Coaching Hour Recap: Tony Brock

This recap blog was written by Tony Brock of the Anthony Brock Group, a Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce member, as part of our Coaching Hour Series.

Addressing Toxicity: Leadership Practices to Build a High-Performance Team

What if I told you that the biggest threat to your business is not your mission, marketing, or supply chain of materials? It’s not your strategy or your expenses. The biggest threat to your bottom line is toxic workplace behavior. Most importantly, it’s a problem that leaders can resolve. In fact, leaders may be the only ones uniquely positioned to be able to fix the problem.

Toxic workplace behavior refers to actions or attitudes that create a harmful work environment, negatively affecting employee well-being, team dynamics, and long-term organizational and financial performance. This includes bullying, micromanagement, lack of transparency, and excessive workload, among other disruptive behaviors. Left unattended, it can destroy a business.

Most often, leaders fail to address the problem because they either (1) deem the violator “too high a performer to risk losing them with a confrontation” or (2) fear having the uncomfortable — but necessary — “hard” conversation with the person. In reality, by retaining the toxic employee in their current state, leaders position themselves at a much greater risk of significantly damaging employee morale, retention, and corporate brand.

Leaders can address toxicity by developing and supporting a positive corporate culture, leading by example, setting the conditions for psychological safety, and having clear, redirective conversations with the employee in question.