Are you in a Toxic Organization

Working in a toxic organization is like living in an abusive home. Targets of abuse often have a warped view of reality, believing that they are the problem, not the abuser. The same thing can happen to people who spend too much time in a toxic workplace. They start to feel that there is something wrong with them, when the problem actually lies with those above them. Consider the checklist below. If you spot a few of these danger signs, start polishing up your resume.

Management egos need to be stroked on a regular basis. Sucking up is the key to getting ahead. Anyone who questions a management decision may put their career in jeopardy.
Power struggles and power plays are frequent and ongoing. People are highly competitive with one another and seldom focus on common goals.
Executives are focused on increasing their power or fattening their purses. An inordinate amount of executive time is devoted to issues related to their compensation. They are very concerned with having the correct title, office, furniture, and other symbols of their status.
Employees avoid their managers and only talk to them if they absolutely have to. Interactions with management are stressful and unpleasant.
Entire departments are at war with each other. Managers make disparaging remarks about other functional areas. Colleagues from different departments avoid one another or get into arguments and conflicts.
Management pays more attention to what employees do wrong than what they do right. Recognition and appreciation are in short supply. Managers quickly point out errors and make disparaging remarks about employees’ work.
Employees spend a lot of energy on CYA (“cover your ass”) activities. They keep documentation files, copy lots of people on emails, avoid possibly risky actions, and worry a lot about being blamed for problems.
Gossip, put-downs, blaming, and back-biting are common among co-workers. Much time is spent to talking about other people and discussing their flaws.
Problems automatically trigger the search for a scapegoat. Instead of trying to resolve the issue or prevent future difficulties, managers quickly start looking for someone to blame.
Disagreements get personal and insulting. Differences of opinion quickly turn into heated arguments or conflicts. Expressing a different point of view seems hazardous.
Co-workers have a “my way or the highway” attitude and seldom help one another. Everyone focuses on their own goals to the exclusion of others. No one offers to help if a colleague is overloaded with work.
Unreasonably long hours are a way of life. People are often in the office in the evening and on weekends. When employees are at home, managers feel free to contact them at any time.
No consideration is given to personal or family issues. Work comes first at all times, regardless of family activities, illness, personal hardship. People who fall behind are disciplined, demoted, or let go.

Toxic organizations are usually the product of toxic leadership. For better or worse, the values and beliefs of top executives determine the culture of their companies. So if you find yourself in one of these unhealthy places, you have two choices: either take stress management classes and pray for a leadership change or get out! As soon as you leave, everything happening in that sick little world will become totally irrelevant to your life.

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