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Toxic Workplace!: Managing Toxic Personalities and Their Systems of Power

Name: Toxic Workplace!: Managing Toxic Personalities and Their Systems of Power
ISBN: 9780470424841

by Mitchell Kusy, Elizabeth Holloway

April 2009

Intermediate to advanced

256 pages

4h 57m

English

Jossey-Bass

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Copyright
Toxic Workplace!
I. Understanding Toxic People and Toxic Environments
1. THE HUMAN AND FINANCIAL COSTS OF WORKING WITH TOXIC PEOPLE
1.1. The Ubiquity of Toxic People1.2. Why We Wrote This Book1.3. How We Researched the Problem of Toxic Personalities at Work1.4. Toxic People Thrive Only in a Toxic System1.5. The Hidden Chunk of the Toxic Iceberg1.6. The Hidden Costs of Uncivil Behavior1.7. The Hidden Costs of Bullying1.8. How Human Resource Professionals View Toxicity1.9. How Do Toxic People Get Hired in the First Place?1.10. Why Not Just Fire Toxic People?1.11. Beware the "Bad Apple" Effect of Toxic Behavior1.12. Summing Up
2. RECOGNIZING THE TOXIC PERSONALITY
2.1. Three Types of Toxic Behaviors That Drive People to Distraction2.1.1. Type 1: Shaming Behavior2.1.2. Type 2: Passive Hostility2.1.2.1. Toxic People Are Often Passive-Aggressive2.1.2.2. Toxic People Often Distrust Others2.1.2.3. Toxic People Stake Out Their Territory2.1.2.4. Toxic People Reject Negative Feedback2.1.2.5. Toxic People Often Don't See Themselves as Toxic2.1.3. Type 3: Team Sabotage2.1.3.1. Toxic People Often Conduct Team Surveillance2.1.3.2. Toxic People Often Meddle in the Work of a Team2.1.3.3. Toxic People Often Abuse Authority2.2. How These Behaviors Work Together to Keep Toxicity in Place2.3. The Two Faces of Toxic People: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde2.4. Toxic Behavior Can Literally Make People Sick2.5. Summing Up: It's the Behavior That Matters
3. LEADER REACTIONS AND STRATEGIES THAT TYPICALLY DON'T WORK
3.1. How Leaders Typically React to Toxic People3.1.1. Unsuccessful Reaction 1: Adjust or Leave, and Why These Don't Work3.1.2. Unsuccessful Reaction 2: Reconfigure the Situation, and Why This Doesn't Work3.1.3. Summing Up Unsuccessful Reactions3.2. Strategies Leaders Use to Deal with Toxic People3.2.1. Why Feedback Strategies Don't Often Change Toxic Behavior3.2.2. Why Informal Strategies Don't Change Toxic Behavior3.2.2.1. Example 1: Sticking to One's Agenda3.2.2.2. Example 2: Damage Control3.2.3. Why Formal Strategies Don't Change Toxic Behaviors3.2.3.1. Why Firing Doesn't Work3.2.3.2. Why HR Often Can't Help3.2.3.3. Why External Consultants or Coaches Often Can't Help3.3. Summing Up Formal Strategies
4. ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE
4.1. Evaluate Your Organization's Culture4.2. System Dynamics: How an Organization's Culture Can Promote Toxicity4.2.1. The Structure Changes to Accommodate the Toxic Personality4.2.2. The Organization Tolerates Toxicity, Provided the Individual Is Productive4.2.3. The Team Climate Changes When the Toxic Person Is Present4.2.4. The Organization's Leaders Are Unaware of the Toxic Person's Behavior4.2.4.1. How Leaders Enable Toxic People4.2.4.2. Some Leaders Aren't Open to Hearing About Toxic Behavior4.2.5. Less Productive Team Meetings Are Tolerated4.2.6. Organizations Can Enable Toxic Behaviors4.2.7. How the Organizational Culture Contributes to Toxicity4.3. Summing Up
II. The Toxic Organization Change System Model
5. ORGANIZATIONAL STRATEGIES
5.1. Formally Integrating Values into Your Organizational System5.1.1. Integrating Values into Your Organization's Policies5.1.2. Integrating Values into Your Organization's Performance Appraisal Process5.1.3. Integrating Values into Your Organization's Leadership Development Program5.1.4. Integrating Values into Your Organization's 360-Degree Feedback Systems5.1.5. Integrating Values into Your Organization's Skip-Level Evaluations5.2. Informally Integrating Your Organization's Values Through Leadership Modeling5.3. Developing Values Relevant to Your Organization5.3.1. Involve Key Stakeholders in the Process of Developing Values5.3.2. Create a Planning-to-Plan Team to Guide the Values-Development Process5.3.3. Make Sure You Can Live with the Values Your Planning Team Proposes5.4. Summing Up
6. TEAM STRATEGIES
6.1. Proactive Strategies to Deal with Toxicity at the Team Level6.1.1. Select the Right Team Members6.1.2. Translate Organizational Values into Behavioral Team Norms6.1.2.1. Step 1: The Leader Establishes the Purpose of the Session6.1.2.2. Step 2: The Leader Reviews the Organizational Values in Detail with the Team6.1.2.3. Step 3: The Leader Relates the Decision-Making Process That Will Be Used6.1.2.4. Step 4: The Team Translates the Organizational Values into Behavioral Norms6.1.2.5. Step 5: The Team Determines How to Keep These Norms Alive6.1.2.6. Step 6: Develop a Follow-Up Plan to Revisit How the Team Norms Are Working6.2. Developing Team Values Without Clearly Defined Organizational Values6.2.1. How Leaders Can Engage the Team to Integrate Values: A Case Study6.3. Reactive Strategies for Dealing with Toxic Teams6.3.1. Use 360-Degree Team Feedback Systems6.3.2. Conduct Exit Interviews: An Often-Forgotten Action Strategy6.3.2.1. A Case Study: Exit Interviews Might Have Revealed a Team Leader's Toxicity6.3.2.2. Bringing in a Consultant Can Help—But Be Wary!6.3.2.3. Rebuilding George's Team by Using Team System Assessments6.3.3. Identify Toxic Protectors: The Hidden Enablers6.3.3.1. Special Relationship Protectors6.3.3.2. Power Protectors6.3.3.3. Productivity Protectors6.3.3.4. Intervening with Toxic Protectors6.4. Summary of Team Interventions

7. INDIVIDUAL STRATEGIES
7.1. Strategy 1: Managing a Toxic Individual's Performance by Providing Targeted Feedback7.1.1. Feedback Phase I: Identify the Problem7.1.1.1. Describe the Problem as You Have Observed It7.1.1.2. Be Clear7.1.2. Feedback Phase 2: Use a Sequential Process to Target a Resolution7.1.2.1. Step 1: Begin the Discussion with Why You Perceive This Behavior as a Problem7.1.2.2. Step 2: Pause and Allow the Individual to Share His or Her Views7.1.2.3. Step 3: Whenever Possible, Get Agreement That a Problem Exists7.1.2.4. Step 4: Brainstorm Alternatives on Solving the Problem7.1.2.5. Step 5: Agree on One Alternative7.1.3. Feedback Phase 3: Provide a Process for Achieving the Performance Goals7.2. Strategy 2: Using Performance Appraisals to Integrate Values7.2.1. Feedback During Performance Appraisals When Values Are Clearly Identified7.2.2. Feedback During Performance Appraisals When Values Are Not Clear7.3. Strategy 3: Coaching7.3.1. The Coach Needs to Use a Systems Approach7.3.2. The Coach Needs to Be Prepared to Work with People Who Resist Change7.3.3. The Coach Needs to Be Accountable to the Organization7.3.4. The Coach Needs to Assess Information from Multiple Stakeholders7.3.5. The Coach Should Be Aware When Coaching Won't Work7.3.6. The Coach Should Recommend Reassigning a Toxic Individual7.3.7. The Coach Should Help Reintegrate the Toxic Person into the Team7.4. Strategy 4: When All Else Fails: Terminate the Toxic Individual7.5. The Critical Importance of Formal Authority7.6. Conclusion
8. MYTHS AND TRUTHS ABOUT TOXICITY—AND RENEWAL FROM A TOXIC ENVIRONMENT
8.1. Myths and Truths8.1.1. Myth 1: Don't Mess with the Success of Toxic People8.1.2. Myth 2: Toxic People Know Exactly What They're Doing8.1.3. Myth 3: Give Them Feedback, and They Will Change8.1.4. Myth 4: Most People Won't Put Up with Toxic Behaviors8.1.5. Myth 5: HR and Other Consultants Solve the Problem8.1.6. Myth 6: Fire Them to Resolve the Issue8.1.7. Myth 7: Toxic Behavior Is a Solo Act8.1.8. Myth 8: When Hiring, Seek a Little Extra Expertise over a Little Extra Likability8.1.9. Myth 9: Bosses See the Systemic Effects8.2. Fostering Renewal from Toxicity for the Leader and Team8.2.1. Quadrant 1: Benchmarking8.2.2. Quadrant 1: Leadership Development Program8.2.3. Quadrant 1: Mentoring for Leadership8.2.4. Quadrant 2: Communities of Practice and Values Building8.2.4.1. Schedule Meetings Regularly8.2.4.2. Focus the Discussion, Use a Facilitator, and Set an Agenda8.2.4.3. Share the Results8.2.4.4. Use Virtual Technology8.2.4.5. Keep in Mind the Organization as a Whole8.2.5. Quadrant 3: External Coaching for Leadership Healing and Employee Assistance Programs8.2.6. Quadrant 4: Team Healing Through Retreats and Employee Assistance Programs8.3. Our Final Words
A. Our Research Methodology
A.1. Phase 1: Informal InterviewsA.2. Phase 2: Formal InterviewsA.3. Phase 3: The Structured Survey
B. National Survey Responses on Toxic Behaviors
B.1. Toxic Behaviors: Survey Responses to Exhibit 2.1B.2. Leader Reactions: Survey Responses to Exhibit 3.1B.3. Leader Strategies: Survey Responses to Exhibit 3.2B.4. Organizational Culture: Survey Responses to Exhibit 4.1
Notes
Chapter OnePart TwoChapter FiveChapter SixChapter SevenChapter Eight
The Authors

Content preview from Toxic Workplace!: Managing Toxic Personalities and Their Systems of Power

Chapter 7. INDIVIDUAL STRATEGIES

Dealing with Toxic People One-on-One

In situations with a toxic individual, basically I start by just sitting down with the individual, and being very direct about my feedback, letting them know how their behavior is affecting me and others in the organization. I value them for who they are, building them up, and then lay out the specific things they do that are destructive and that could be turned into positives. I try to get them to use their energy in a positive way.

—Quote from study respondent

This quotation from a leader in our study exemplifies an individual intervention. Some might interpret this intervention positively: an appropriate outcome occurred as a result of this feedback. Others might say it represents ...

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Toxic Workplace!: Managing Toxic Personalities and Their Systems of Power

by Mitchell Kusy, Elizabeth Holloway