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Edited by Grace Ivey McKinsey Global Publishing, Atlanta
Detoxifying culture. More than 80% of North American senior executives believe that their workplace cultures could be healthier, according to a survey of nearly 1,350 CEOs and CFOs. Employees in disrespectful, ruthless environments are more likely to be anxious, burned out, and depressed. But leaders often don’t know where to start when looking to improve company culture. Since stressed workers are more likely than their peers to behave in a toxic manner, reducing nonessential work is one way to ease heavy workloads. Modeling respect and integrity can also help discourage toxic behavior at work. [MIT]
The ‘overemployed.’ Employees experiencing burnout at one job are doing something curious: opting to secretly pick up another job. Why? Overemployment lets people dabble in new fields, fast-track financial goals, and have double the job security. No matter the intent in doing so, overemployed people distance themselves from their work so that who they are isn’t solely what they do. For many who feel dissatisfied in the corporate world, this is an empowering way to become self-reliant. [Wired]
Toxic workplace behaviors. Whether from bosses or colleagues, encountering toxic behavior in the workplace is common, says author and psychology professor Tessa West in an interview with McKinsey Health Institute (MHI) leader and McKinsey senior knowledge expert Jacqueline Brassey. Around the world, one out of four employees experiences toxic behavior at work, according to a recent MHI report on burnout. When people are feeling overworked and overwhelmed, they are less able to read situations accurately, says West. That could mean under- or overperceiving a threat.
Stressed out. When people witness toxic behavior at work, many think that if they’re not the problem, they don’t have to contribute to a solution, explains West. Fear of retaliation and not knowing how to have the conversation can prevent people from stepping in. But that can create a vicious cycle of toxic behaviors as stress cascades through an organization. A stressed-out boss might not pick up on cues that a toxic team member is wreaking havoc on the team, West adds. Read the interview to learn how to identify and address toxic behavior in the workplace.
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