blog/7-things-that-can-destroy-company-culture

2024-09-13

A strong company culture is undoubtedly crucial for productivity, engagement, and overall employee satisfaction.

Unfortunately, a significant challenge that many businesses face today is the difficulty in maintaining a consistently positive workplace environment.

This struggle can be attributed to several complex issues—issues that, if left unaddressed, can lead to detrimental effects in the long term.

Here are 7 threats to company culture (and how to tackle them).

How to Build Company Culture

Before we get into what how to prevent common things that destroy company culture, it’s just as important to address how to build company culture.

To build a strong company culture, organizations need to:

Design the culture you want: Start by exploring the desired culture with input from both leaders and employees. Then, officialize that culture with a commitment from senior leadership, ensuring that it is formally adopted across the organization.
Demonstrate the culture: Leadership must model the right behaviors to show what this culture looks like in action. Alongside that, leaders and managers should set clear expectations to guide others in embracing these cultural values.
Display the culture: Culture becomes real when employees hold each other accountable. Encourage everyone to display the culture consistently, ensuring that the entire organization works together to uphold the desired environment.

What Destroys Company Culture?

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1. Poor Leadership

Is your leadership failing to provide proper guidance and support?

A study from the Niagara Institute found that 57% of respondents reported leaving a job because of their leader. When leadership is ineffective, it can create confusion, disengagement, lack of direction, and turnover. Employees who feel unsupported by their managers often struggle to stay motivated and aligned with the company's goals. This disconnect can lead to lower morale and higher turnover rates.

How to Address Poor Leadership

Invest in leadership development programs that focus on empowering managers to provide clear guidance, mentorship, and support. Regular training and coaching sessions can help leaders become better communicators and decision-makers. Managers should also seek feedback from their teams and adapt their leadership styles based on that input to foster a more inclusive and engaged workforce.

2. Ineffective Communication

Is a lack of clear communication causing confusion among your teams?

A breakdown in communication can result in misinformation, confusion, and frustration among employees. When departments or teams don't communicate effectively, it leads to operational inefficiencies and missed opportunities, ultimately hurting both employee engagement and business outcomes.

How to Address Poor Communication

To create a culture of transparency, leaders must actively promote open dialogue. Encourage employees to share their thoughts, concerns, and ideas freely. Utilize internal communication tools like instant messaging platforms or regular team meetings to ensure that everyone stays informed and aligned. Prioritizing clarity in communication can prevent misunderstandings and boost collaboration.

3. Lack of Employee Recognition

Are your employees’ efforts going unnoticed or underappreciated?

When employees' efforts go unnoticed, they can feel undervalued, which impacts their job satisfaction and overall engagement. Failing to acknowledge hard work or significant contributions can lead to a decline in motivation and performance.

How to Address Unappreciated Employees

Make employee recognition a core part of your company culture. Whether through formal programs such as Employee of the Month or informal shout-outs during meetings, celebrating achievements—big or small—reinforces the value of each team member. Recognizing hard work boosts morale, strengthens loyalty, and motivates employees to continue contributing at their highest potential.

4. Employee Burnout

Are your employees overwhelmed by their workloads and experiencing burnout?

Overwork and high levels of stress can lead to employee burnout, negatively impacting both productivity and mental health. When employees feel constantly overwhelmed, their ability to perform at their best declines, and they may eventually seek opportunities elsewhere.

How to Overcome Employee Burnout as an Organization

Preventing burnout requires proactive management of workloads and encouraging a healthy work-life balance. Ensure that employees take breaks, manage their hours efficiently, and feel comfortable disconnecting after work. Offering flexibility, such as remote work options or flexible hours, can also reduce stress and keep employees energized and engaged in their roles.

5. Micromanagement

Are your managers over-controlling and limiting employee autonomy and/or creativity?

Micromanaging stifles creativity and autonomy, making employees feel like they have little control over their work. When managers constantly oversee every small task, it creates a restrictive environment that limits growth and innovation.

How to Address Micromanagement

Empowering employees to take ownership of their work is essential for fostering creativity and personal development. Provide clear objectives, but allow team members the freedom to decide how to achieve them. Trusting employees with responsibility increases their confidence and engagement, leading to better performance and more innovative ideas.

6. Tolerating Toxic Behavior

Is toxic behavior going unchecked in your workplace, harming team morale?

A toxic work environment—characterized by bullying, gossip, or negative attitudes—can destroy company culture from within. When bad behavior goes unchecked, it creates a hostile atmosphere that demoralizes employees and damages team dynamics.

How to Overcome Toxic Workplace Behavior

Leaders must create and enforce a zero-tolerance policy for toxic behavior. Address issues directly and promptly to prevent escalation. Establishing clear behavioral expectations and holding all employees accountable ensures a respectful, inclusive work environment where everyone can thrive. Encourage employees to speak up if they witness unacceptable behavior, creating a culture of accountability and trust.

7. Unfair Treatment and Favoritism

Are you fostering a fair and equitable work environment for all employees?

Favoritism or inconsistent treatment of employees can lead to resentment and distrust. When some employees are favored based on personal relationships rather than performance, it undermines team cohesion and leads to a perception of unfairness.

How to Overcome Unfair Treatment and Favoritism in the Workplace

Ensure that all decisions regarding promotions, rewards, and responsibilities are based on merit and clearly communicated criteria. Create policies that promote equity and prevent bias from influencing leadership decisions. Transparency in how employees are evaluated and rewarded will foster a sense of fairness and strengthen trust in leadership.

Key Takeaways

Poor leadership can cause confusion, disengagement, and high turnover, which harms company culture. Regularly assess your leadership team to ensure they are providing clear direction and support to employees.
Ineffective communication leads to misunderstandings and missed opportunities, reducing employee engagement and business success. Foster a culture of open, transparent communication by scheduling consistent team check-ins and feedback sessions.
Lack of employee recognition causes undervaluation and low motivation, which can weaken overall performance. Implement a structured recognition program to regularly acknowledge and celebrate employee achievements.
Employee burnout from overwhelming workloads reduces productivity and satisfaction, pushing workers to seek other opportunities. Set clear boundaries around workloads and encourage employees to take breaks and prioritize well-being to avoid burnout.
Unchecked toxic behavior creates a hostile environment, damaging morale and team dynamics. Create a robust reporting system for toxic behaviors and hold all employees accountable to maintain a positive work environment.