.33/hr raise year after year just isn't enough to do management's 'job' (which is sales, not leading - same thing to them) because they can't be bothered. It's shameful. It's...well...toxic. So, you do all of those things, and then, you exit. As soon as you can.
Just left another toxic office environment. One week in everyone was dumping their work on me and talking about how horrible management was..ran for my life.
just an unrelated aside, but your videos and ideas are some of the most thoughtful and well considered opinions I've encountered both on RUclips and in the real world at large. Thanks for taking the time to share with all of us, you're nudging people to be better.
if you are in a toxic organization and your team is toxic as well, i think you just can leave as fast as possible. If you are in good team, at least most of them you try to grow a supportive culture even with a bad high level mangement. It's difficult but possible. And you need to be aware, within a blink everything can fall apart (if had count "needs" to be reduced for example)
I love it. and it doesn't apply only to people that want to become a leader... everyone working in any organization should practice these values. Our life at work would be much more fulfilling and we would go to the office with a smile knowing it's a nice place to be.
This is so refreshing - I appreciate your point that leadership can exist at every level of an organization. I've noticed that the "grass-roots" leadership - empowering others and letting others empower you - can often have a more positive impact on company culture than top down approaches.
I gave up after 5 years of being the only one who "make a new pot of coffee when I had the last cup". Realized some people won't change, they take other people sacrifice for granted.
I left a job that I worked at for over 3 years. The managers were always talking crap about everyone, and this led to a VERY hostile work environment. No one liked these managers, because they knew how they were. I'm glad I don't work there anymore and I found a better job. No one should have to deal with those people.
I've been dealing with a toxic leader (and the toxicity that leaks downwards as a result) for 5 years. Today I decided 'enough is enough' - a new direction needs finding.
Wow! That's awesome! Congratulations 🎊 👏 💐 That's awesome! Congratulations!That's awesome 👏you are very amazing person ❤ thanks for sharing this amazing and valuable feelings with us..you are a beautiful soul ❤ you are unstoppable and unbreakable keep going and keep shining like a star 🌟 your way of speaking is so motivational in my opinion this way lots of people encourage and inspire from you .... you give lots of people to push out of comfort zone and try and feel new culture and language...I am very greatfull for your all kindness words and support ❤
I quit the job, I could try to handle of a better way but when I was threaten by a coleguee in front of one of our supplies I decided that it was time to move away, other things were happening and the moral harassment it become part of their culture.
The director of my department has told my co workers negative things about me . This damages my work relationships with them . He’s attempting to make the environment toxic for me. It’s tough to fight back against this . If I complain it could become worse for me . Employers have the upper hand contrary to what is out there .
Bad leadership is the one who lacks such respect, responsibility etc ,the values and communication . Who put their narcissistic and ego to do whatever they want .
I always do all of these things, but never think about it. I thought no one wanted to work with me long-term at work because I was constantly put into new groups. I actually DO enjoy working with a variety of tasks, so that's not what bothered me. Was recently told that I was moved around so much because whenever people were having trouble - either with a piece of work that was difficult to solve (and they were super stressed about it) or there was a particular employee that couldn't behave, I was one of the few that could handle "all kind of crazy".
The only solution I have seen for a toxic work culture is a corporate restructure, acquisition or a change in management/ownership. Even then the change can be slow and not guaranteed. Toxic environments also are easier places to become a leader due to the chaos/turnover they can bring, but you may be able to only influence your area only.
My employer invited people from Simon Sinek organization to give a training to women. It was such a waste of time; half people (me included) left after the coffee break. It’s amazing how Simon Sinek himself is so motivating and inspiring, but trainers who work for him are just mediocre.
Hey Simon. I am a volunteer conference speaker on mental health in the workplace. You are my model as a speaker. We have not shared a stage, yet! 😊 My why is clear....I do it to help others cut through the stress by bringing perspective to this anxiety-ridden, pressure-filled society. Loftily, I wish to contribute to changing the way we do business....people first. If ever u want to take someone under your wing, I'd love to learn from you.
Mostly right "BUT"...there are always folks out there not playing that game with you. There are narcissists out there. There are psychopaths out there. There are sociopaths out there. Ok, the percentage of each group is small, BUT if you have a team of 15 to 30 persons, your chances are pretty high to have one in your team. If you are dealing with care workes, nurses and so forth and so on, your chances are bigger than 10% to have borderliners in your team. You are absolutely right building an environment at work based on trust, support and everything else to make a team a team...but if you want to fight toxic work culture, you also have to take care of preventing and defending your team against these sources of toxicity. I know that non of them has chose to be a person with this stuff, but as a leader it is not your job to take care for them...it is the leaders job to defend the team against those threads. To give a drastic example take black death - you can't blame the people for being ill but you wouldn't let an infected person work in a Kindergarten. Thanx for your stuff - it is a beautiful source of inspiration an knowledge.
Simon...love your videos. Great advice. However, a toxic workplace is like walking thru Chernobyl. You have to have protective gear and realize you have daily exposure that causes short term physical and health effects...maybe long term. You have to shower off the toxic waste you are exposed to daily. Don’t bring it home and talk about it or you risk polluting your home and loved ones. Daily injections of fitness, eating, sleep, etc are needed to bring toxic levels down in your system. Thanks for the advice of taking in the good fight, but in the end, a toxic boss won’t always change. Can’t make nuclear fallout change its nature...all you can do is decontaminate the environment by removing the source....the bad boss. Too bad that you as the employee will also risk your own livelihood elevating the issue. If that’s a real risk, get out of that company as fast as possible because it’ll only get worse higher you go in promotions.
@@Oru_Koolipanikkaran I appreciate it. I've come to realize that toxic leaders will try to box you in my dictating what to think, how to think and go one with unsolicited advice. I'm not talking about them wanting to mentor but about keeping you in a place. I've had more success the last couple of jobs telling people what i want, the hours I an on working etc. While it is great to ask on a late Friday, do you need anything, its not a good idea. You will become that guy that gets used and abused. In the end, set respectful boundaries and do your job. If its not enough or you are getting raked over the coals with no relief, leave when you can if confronting is not an option.
I did this....never realizing the employee was conning me with a sad sop story ....got her a raise...she didn't deserve ....to help her financially...so she could stop stressing about her car and gas getting to work....after that thought ok all good....nope she declared mutiny and gathered my team and backstabbed me ....created disharmony and used this platform to gain a job after the position ended saying she was qualified as a Chef and Kitchen manager.....OMGosh.....she never finished 6th grade....she was a prep person ....who basically put out one meal a day....that was prepared for her....I heard she was fired but not before she made my daughters life hell at school...she was a little girl...and didn't deserve that kind of bullying from a grown woman......gross behavior...perpetual liar....
Unfortunately, most are more that happy to take advantage of you if you give freely of yourself to others. They take it for granted. Next time they just expect it, then they stab you in the back, complain about you, for their own incompetence, laziness. Done with that. Now, I just let people fail by themselves. Sick of going out of my way to help people, the getting f'd for it. F them.
Very true , you keep helping everytime and also give them key things to help themselves and the minute your not cleaning up their mess they blame you for their incident
My team leaders are always eager to hear my mates' troubles. Then they delegate me to handle the rest. If the entire team has an issue, the first team member who noticed will be the one to handle the entire resolution process and keep in touch with the support team, not the person who is leading the team and reporting results. And leaders keep telling me privately that "there is something missing from our team". Not going to waste a second on responding to provocations, just waiting for another ship to come.
These are all great skills to hone but I believe what is missing is from this segment is the ability to read people(whether it's something natural or developed). The person you are helping needs to want to improve or else it will become a toxic relationship as they will see you as someone who craves power. It's quite natural to encounter those primal instincts from coworkers who do not care or have work ethics.
It only takes one destructive person to create a toxic work culture, especially if the people around that person are ignorant or worse, willfully tolerant of the individual's behavior.
That's one approach but I could see "cat o nine tails" or an "electric cattle prod" also being of use and probable yield quicker results both in effect and emotional reward.
offer help in a toxic environment? lul you're gonna get emotionally abused most likely aspects of psychological /socio-emotional health like toxicity, loneliness, human disconnection are common in any type of environment (be it work, academic or domestic). one aspect of society that i like to look at is the economic system, as it seems to be a fundamental cause of competitiveness and exclusivity, thus affecting the quality of human relations as well
As an ambitious employee, perhaps I am viewing the problem of a toxic workplace differently……but I see it as a potential opportunity to shine or rise above the rest. We don’t all have the luxury to jump ship whenever we become uncomfortable, I don’t. I only have control over what I do and not what others do. I’m looking at my current situation as practice navigating problems. I’m also trying to have compassion for the people I work with. Many of them have two jobs, our employer doesn’t pay well, and you do get tossed in the deep end when you are new. So many companies our obsessed with “labor is your largest controllable expense”. They will hold the line on this fanatically. Increasing starting wages is a great way to attract and retain better employees. Making employees invest in buying their own uniforms or paying for licensing is also a poor way of managing expenses that I think should be illegal. A poor employee should not have to spend money to work for an employer. I had to spend about $50.00 to work for my current employer.
When you work at a dead end job for a dead end boss no amount or number of "virtue" will help you but only make your life more miserable. Thats my experience. At all of my jobs i did my job better then anyone else and i got mobbed for it. So many losers in this world and the biggest problem with losers is that they dont want to be better What they do want,and find easier,is to destroy those who are better then they are.
This might sound Childish but what if you help and the other person is just taking Advantage of you. Do you still continue to be the same person for them?
PR Gaming I was thinking the same thing. My opinion is I guess let them know you'll help them out as long as they put their part and continue leading them and let them make the choice if they want to follow. Have a great day!
U will be a good person to people around you, and that person that take advantage of you are toxic, and people around them will not thrive. So u don't need to worrrie about that, because your goal is to grow and develop people around you.
You can also change the way you help if you suspect someone is taking advantage of you. For example, if a colleague keeps coming to you to do their work and if it is likely that they're just lazy, show them how to help themselves (i.e. by explaining google search keywords or recommending books on a specific topic). But consider that the person asking for help might really have difficulties understanding a task, even after being shown how to do it several times already. or maybe they technically know the steps but lack confidence. In such cases building up their confidence could be a successful tactic for you.
I agree, your help maybe misjudged as weakness or misguided, I believe you have a good instinct for toxic people. So pick and choose wisely the people who can thrive with your guidance and development. You can't help the whole world?
Hi Mr. Sinek, your ideas has been extremely helpful in my leadership development over the last 5 years. We run a youth development program and I would love to ask you a few questions on organizational culture. Hope to hear from you. Thanks
This video did not address the stated question in the title. How do you handle a toxic work culture? Start looking for a new job/new company to work for. I don't have time to put up with a toxic work culture, and no one without authority can change the toxic culture to a better one.
What if people take all of that you do for granted? Can you also explain how can you handle a situation where you see that the decisions being made are sending the organization flat down on its face?
Thanks Simon! I would like to know more about how to handle the relationship with your boss more effectively, I tend to be very honest and frank, and I'm thinking about this phrase you just said "If you speak truth to power, you could get in trouble", I see myself there, is there anything you could recommend me to read or see? Thanks again!
A director at our company said we could afford to lose the single most important project to our company, because we were losing money on it. She failed to see we were making an additional 15 million in revenue from all the projects related to that single project where we were losing around 100k per year lol. Oh yeah, she also fired me because I wouldn't kiss up to her and spoke my mind.
everyone can be super nice to each other as you describe, but when everybody is over resourced and overworked, and on their way to burning out and upper management is nothing about it none of this is going to help
This book pairs well with the mindfulness book "30 Days to Stop Giving a Shit" by Corin Devaso. Great leaders are mindful and at ease in even the craziest situations.
Being a leader the way Simon describes in an environment where every minute of every workday is tracked electronically and where you are actively discouraged from speaking with your co-workers will definitely get your fired. In America there are many businesses that operate in this manner and only the "yes" people will get promotions within that kind of culture. These companies preach "innovation, integrity, open door policy", etc but it is not truly welcomed. I believe that companies that operate in this manner will eventually fail or be forced to make many difficult changes (most likely due to legal involvement) so it's up to the individual to decide if they want to endure years of this "Big Brother" culture or move on to greener pastures.
Love all the vids recently. Just wondering of you could do a video based on school enviroment instead of work. Probably a few similarities but would help people in secondary schools or college
I shared your leadership skills to my group with a toxic boss, guess what happened the guy confronted me in the meeting this organization is multi media group in Uganda the place is too toxic I got anxiety
You don't handle it. You leave as soon as possible. No amount of money in the world is compensation for your mental health. And that's what we're dealing with.
"This doesn't explain how to deal with a toxic work culture" Sure it does, you become a leader, and little by little the environment will change. Just like Aqua in a cage casting Purification on a swamp, it's slow, it sucks and it will leave you traumatized, but you'll make everything better eventually.
Usually, in those sorts of workplaces, in order to get promoted, you have to change - you have to be like the senior management before they'll accept you. If you aren't like them then it's doubtful they'll promote you in the first place...
First rule of How to handle a toxic work culture is to really honestly ask yourself if you may be the one who is toxic. Given the current lay of the land in that all young people are never wrong, are just the greatest and should always question any form of authority I'm thinking that I just lost most of the people who really could have benefited from this post.
but this doesn't answer the question - How do you handle a toxic work culture? By being a leader yourself? Based on my personal experience, being a leader yourself does pose many risks especially when you're still practicing and not a 'professional leader' yet. And in the course of practicing, you get taken advantage of when you offer help to others, you get turned away or looked down on when you ask for help, and your superiors shrug off more duties upon you and act blind and deaf when you call for help. Only when you escalate matters to their higher ups - which means overstepping hierarchy protocol, thus pissing them off - do they move into action to 'help' you grudgingly. Help you, do the work they had dumped on you, then make it seem like such a huge favor. That's toxic work culture. I burnt out and it's gonna take quite some time before I gather the courage to dare try and practice being a leader. In the meantime, I feel comfortable being a follower and supporter of real leaders instead while safeguarding myself from workplace bullies.
Ultimately there's only one way to handle a toxic culture, leave it, and hope that in the next place you can help build a better culture with people who will listen..
A toxic environment is more likely to change you than you are to change it
Having been in places with toxic culture, I can say this is not true. Yes, leaving it and hoping for better elsewhere is easy, but it's not the only way for it to be fixed. If you're the leader, you fix it. If you're not, you "manage up." People are not interchangeable, and sometimes a culture is toxic, but the people are worth fighting for to make it not so. Even the most toxic employee can turn around - I've been there, I've done it.
That’s not leadership
@@RekemIsrael-vx4pw There are cultures in which it is not possible to lead.
I often find leadership a strange thing - in my experience it's those who don't want it who are best suited to it.
Nothing worse than working with people whom you don't trust.
i started at a job and the person who is supposed to teach me is sabotaging me, teaching me the wrong things, so other people is telling me the mistakes I'm doing, but the reality is that thia girl is doig this on purpose. The manager saw that I was left alone trying to understand the work on my own.
@@gracieambrosio4967I hope you found something better. I don't feel engaged by my manager. I also cannot share my ideas.
This really didn’t address how to handle a toxic work environment. It spoke to how to be a better leader.
Ikr?
It's possible that becoming a leader, even if it's informally among your workmates, might just be the key to dealing with a toxic workplace, though... Instead of the decent people just passively weathering the latest workplace shitstorm and then waiting for the next one while being miserable the whole time, you foster camaraderie and trust among your group, so at least the toxic people don't control the mental environment. You probably won't win a direct confrontation, especially if the toxic people are your bosses, but you can control the territory. And if the opportunity arises, you good guys seize it and give the bad guys the shiv.
Anyway, that's just my take on it. All the best, everybody.
@@pcdm43145 You hit the nail on the head. To paraphrase the famous quote, "You become the change you want in the world."
Ah...wait for it to sink in... (One thing at least partially answers the other...)
The missing link is : organize a worker's union
( to collectively resist the hierarchy who has power over each individual )
I utilized these skills and was unfortunately terminated from my position for, as of yet, unknown reasons. It worked out overall because I found a company that cherishes great leadership and really shows that they care about those in their employ. Thank you for all of the exceptionally useful advice on leadership and workplace culture. Your content has allowed me to make some really great connections and help foster my friends' and peers' careers.
Leadership is also about INTEGRITY (or doing the right thing even when no one is looking). Like what Simon said, make another pot of coffee when you had the last cup, so others can have their coffee - presumably also when no one is looking. Fully agree - leaders ask if you need help. They explore ways and provide the tools/methodology for you to succeed. Non-leaders just judge your performance and output regardless.
Be the change, build the environment you want. You can’t control other people or the outcomes of how people react to what you put out into the world. But you can be the person and contribute to building the environment you desire with your daily actions rooted in empathy. Worry less about being right and more about being human. Your team will stand apart from the other teams (and this often brings attacks from other leaders looking to win) but continue to move forward and be what you want everyone else to be.
I never considered asking for help as a sign for helping becoming a better leader too.
Really brought up a new perspective for me thank you!
It's hard to lead in a toxic environment. It's exhausting. It results in punishment. In such environments, when you do 'step up' it's looked upon as challenging authority and power. It's disagreeing with Good 'Ol Boys and having them wreck you. BTW - you never seem to get fired as long as you keep the customer and the Sales people fat and happy. They'll torture you forever if the customers like you, and you can't steal them away from the company if you leave. I don't mind the little things: helping and committing to the team, but it gets old, and you begin to realize there's no changing the executive mindset of "get the sale". The $.33/hr raise year after year just isn't enough to do management's 'job' (which is sales, not leading - same thing to them) because they can't be bothered. It's shameful. It's...well...toxic. So, you do all of those things, and then, you exit. As soon as you can.
Just left another toxic office environment. One week in everyone was dumping their work on me and talking about how horrible management was..ran for my life.
Probably the right move - identify the lay of the land quickly and take appropriate action.
A good way we build trust is not just by helping but by asking for help!
just an unrelated aside, but your videos and ideas are some of the most thoughtful and well considered opinions I've encountered both on RUclips and in the real world at large. Thanks for taking the time to share with all of us, you're nudging people to be better.
Have this at work atm. I’m always congratulating people on their efforts and asking if they need help. It’s just who I am
It's great that you are so helpful, but I urge caution, as it may come across as you not having enough to do, and jeopardize your spot
if you are in a toxic organization and your team is toxic as well, i think you just can leave as fast as possible.
If you are in good team, at least most of them you try to grow a supportive culture even with a bad high level mangement. It's difficult but possible. And you need to be aware, within a blink everything can fall apart (if had count "needs" to be reduced for example)
I've always learned to keep my mouth shut and when it's time to go than it's time to go.
I tried really hard for two years, and I handle the problem leaving the company.
Thank you. Great observations, little things make all the difference. Pay attention and notice the people around.
Yess..All about the practice of leadership in tandem with humility....
I love it. and it doesn't apply only to people that want to become a leader... everyone working in any organization should practice these values. Our life at work would be much more fulfilling and we would go to the office with a smile knowing it's a nice place to be.
This is so refreshing - I appreciate your point that leadership can exist at every level of an organization. I've noticed that the "grass-roots" leadership - empowering others and letting others empower you - can often have a more positive impact on company culture than top down approaches.
I think he is describing courtesy, empathy, and humility....most people don't associate that with leadership.
Simon Sinek & Jordan Peterson have been the best material out there online right now
RedWhiteNBlade yep i sure agree!
check out Gabor Maté too! great life integration and very insightful
Short and profoundly sweet. Thank-you Simon for sharing the brilliance of your gifts!
I gave up after 5 years of being the only one who "make a new pot of coffee when I had the last cup". Realized some people won't change, they take other people sacrifice for granted.
I believe in what you believe .
Love your books.
Keep inspiring
I left a job that I worked at for over 3 years. The managers were always talking crap about everyone, and this led to a VERY hostile work environment. No one liked these managers, because they knew how they were. I'm glad I don't work there anymore and I found a better job. No one should have to deal with those people.
I've been dealing with a toxic leader (and the toxicity that leaks downwards as a result) for 5 years. Today I decided 'enough is enough' - a new direction needs finding.
Best wishes on your new endeavor! Nothing is as soul sucking and mentally damaging than a toxic, hostile work place!
You are a great leader, Simon.
Wow! That's awesome! Congratulations 🎊 👏 💐 That's awesome! Congratulations!That's awesome 👏you are very amazing person ❤ thanks for sharing this amazing and valuable feelings with us..you are a beautiful soul ❤ you are unstoppable and unbreakable keep going and keep shining like a star 🌟 your way of speaking is so motivational in my opinion this way lots of people encourage and inspire from you .... you give lots of people to push out of comfort zone and try and feel new culture and language...I am very greatfull for your all kindness words and support ❤
I quit the job, I could try to handle of a better way but when I was threaten by a coleguee in front of one of our supplies I decided that it was time to move away, other things were happening and the moral harassment it become part of their culture.
This seems to be universal. This is why people go freelance and start up their own operation.
Perfect ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The way I handled it is so simple; I quite
The director of my department has told my co workers negative things about me . This damages my work relationships with them . He’s attempting to make the environment toxic for me. It’s tough to fight back against this . If I complain it could become worse for me . Employers have the upper hand contrary to what is out there .
Dang bro truth spoken been there seen it done it and suffered for it.
this is what i do everytime, im so happy
Bad leadership is the one who lacks such respect, responsibility etc ,the values and communication . Who put their narcissistic and ego to do whatever they want .
I always do all of these things, but never think about it. I thought no one wanted to work with me long-term at work because I was constantly put into new groups. I actually DO enjoy working with a variety of tasks, so that's not what bothered me. Was recently told that I was moved around so much because whenever people were having trouble - either with a piece of work that was difficult to solve (and they were super stressed about it) or there was a particular employee that couldn't behave, I was one of the few that could handle "all kind of crazy".
The only solution I have seen for a toxic work culture is a corporate restructure, acquisition or a change in management/ownership. Even then the change can be slow and not guaranteed.
Toxic environments also are easier places to become a leader due to the chaos/turnover they can bring, but you may be able to only influence your area only.
My employer invited people from Simon Sinek organization to give a training to women. It was such a waste of time; half people (me included) left after the coffee break. It’s amazing how Simon Sinek himself is so motivating and inspiring, but trainers who work for him are just mediocre.
Lol. That shows education in any form is not well received by some people.
Lead from the rear. Love it.
I love it!!!! Thank you!
Hey Simon. I am a volunteer conference speaker on mental health in the workplace. You are my model as a speaker. We have not shared a stage, yet! 😊
My why is clear....I do it to help others cut through the stress by bringing perspective to this anxiety-ridden, pressure-filled society. Loftily, I wish to contribute to changing the way we do business....people first. If ever u want to take someone under your wing, I'd love to learn from you.
Mostly right "BUT"...there are always folks out there not playing that game with you. There are narcissists out there. There are psychopaths out there. There are sociopaths out there. Ok, the percentage of each group is small, BUT if you have a team of 15 to 30 persons, your chances are pretty high to have one in your team. If you are dealing with care workes, nurses and so forth and so on, your chances are bigger than 10% to have borderliners in your team. You are absolutely right building an environment at work based on trust, support and everything else to make a team a team...but if you want to fight toxic work culture, you also have to take care of preventing and defending your team against these sources of toxicity. I know that non of them has chose to be a person with this stuff, but as a leader it is not your job to take care for them...it is the leaders job to defend the team against those threads. To give a drastic example take black death - you can't blame the people for being ill but you wouldn't let an infected person work in a Kindergarten. Thanx for your stuff - it is a beautiful source of inspiration an knowledge.
Simon...love your videos. Great advice. However, a toxic workplace is like walking thru Chernobyl. You have to have protective gear and realize you have daily exposure that causes short term physical and health effects...maybe long term. You have to shower off the toxic waste you are exposed to daily. Don’t bring it home and talk about it or you risk polluting your home and loved ones. Daily injections of fitness, eating, sleep, etc are needed to bring toxic levels down in your system. Thanks for the advice of taking in the good fight, but in the end, a toxic boss won’t always change. Can’t make nuclear fallout change its nature...all you can do is decontaminate the environment by removing the source....the bad boss. Too bad that you as the employee will also risk your own livelihood elevating the issue. If that’s a real risk, get out of that company as fast as possible because it’ll only get worse higher you go in promotions.
@@Oru_Koolipanikkaran I appreciate it. I've come to realize that toxic leaders will try to box you in my dictating what to think, how to think and go one with unsolicited advice. I'm not talking about them wanting to mentor but about keeping you in a place. I've had more success the last couple of jobs telling people what i want, the hours I an on working etc. While it is great to ask on a late Friday, do you need anything, its not a good idea. You will become that guy that gets used and abused. In the end, set respectful boundaries and do your job. If its not enough or you are getting raked over the coals with no relief, leave when you can if confronting is not an option.
Phenomenal, this is my core practice, but people are still horrendous.
I love these little snippets of advise Simon. Thank you for making these videos
So, you'd all the real leadership, while the toxic boss gets all the credit
I did this....never realizing the employee was conning me with a sad sop story ....got her a raise...she didn't deserve ....to help her financially...so she could stop stressing about her car and gas getting to work....after that thought ok all good....nope she declared mutiny and gathered my team and backstabbed me ....created disharmony and used this platform to gain a job after the position ended saying she was qualified as a Chef and Kitchen manager.....OMGosh.....she never finished 6th grade....she was a prep person ....who basically put out one meal a day....that was prepared for her....I heard she was fired but not before she made my daughters life hell at school...she was a little girl...and didn't deserve that kind of bullying from a grown woman......gross behavior...perpetual liar....
Problem is, some of those with authorities don't want to take risk and worst, not even any responsibilities.
Unfortunately, most are more that happy to take advantage of you if you give freely of yourself to others. They take it for granted. Next time they just expect it, then they stab you in the back, complain about you, for their own incompetence, laziness. Done with that. Now, I just let people fail by themselves. Sick of going out of my way to help people, the getting f'd for it. F them.
Very true , you keep helping everytime and also give them key things to help themselves and the minute your not cleaning up their mess they blame you for their incident
My team leaders are always eager to hear my mates' troubles. Then they delegate me to handle the rest. If the entire team has an issue, the first team member who noticed will be the one to handle the entire resolution process and keep in touch with the support team, not the person who is leading the team and reporting results. And leaders keep telling me privately that "there is something missing from our team".
Not going to waste a second on responding to provocations, just waiting for another ship to come.
Dear Simon Sinek, one day we will come across each other on our path of world peace. Thank you.
These are all great skills to hone but I believe what is missing is from this segment is the ability to read people(whether it's something natural or developed). The person you are helping needs to want to improve or else it will become a toxic relationship as they will see you as someone who craves power. It's quite natural to encounter those primal instincts from coworkers who do not care or have work ethics.
It only takes one destructive person to create a toxic work culture, especially if the people around that person are ignorant or worse, willfully tolerant of the individual's behavior.
That's one approach but I could see "cat o nine tails" or an "electric cattle prod" also being of use and probable yield quicker results both in effect and emotional reward.
Just leave the toxic workplace..
Money doesn't heal stress unless ur willing to self medicate on some sort of addiction..
offer help in a toxic environment? lul you're gonna get emotionally abused most likely
aspects of psychological /socio-emotional health like toxicity, loneliness, human disconnection are common in any type of environment (be it work, academic or domestic). one aspect of society that i like to look at is the economic system, as it seems to be a fundamental cause of competitiveness and exclusivity, thus affecting the quality of human relations as well
Great tips Simon, really useful video. Toxic Workplace cultures are sometimes so difficult to deal with.
My best Inspirational speaker!
As an ambitious employee, perhaps I am viewing the problem of a toxic workplace differently……but I see it as a potential opportunity to shine or rise above the rest. We don’t all have the luxury to jump ship whenever we become uncomfortable, I don’t. I only have control over what I do and not what others do. I’m looking at my current situation as practice navigating problems. I’m also trying to have compassion for the people I work with. Many of them have two jobs, our employer doesn’t pay well, and you do get tossed in the deep end when you are new. So many companies our obsessed with “labor is your largest controllable expense”. They will hold the line on this fanatically. Increasing starting wages is a great way to attract and retain better employees. Making employees invest in buying their own uniforms or paying for licensing is also a poor way of managing expenses that I think should be illegal. A poor employee should not have to spend money to work for an employer. I had to spend about $50.00 to work for my current employer.
RUN..............,....... 👍🏼
Perfect
When you work at a dead end job for a dead end boss no amount or number of "virtue" will help you but only make your life more miserable.
Thats my experience.
At all of my jobs i did my job better then anyone else and i got mobbed for it.
So many losers in this world and the biggest problem with losers is that they dont want to be better
What they do want,and find easier,is to destroy those who are better then they are.
hello Simon... is so simple, yet so difficult...
This might sound Childish but what if you help and the other person is just taking Advantage of you. Do you still continue to be the same person for them?
PR Gaming I was thinking the same thing. My opinion is I guess let them know you'll help them out as long as they put their part and continue leading them and let them make the choice if they want to follow. Have a great day!
U will be a good person to people around you, and that person that take advantage of you are toxic, and people around them will not thrive. So u don't need to worrrie about that, because your goal is to grow and develop people around you.
COLT .38SUPER have great day as well
You can also change the way you help if you suspect someone is taking advantage of you. For example, if a colleague keeps coming to you to do their work and if it is likely that they're just lazy, show them how to help themselves (i.e. by explaining google search keywords or recommending books on a specific topic). But consider that the person asking for help might really have difficulties understanding a task, even after being shown how to do it several times already. or maybe they technically know the steps but lack confidence. In such cases building up their confidence could be a successful tactic for you.
I agree, your help maybe misjudged as weakness or misguided, I believe you have a good instinct for toxic people. So pick and choose wisely the people who can thrive with your guidance and development. You can't help the whole world?
Awesome tips🤝i'll be trying some of these today!
Hi Mr. Sinek, your ideas has been extremely helpful in my leadership development over the last 5 years. We run a youth development program and I would love to ask you a few questions on organizational culture. Hope to hear from you. Thanks
Thanks, Simon 💚
This video did not address the stated question in the title. How do you handle a toxic work culture? Start looking for a new job/new company to work for. I don't have time to put up with a toxic work culture, and no one without authority can change the toxic culture to a better one.
The gtass is ALWAYS greener
Being a leader also means to pass on information that is relevant to the title.
Simon.
What if people take all of that you do for granted? Can you also explain how can you handle a situation where you see that the decisions being made are sending the organization flat down on its face?
I have read something like this ......in
Leader without a title
By Robin Sharma
Thanks Simon! I would like to know more about how to handle the relationship with your boss more effectively, I tend to be very honest and frank, and I'm thinking about this phrase you just said "If you speak truth to power, you could get in trouble", I see myself there, is there anything you could recommend me to read or see? Thanks again!
A director at our company said we could afford to lose the single most important project to our company, because we were losing money on it. She failed to see we were making an additional 15 million in revenue from all the projects related to that single project where we were losing around 100k per year lol. Oh yeah, she also fired me because I wouldn't kiss up to her and spoke my mind.
You are the one who keeps me motivated towards my goal.
everyone can be super nice to each other as you describe, but when everybody is over resourced and overworked, and on their way to burning out and upper management is nothing about it none of this is going to help
I have a "leader" like this right now. I'm looking for another job.
That what I keep saying, but that rabbit keeps getting all the good roles!
Great advice as always!
This book pairs well with the mindfulness book "30 Days to Stop Giving a Shit" by Corin Devaso. Great leaders are mindful and at ease in even the craziest situations.
Being a leader the way Simon describes in an environment where every minute of every workday is tracked electronically and where you are actively discouraged from speaking with your co-workers will definitely get your fired. In America there are many businesses that operate in this manner and only the "yes" people will get promotions within that kind of culture. These companies preach "innovation, integrity, open door policy", etc but it is not truly welcomed. I believe that companies that operate in this manner will eventually fail or be forced to make many difficult changes (most likely due to legal involvement) so it's up to the individual to decide if they want to endure years of this "Big Brother" culture or move on to greener pastures.
When someone doesn’t want you there you bet your rear that they’ll do anything they CAN to sabotage you including fighting dirty.
Brilliant suggestions!
Thank you for your ideas Mr.Sinek , but you did not say how to handle toxic work places or people.
Love all the vids recently. Just wondering of you could do a video based on school enviroment instead of work. Probably a few similarities but would help people in secondary schools or college
u did not answer the question of toxic environment! i just resigned yesterday because of toxic environment...your explanation did not help 😞
He didn't answer the question though...
I shared your leadership skills to my group with a toxic boss, guess what happened the guy confronted me in the meeting this organization is multi media group in Uganda the place is too toxic I got anxiety
You don't handle it. You leave as soon as possible. No amount of money in the world is compensation for your mental health. And that's what we're dealing with.
How does this video answer the title question, as to how to handle toxic work culture?
"This doesn't explain how to deal with a toxic work culture"
Sure it does, you become a leader, and little by little the environment will change.
Just like Aqua in a cage casting Purification on a swamp, it's slow, it sucks and it will leave you traumatized, but you'll make everything better eventually.
Usually, in those sorts of workplaces, in order to get promoted, you have to change - you have to be like the senior management before they'll accept you. If you aren't like them then it's doubtful they'll promote you in the first place...
I nedded this. Thank you. :)
How many here never wanted to go to work after working for these energy suckers ?
I would like to work where this guy works....
That’s definitely right
Unfortunately the true leaders are never really rewarded
I take what I can get then quit
✌️🌍WORKPLACE DEMOCRACY!!! 🌍✌️
Doesn't work in Malaysia.
First rule of How to handle a toxic work culture is to really honestly ask yourself if you may be the one who is toxic. Given the current lay of the land in that all young people are never wrong, are just the greatest and should always question any form of authority I'm thinking that I just lost most of the people who really could have benefited from this post.
but this doesn't answer the question - How do you handle a toxic work culture?
By being a leader yourself? Based on my personal experience, being a leader yourself does pose many risks especially when you're still practicing and not a 'professional leader' yet. And in the course of practicing, you get taken advantage of when you offer help to others, you get turned away or looked down on when you ask for help, and your superiors shrug off more duties upon you and act blind and deaf when you call for help. Only when you escalate matters to their higher ups - which means overstepping hierarchy protocol, thus pissing them off - do they move into action to 'help' you grudgingly. Help you, do the work they had dumped on you, then make it seem like such a huge favor.
That's toxic work culture. I burnt out and it's gonna take quite some time before I gather the courage to dare try and practice being a leader. In the meantime, I feel comfortable being a follower and supporter of real leaders instead while safeguarding myself from workplace bullies.