Toxic Talk Survey Says Leaders Are Part of the Problem

If you think that you don’t have a problem with toxic talk in your office, think again.

Toxic talk (dissing customers, harmful gossip, etc.) in the workplace is a problem that needs to be addressed according to 89% of service professionals who responded to last Monday’s Toxic Talk in the Workplace survey.

Unfortunately, the issue is frequently ignored by upper management  “Our workplace feels defeated. We’ve taken this toxic problem to top leadership repeatedly, but nothing has changed,” commented one Director.

Some leaders are poor role models. The survey revealed that while leaders rarely make disparaging remarks about their customers, 60% frequently engaged in harmful gossip about their fellow employees.

In fact, when respondents were asked to check those areas impacted most by toxic talk (dissing customers, harmful gossip, etc.),
“Loss of faith in leaders who see it but don’t do anything about it.” was listed in the top five. The other four ways toxic talk adversely impacts the workplace, according to the survey:

• Reduces trust between co-workers.
• Adversely affects overall morale.
• Causes employee stress.
• Reduces employees’ willingness to be fully engaged.
• Loss of faith in leaders who see it but don’t do anything about it.

If left unchecked, toxic talk can be deadly. A poisonous workplace reduces employee engagement which in turn results in poor overall performance, high rates of turnover and absenteeism, more stress-related illnesses and low customer satisfaction ratings.

Next Monday I will share some specific actions you can take to reduce toxic talk where you work.

Care to share what worked for you? How did you deal with the dissing customers and harmful gossip? What worked? What didn’t? Contact me.(If I have your permission to quote your solution in next Monday’s Aha, please provide your name and email address along with your comments.Have a great week and remember that we all share the same vine. When you talk about others in a negative way you hurt every one.

Barbara

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