Toxic Behaviors that Poison Teams
Toxic teams spiral inward and downward.
Reaching high requires high-functioning teams.
How to lead a toxic team:
- Assume silence is agreement.
- Question motives.
- Avoid tough topics.
- Begin sentences with “you.” For example, “You always,” and “You never.”
- Use language that obscures meaning.
- Tolerate drifters.
- Allow power members to drone on and on.
- Share feelings without regard for others.
- Make decisions before or after team meetings.
- Fight for everything you want without regard to others.
- Refuse to adapt to each other.
- Start over when late comers arrive.
- Interrupt each other.
- Use sarcasm to put people in their place.
- Refuse to admit you’re wrong.
- Marginalize new members who don’t know that you’ve always done it that way.
- Invite the same people to the table, year after year.
- Explain why new ideas won’t work before exploring them.
- Get lost in the weeds.
- Don’t assign champions to projects.
- Don’t talk about purpose and goals.
- Assume things won’t work.
- Solve every problem and address every imaginable contingency before trying something.
- Don’t announce the purpose of the meeting.
- Write long agendas.
- Deal with a few “quick” items before you address important topics. Leaving too little time for big stuff.
- Discuss but don’t decide.
5 tips for high-functioning teams:
- Explain why the team exists.
- Connect everything you do to the reason for the team’s existence.
- Assign champions and establish deadlines.
- Monitor and manage energy.
- Encourage equal participation over time.
What’s the most toxic behavior that poisons teams?
What’s the secret to fueling team success?
Too often leaders are in the weeds and without knowing accept bad behavior from otherwize top performancers. It takes someone on the outside looking in to help them realize the toxicity of the situation.
You bring up a devilish problem. Ignoring or tolerating the destructive behaviors of high performers. Thanks, Bob.
What’s the most toxic behavior that poisons teams?
Partial commitment.
Love it, Joe. Half-in means half-out. That’s never good. There’s nothing like a group of talented people who are committed to achieve the same thing.
I’m laughing as I read this! 🙂
So, I was once fired for being a “bad leader” by a manager in a toxic work environment. Suffice it to say, showing servant leader tendencies would be extremely toxic in an environment that promotes “TEAM TOXIC”! LOL!
Love this! In a toxic team you probably were the “bad leader” to them. Showing up as a servant leader forces people to decide if they want that type of culture or not.
Thanks, Michael. Vulnerability in an environment that’s all about pretending everything is good, makes one a “bad leader.” Brining up long-standing problems in an environment that sweeps issues under the rug, makes one a “bad leader.”
Thanks for expanding the definition of “bad leader.”
I would like to amplify something. It is ESTABLISH deadlines. Fools and wicked people set absurd or abusive deadlines. Sound deadlines are negotiated in good faith, agreed to, and elevate everyone’s achievement.
That’s a strong statement, Wretch. There is an approach to goal-setting that endorses giving people too much to do. The idea is people will get more done.
Your point is well taken. When stretch goals are discussed and willingly adopted, they help us grow. Constantly giving people too much to do is a short-term strategy that leads to defeat.
A lot of those toxic habits are things that are human nature, and we have to work to keep them in check. We are all guilty of those at some point in time. I definitely will save that list and refer to it to check myself before I check others. Thanks Dan!
You bring up an important idea. There’s something more important than skills, character – inner attributes. A skillful salesperson who lies is destructive.
It can be challenging to deal with these hidden issues. When the issue is arrogance it’s even more difficult. Others often see pride in others, but not in themselves.
Powerful challenge, SB.
What’s the most toxic behavior that poisons teams? Allowing personal attacks.
What’s the secret to fueling team success?
1. An effective leader
2. Talented and motivated team members
3. Clearly defined and enforced operating rules
Thanks, Paul. “Personal attacks.” Thanks for adding that. It’s interesting that people who feel weak can attack, and so can people who feel powerful.
Thank you, Dan. This is good list. I like number one, as I purpose to get everyone on the committee to share their thoughts. I have found that the strength of team can be measured in their ability to express thoughts on developing a solution. It looks a lot like co-creative communication rather than positional communication.