Can You Thrive in a Toxic Company Atmosphere?
| July 27, 2016
Companies with happy employees outperform the competition by 20 percent earn 1.2 to 1.7 percent more than their peer firms and perform at 2.1 percent above industry benchmarks. (Entrepreneur Media)
I
was recently hired to work in the HR department of a large accounting firm. Though my job description includes several responsibilities I’m being tasked largely with improving the company atmosphere. Several months ago one of the company’s senior accountants was bought out by a competing firm. This really shook up my company and now they want me to improve the workplace culture so that it won’t happen again.
During the interview process I was told that there was a lot of negativity and divisiveness in the company. Now that I’m actually working here I see how acute it is. On a senior level they’re forever looking over their shoulders to criticize the competition. On the lower rung employees are suspicious of one another and of their managers each one holding his cards close to his chest — the dog-eat-dog world personified. There also seems to be a very subtle yet definable feeling by those on the lower end of the totem pole that they’re not being appreciated and properly compensated for their skills.
What’s the best way to uproot the years of suspicion and introduce a positive and productive atmosphere? I have several ideas but I’m afraid that whatever I try will be viewed with skepticism or disinterest. Are there any good rules for where to start?
Strategic wealth management consultant Dovid Greenblatt Rabbi Naphtali Hoff of Impactful Coaching & Consulting and Miami Marlins baseball team vice chairman Joel Mael respond.
Take a Systematic Approach
willing to support your efforts to alleviate it. Ask them what they see as possible solutions. “Blue sky” with them about some solutions you would like to pursue.
Mission-driven companies have 30 percent higher levels of innovation and 40 percent higher levels of retention. They also tend to be first or second in their market segment. (Deloitte Research)
There are seminar and consulting companies that will come in to lift morale. Some of them have fun exercises that get people to learn how to work with one another better. Generally you need to make sure that positive morale starts at the top with upper management. Managers set the tone good or bad for every company. You may want to study the “Words Can Heal” program that was started by Rabbi Irwin Katsof and promoted byHollywoodactors a few years ago. It taught sensitivity to lashon hara and presented it as a message to the secular world. You may wish to identify other peers to work on the implementation plan with you particularly someone who has been at the company for a long time. Unfortunately there are probably some bad apples in the company who will not be willing to change easily. You’ll have to figure out how best to deal with them.
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