Paul White, co-author of Rising Above a Toxic Workplace with Gary Chapman and Harold Myra, has written a short piece entitled “Hidden Poisons in a Toxic Workplace.” It appears in Moody Publisher’s “Post-Sunday Newsletter for Church Leaders” —-
For our book, Rising Above a Toxic Workplace, we surveyed hundreds and interviewed dozens of employees (and leaders) from a wide range of organizations, including ministries. We discovered along the way that the worst stories came from churches and ministries, not businesses. We weren’t looking for, or expecting, this result.
Our research uncovered three core components that make a workplace “toxic.”
Dysfunctional Employees
When we use the term “dysfunctional”, we are being descriptive, not just putting a label on people. The prefix “Dys” means ‘problem’; dysfunctional people have serious difficulties in functioning in daily life.
They tend to blame others and make excuses, rarely accepting responsibility for their actions. They withhold or distort information and communicate indirectly through others. And they are masters of creating conflict and tension within the workplace.
Poor Policies and Procedures
A toxic workplace can feel like a combination of chaos, incompetence, or anarchy. How anything gets done seems to be a mystery.
Some organizations have incredibly poor communication. Communication is sporadic and incomplete (or non-existent.) A second variation is when there are no written, standardized ways of doing things. The third common expression is when people “go around” the policies that exist. The policies are there; it is just that no one follows them.
Toxic Leaders
It is important to note that a toxic leader doesn’t have to be at the top of the organization – they can occur at a department level, or supervisor. We identified ten common characteristics of toxic leaders. To summarize, toxic leaders may be very competent (in their skillset) but their motives are askew. They essentially are totally focused on their interests and achievement, and will use others to get what they want.
What Can I Do?
Almost every individual in a ministry setting, regardless of their position, thinks making a significant change in their workplace is virtually impossible. I wholeheartedly disagree.
Every person has the ability to make a significant difference in their ministry by changing small, day-to-day behaviors. Just like physical health, the health of an organization is based upon a few foundational principles — and when people start to practice healthy core behaviors, dramatic change can occur.