Toxic team culture.

[Toughtips]

Aibu to expect my team to be able to manage their own workload? I've recently been promoted into this new role and it's been bought to my attention just how toxic some people are.

There are a lot of issues and I'm not sure where to begin. I suppose my question is, has anyone ever been able to lead and turn around a toxic team to a positive happier one?

Is their workload reasonable? Hard to say if YABU or not

What exactly is it that makes them toxic?
And surely you knew before you accepted the role?

Very much depends on the workload, doesn't it?

All rather nebulous without any context.

Also, your 'toxic' is another person's 'demoralised' or 'unhappy'.

Be careful as I would be highly suspicious of the motives of the person telling a new manager that their team is toxic. You need to ignore the gossip and the ‘well meaning’ advice, observe your own team, and make your own decisions. Otherwise you won’t be long in management

It's difficult at ours, there's a lazy culture and it comes from the locality manager who is very open about how little she can be arsed even in front of clients!

This has then led to basically everyone having long sit offs because everyone knows she won't say shit because she doesn't want anyone to comment when she goes for a one hour meeting and turns up 4 hours later.

I haven't got an answer OP but I feel your pain

If you have the budget, get in a skilled facilitator who specialises in getting teams on track. I don’t mean the ones who spend the day making people play with Lego or doing Myers Briggs personality tests, but a proper expert team building coach. It will save you months of work.

I have, several times. I am doing it now. Depends on why its toxic.

My current team is toxic because their previous manager was shit and a horrible person. There were several grievances against her for (amongst other things) making fun of staff who had very serious illnesses and telling people one person has said something about the other, which was eith completely untrue or said in confidence, relating to a professional issue with someone.

Ita made the team very entrusting very much one half against the other.

To give advice, you need to know the reason its toxic

Also were you part of this team before? That's a very difficult move to make, from being in the team to managing it. That needs it's own touch too.

Ensure everything is fair and that you pull people up when you need to.

What do you mean by toxic specifically?

It can be done but only once you understand what the issues are.

You have to get to the root of the issues, and also review responsibilities if it seems workloads aren't appropriate (in line with their contracts). It's quite rare for an entire team to be toxic with no underlying issues; can you schedule meetings with the team, ideally individually, perhaps as a team if more appropriate. In my experience, usually its caused by a feeling that there is some inequality, or they are not being listened to.

In what way are they toxic? Could it bee justified? Do management do their fair share to support them?
My team could be considered toxic I suppose. We're all completely overworked (paid for 37 hours, all do at least 50), and rarely get any praise/support from above. Recently the company also decided to reduce everyone's grade and bonus without warning, so now there's a really bad atmosphere of feeling under-appreciated

A toxic work environment very much depends on leadership IMHO. Do you have management/leadership experience or are you being supported to develop your management skills?

Honestly I’d start in listening and observing your team, before making changes.

In the nicest possible way your first sentence would get my back up if that was my manager saying that. I’ve been in teams that have been turned around: there’s often an inevitable couple of people who leave because they were the route of the dysfunction and couldn’t cope with the change.
I’d try to understand your team first and come from that route; you want them on side and not against you.

OP your post makes me wonder why you were promoted into this role. Didn't the interviewers explore you abilities in managing and motivating Teams. The company need to send you on a management course in coaching skills, and you yourself need to change your attitude or the 'toxic team' is only going to get more so. I don't hold out much hope to be honest. Poor recruiting

Toxic in what way? Sounds like a lot of blame being thrown about.

If the team can’t manage their workload, what support do they need?

My guess would be that they need leadership!

@Toughtips

How us the team toxic?

• is

You should have your first team meeting & they should each give a SWOT Report on their area/role that gives you current overview of any nasty lurking issues in the so called 'poisoned chalice' you've taken on. That way you can prioritise the issues/stuff that's urgent. Then set up weekly 20minone to ones to discuss work & any related issues. That way you get ongoing info & feedback on issues quicker & can sort them. Lack of communication means things fester while people quietly seethe, then something tips it/them over the edge & it all goes tits up.

In my experience it depends on what tools you have to change things. Workload too high? Can you reduce it, or increase headcount, or make efficiencies? Toxic people - can they be removed, or be persuaded to have an attitude adjustment. Management expectations unrealistic, can they be adjusted? The worst toxic environment I've worked in was one where we were vastly overworked, totally undervalued as a team and the manager had no power to do anything to improve things. We saw staff quitting week after week, not being replaced or being replaced with unqualified newbies. It was a downward spiral, and our manager was completely ineffective at improving the situation.