Inheriting a toxic team - advice needed

[Wonderbug81]

I'm inheriting a toxic team. There are 3 team members in particular who are dragging the rest of the team down.

I'm joining at a point where my manager has already agreed to implement PIPs with HR so I'm there to keep the team on track and start the PIP process.

The situation is complicated by some of the team members having been on sick leave partly - they say - for stress (now back) so we need to tread carefully.

HR are a bit slack so I'm trying to do my own due diliegence to make sure I'm following the right processes for the PIPs, recording everything in writing etc.

Any tips and/or links to websites that might help are welcome.

Have you done stress risk assessments?

The PIP is a way to manage them out. The sickness is them trying to prolong it.

Give clear targets and processes. Be strict about them complying with the terms but don't be horrible. Firm and fair. Meet them every week for an update against progress. Meet HR every week afterwards to update HR. Tell the team members where they need to improve and that HR has said x, y etc.

At the end if they have improved then keep them but also keep an eye on performance.

If they haven't improved then start the formal disciplinary process. The onus is on them to improve.

A good place to start would be listening neutrally to each member of the team in 1:1s as the first stage in analysing what's going wrong, to start building trust. Then, this will help: Addressing the Five Dysfunctions of a Team
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/addressing-five-dysfunctions-team-fasil-damte-bogale-pmp--srnie?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_android&utm_campaign=share_via

I've literally just joined but will look into this. I don't think they have.

Thank you, this is helpful. Do you know if the formal disciplinary process is set out anywhere. I'd normally get it from HR but as I said they aren't great.

This is specific to your company so should be in your handbook or on the intranet.

You've walked in and been given this toxic team, and it appears that so far, you only have the management / HR position on the issues.

Have you actually sat each team member down and had a chat, and asked them how things are going, what they like about their job, what they aren't so keen on and what they think should happen in order for things to be better?

It might not necessarily be the team members who are causing the toxicity, and you need to find out what's going wrong and why.

Document everything. Keep notes and file them. If you can send to HR for putting on files.

HR Director here. I’d probably do a team meeting to say “I’m new. I want us to have a positive, healthy, transparent and enjoyable working environment. I’m not going to judge any of you based on what I’ve heard as I’ll form my own relationships - but I also won’t lie to you that I have been given reason to believe we have a lot of issues in this team. So what I’ll tell you now is that I’m not going to tolerate poor conduct and will address it swiftly if needed.”

Thereafter, I’d consider making your life easier by taking toxic people through a disciplinary for conduct (attitude, behaviour, culture, values) rather than a PIP. Performance and conduct are different things, and performance is long and painful to manage. Conduct is a series of warnings and ultimately dismissal.

It's a complicated issue which I can't get into here due to sensitivities. Based on the information I have I'm 99% certain it's the team but will certainly be going into conversations with an open mind about their perspective.

The best outcome - management agree - is to turn this around rather than manage them out.

This is very helpful. I did wonder if PIP was quite right. I'm just a little cautious due to the mental health related sick leave and whether I need to tread extra carefully on conduct issues.

Yeah, that's going to go down well. And you wonder why HR aren't popular. 😂

My experience of toxic teams is that you can usually quickly identify 3-4 people who are dragging everyone else down with them.

Of these, it will only be 1-2 who are irredeeemably toxic and determined not to change or do anything management asks but they are infecting everyone else.

You only need to manage those out and the others will adapt to the new normal or leave of their own accord.

Hoping you can create change without anyone leaving is very optimistic.

Listen, I apparently inherited a toxic team and when I arrived I was convinced by the previous manager and others that id have to take action. I did take action but not the way they wanted.

I got to know them as individuals, found out their motivations and drives, listened to them, rewarded them appropriately. My team aren't toxic; the environment they were in was toxic and they weren't listened to, the work they were being asked to do wasn't clear, the leaders were too busy to care. The team have done a 180 and I would describe them as high performing now. It's amazing what you can do if you show empathy and kindness to people.

Having said that, if people aren't performing manage it through the appropriate processes that should be available on your intranet/handbook.

It might well be the team, but you need to start asking yourself why.

What's caused this toxicity in the team? I bet you a pound to a penny there's a common denominator, and you need to find out what it is. Otherwise, these people will go, new team members will come in, and the whole thing could repeat itself.

This has also been my experience. One or two individuals who are unhappy, often come with various issues in their own personal lives and negative attitudes that can affect others. They are often also the individuals who get the most support for various things.
The behaviour can also be very subtle and difficult to pin down. Outsiders looking in wouldn't necessarily notice or recognise it

Absolutely @Pussert

First team I had like this, the worst 2 offenders were also multi-award winners who people outside the team loved. Been in the job since forever and thought they knew it all.

Inside the team it was another story. Multiple people had been bullied out by them for not meeting their made up standards that weren't good practice anyway.

One took early retirement. The other was then more outnumbered and went to join a neighbouring team who had heard they would be lucky to get her. The other manager and I were thrilled to give her a glowing reference.

The team never looked back once they were gone.

I would be concerned about the employer to be honest in this situation, not jus the team.

I would wonder whether an entire team is really toxic or whether it the general work environment that is creating unhappy and stressed employees.

What happened to the previous manager who used to have your role? because it is odd as well to start a bunch of PIPs and the manager jumping ship at the same time.

You also mention a 'slack HR'.

For me there are red flags all over the place about the organisation...

And this is why HR are the root cause of much workplace toxicity.

I bet the common denominator is outwith the team...

Similar to my experience. It's extremely time consuming to deal with individuals like this too. What they say to you is different to how they will then conduct themselves. Also extremely skilled at playing the DARVO card

Yep. 😂

You could try being nice to them and creating a supportive working environment. No doubt they don’t feel listened to and respected. Managers have been making stupid decisions etc.

Thank you all. Without going into too much detail, this team is one half of two. The other team works really well etc. The manager who manages me looks after both teams and I've worked with this manager before. So I'm fairly certain it's these individuals.

As for why I'm taking this on, it's due the manager being on long term sick leave (unrelated to work and this situation).

But yes HR are not helping the situation.