8 warning signs that your workplace is dysfunctional

By Dr. Guy Lubitsh and Dr. Tami Lubitsh- White 

The World Health Organization (WHO, 1994) determined that 58% of the world’s population spend one-third of their adult life at work.

The environment in which we spend this time has a significant effect on our health, relationships, and overall well-being. According to Peterson (2002), dysfunctional behavior is the conduct that violates the work code of ethics and regulations and has a negative influence on work relations and overall performance.

Many studies found that dysfunctional workplaces translate to poor health, increased depression and anxiety, and a significant decrease in motivation and life satisfaction.

At an organizational level dysfunctional culture manifests in turnover, loss of productivity, and reduced revenues. Some workplaces have a reputation of being “toxic,” while in other places the dysfunction is more settled and hidden.

We all have good and bad days, but the effect of working in a dysfunctional organization goes well beyond daily mood fluctuation. If you feel tired most of the time, suffer from chronic fatigue, lack of motivation and the simple tasks at work feel overwhelmingly complex, you could be a victim of a dysfunctional workplace.

So how can you determine if your workplace culture is dysfunctional? If you can identify 5 of the following symptoms in your workplace, that is probably the case.

8 Symptoms of a toxic workplace:

1. Lack of safety

You feel afraid to make mistakes or it feels even more dangerous to admit you made one. There is a culture of blaming and shaming.

You need to protect yourself from being accused of wrong-doing even in areas that are not under your direct control.

Your workday feels like you are walking in a minefield. It feels uncomfortable. Blunt or hidden threats are expressed in different ways.

It often manifests in receiving emails with capital and bold letters. Even if you have a good idea, you find yourself reluctant to share.

There is an awkward atmosphere in meetings where there is a strong sense of needing to self-censor. You rarely feel needed or appreciated.

2. Lack of clear goals and objectives.

You often find yourself wondering what is expected of you. There is an obvious discrepancy between what you are supposed to be doing according to your job description and what you are doing.

It contributes to a lack of clarity about expectations. You can never truly know if you did a good job. The lack of clear expectations manifest in a lack of productive feedback.

3. Poor communication

Poor communication makes you feel like you’re out of the loop. There is a pattern of gossiping, rumors, and misinformation. There is a lot of drama stemming from misunderstanding and the blame dynamic. There is a lot of whispering.

4. Hierarchy and Separation

Senior and upper management are not accessible and when they appear you may find yourself asking “what’s wrong”. When you receive a note of appreciation from management, you cannot stop wondering, “what do they want from me?”.

5. Lack of trust

You are not sure who you can trust. It feels safer not to share your thoughts and feelings. Emotional presentations are discouraged as well as any signs of vulnerability. Often when people confide with you, you find yourself doubting their motives. A dysfunctional culture is a fertile ground for hostility, harassment, and abuse. Often managers can get away with abusing their power because there is a fear factor that discourages speaking up.

6. High Turnover

You never know who you are going to meet when you get to work. People are leaving without notice. You realize that the most talented people leave and the people who are promoted are not necessarily good at their job, but they have a gift of pandering.

7. Lack of growth and innovation

In the absence of honest conversations, enthusiasm, and hope for change, there is little incentive to “think outside of the box.”

The organizational rewards are given to people who follow the rules and do not try to shake the boat. Innovation requires safety, willingness to fail, courage, creativity, and imagination. All of those are absent in the dysfunctional culture.

8. Something constantly feels wrong

The final symptom out of the 8 is plain and simple. You know something is wrong.

Prepared by Patrick O’Brien.

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