Everyone misbehaves occasionally, whether it’s snapping at a colleague or ignoring a problem. However, unchecked, misbehavior can turn your company culture toxic.
As a leader, it’s important to keep misbehavior in check and eliminate these five types.
Misbehavior #1: Verbal attacks
Verbal attacks, like sending “nasty-grams” via email, hurt. They also prevent people from admitting mistakes in the future.
Misbehavior #2: Emotional abuse
These piercing statements cut deeper than verbal attacks, even when phrased as a joke. They are meant to make the recipient feel dumb, slow, or incompetent.
Misbehavior #3: Apathy
Apathy often manifests through variations of the silent treatment. From leaders, it can mean neglecting to give a team member important feedback.
Misbehavior #4: Disassociation
Like a weaponized version of apathy, disassociation involves actively ignoring others. To the detriment of the company, a disassociated person will refuse to help.
Misbehavior #5: Mind games.
Lastly, mind games are manipulative. They’re designed to get something while avoiding any responsibility for the outcome.
All of these misbehaviors are common in workplaces, but they aren’t good. Stop them in their tracks, and you’ll have a much healthier company culture.
