1. Creating a Positive Workplace Culture
What is a Workplace Culture?
“A workplace culture is composed of the values, beliefs, attitudes, and
behaviors that employees share and use on a daily basis.”
-Charles Rogel
•Values
•Beliefs
•Attitudes
•Behaviors
“Making your organization a happy place to go to work is an
essential component to successful long-lasting business. A happy
work environment attracts good people and helps the people
who work for you do the best for the company.”
–Cheryl Stein, Business Coach
2. •Micromanagement
•Dysfunctional management
•Rigid expectations, no flexibility
•Focus on complaints about work
•Sarcasm and negative attitudes
•Inconsistent accountability, favoritism
•Unapproachable, detached
management
•Lack of openness in communication
•Betrayals, backstabbing, and lack of
trust
•A sense of feeling unsafe
•Fear of failure
•Lack of appreciation
•Overabundance of criticism
•Destructive gossip that
dehumanizes others
•Lack of opportunities for health and
wellness
15 Signs of a Negative Workplace Environment
Common Positive Attributes
•This is a fun place to work
•We are results oriented
•Everyone here cares about each
other
•This is a great place to learn and
grow
3. 10 Signs of a Positive Workplace Environment
1. Positive Values
•There is a positive mission statement that has clear goals
•Goals are achieved in ethical, honest ways
•There is an elevated sense of purpose
2. Relaxed and Productive Atmosphere
•People enjoy coming to work
•People feel appreciated, acknowledged, and rewarded
•Fear, domination, and intimidation are absent
•Creativity, productivity, and innovative thinking flourish
4. 3. Commitment to Excellence
•People take responsibility for their decisions and actions
•People are on time for work and meet project deadlines
•People strive do the best, delivering quality products and
services
4. Open and Honest Communication
•Everyone communicates in an open and transparent manner
•People solve difficulties in collaborative ways
•People don’t play nasty revenge games when given difficult
feedback
•Difficult feedback is taken as opportunity for growth
5. 5. Cooperation, Support, and Empowerment
•People are willing to take on tasks and assignments
•People have a sense of camaraderie, cooperation, and
empowerment
•There is healthy competition without vengeful, spiteful
backstabbing
•Positive gossip
6. Sense of Humor
•People keep things in perspective, have fun, laugh
•Laughter generates endorphins, reducing stress
•Humor used tactfully and tastefully is healthy
•Humor makes the workplace more enjoyable and fun
6. 7. Understanding, Compassion, and Respect
•Understanding and kindness prevail when faced with challenges,
accidents, illnesses, personal tragedies, and natural disasters
•When people are treated well they will usually go the extra mile for others
•Recognize people as human beings versus dehumanized coworkers
•Respect is always given whether you personally like or dislike someone
8. Flexibility
•Change is the only constant
•Embracing change and making accommodations for new trends and
technology
•Non-attached to ways of doing things
•Change is an opportunity to learn new skills and grow professionally in
one’s line of work
7. 9. Positive Reinforcement
•People need acknowledgement, appreciation, and gratitude to be motivated
•Genuine compliments, rewards, bonuses, raises, promotions, and
certificates of achievement celebrate efforts and recognizes
accomplishments
•People need ‘thank you’ from directors, supervisors, and colleagues to feel
valued and appreciated
•Congratulating a colleague on a success or achieving goals creates goodwill
10. Emphasis on Health, Family, and Environment
•Wellness Programs values health and wellbeing
•Insurance benefits, retirement programs, and corporate benefits are offered
•Daily lunch breaks and regular vacations are encouraged
•Exercise during breaks or lunch can renew and re-energize the rest of the day
•Take sick time when you are sick
•Providing reimbursements or on-site childcare reduces worry and stress
•Environmental awareness, sustainability practice, and recycling benefits the
organization and creates greater meaning and purpose at work
8. The Benefits of a Positive Workplace Culture
•Reduces stress and anxiety
•Increases health and wellness
•Promotes a fulfilling work life and job satisfaction
•Gives a sense of meaning and purpose to your work
•Elicits gratitude, respect, kindness
•Promotes productivity and quality products and services
•Higher staff retention and attracts quality staff to open positions
9. “The greatest need of a human being is to be
understood, validated, and appreciated.”
–Stephen Covey
How to Manage Toxic People
10. 1. Set Limits with Complainers
•Limit the time you listen to complaints and avoid feeding into them. Instead, ask the
person how he or she intends to solve the problem.
2. Don’t Die in the Fight
•Manage your emotions during a conflict with a toxic person. Sometimes it is better
to walk away than allow emotions to overwhelm you and prevent a rational
response.
3. Rise Above
•Emotionally distance yourself from toxic behavior and approach the interaction as a
science project. Focus only on the facts in a stoic manner. Observe irrational, drama,
disturbing behavior from a non-emotional and rational perspective.
4. Manage Your Emotions
•Have mindful awareness when you are experiencing emotion
dysregulation with a toxic person. Don’t engage when you are in that
state. Instead just smile, nod, and walk away. Give yourself time to
regulate your emotions so you can respond in a calm and thoughtful
manner.
11. 5. Observe Boundaries
•Establish and observe boundaries in a conscious and proactive manner. Decide when
and where you’ll engage with a difficult person. Decide what you will share and not
share. Keep boundaries firmly in place when a difficult person tries to encroach upon
them….which they will!
6. Don’t Limit Your Joy
•Don’t let the comments or opinions of others determine your sense of joy and
satisfaction at work. Be the master of your own happiness. If a difficult person has a
problem with you, then they have a problem, not you.
7. Focus on Solutions, Not Problems
•What you focus on determines your emotions. Focusing on problems generates
negative feelings and stress. Focusing on solutions creates a sense of empowerment,
good feelings, and less stress. Don’t focus on the difficult person, focus on how you will
manage them
8. Don’t Forget
•When you feel upset or hurt by the way a toxic person treats you, be quick to let it go
and move on…but don’t forget. Be assertive in protecting yourself from future harm and
be aware of unpleasant situations so as to avert them.
12. 9. Squash Negative Self-Talk
•Avoid negative self-talk at all costs! We tend to absorb the negativity of those around
us. There is nothing wrong with feeling badly about how someone is treating you. Don’t
make it worse with negative self-talk. Instead, practice self-compassion and self-care.
10. Limit Caffeine
•Caffeine produces adrenaline, which is the source of the ‘fight or flight’ reaction in the
face of a threat. This side- steps rational thinking in favor of a faster reaction. Limit
caffeine intake so you can respond rationally to an irrational coworker.
11. Get Adequate Sleep
•Adequate sleep increases emotional intelligence, a clearer perspective, and helps
manage stress. Sleep promotes a more positive, creative, and proactive approach to
toxic people, providing a more accurate and clear perspective.
12. Have a Support System
•It is difficult to manage toxic people on your own. We all have ‘blind spots’, ‘buttons’,
and weaknesses when it comes to dealing with difficult people. Identify one or two
people in your personal life or at work that you trust for insights and assistance when
you need it. Supportive people can point out your weaknesses and provide new
perspectives, solutions, and strategies for managing toxic people in at work.
13. Ways to Contribute to a Positive Workplace Culture
1. Discover Purpose and Meaning in Your Work
•Discover the greater purpose and meaning to the work you do. How does your work
affect your department, organization, or people it serves? Having a sense of greater
purpose cultivates work satisfaction and quality products and services.
2. Take Responsibility
•Take responsibility for your decisions, actions, and behavior at work. Be punctual for
work and meet project deadlines, creating less stress and a sense of dependability
and goodwill among colleagues.
•It is difficult to admit when one makes an error or oversight at work, yet it reinforces
how much you value your work, your integrity, and demonstrates you are trustworthy.
3. Practice Mindfulness
•Mindful practice at work involves increasing your awareness of the present moment.
Instead of running on autopilot, take time to be mindful of your working space, be
aware of how you feel, give your full attention to the people you engage with during
the day, and be fully present to the specific work at hand.
14. 6. Have a Positive Attitude
•Be ready, willing, and available to take on work. People appreciate openness to go
above and beyond with additional work or help when needed.
•It is inevitable that problems and conflicts will arise at work. Shifting your prospective
from ‘problems’ to ‘challenges’ provides opportunities for growth and resolution
rather than complaints and drama.
4. Be Open to Change
•Change is the only constant. Embrace change instead of resisting it. Be open and
flexible to new ideas, people, procedures, and technology as opportunities for personal
growth and new professional skills.
5. Be Courteous and Respectful
•Being courteous, friendly, and respectful to coworkers, managers, and customers makes
work life much more pleasant. Respecting and understanding other personality styles is
compassionate and kind. While no one is perfect and everyone has bad days, one can
always be courteous and respectful to others. Courtesy and respect are contagious!
15. 7. Observe Boundaries
•People spend a lot of time at work with coworkers. We get to know each other and
learn about each other’s lives to a degree. Yet it is important to observe good
boundaries at work and at home. Mindfully choose what you will share and not share
about your personal life at work. Mindfully choose what you will share and not share
about your work life at home.
Take Away
•We learned the definition of workplace culture
•We identified signs of negative and positive workplace environments
•We identified ways to manage toxic people
•We identified ways you can contribute to a positive workplace environment
•Additional articles and exercises
“Be the change you want to see in the world”
(and the workplace)”
