Toxicity in the workplace is like an invisible weight dragging down morale, productivity, and retention.

Many employees find themselves working in environments where toxic behaviors thrive, unsure of how to navigate or challenge them.

So, I asked C.A.R.L., the Cohesive Artificial Responder Leader, for insight on handling toxicity effectively.

Here’s what C.A.R.L. had to say:

"Handling toxicity in the workplace involves creating a work environment that fosters cohesion and removes the toxicity that can strangle performance and cause people to leave an organization. Here are some strategies based on the book Becoming a Cohesive Leader:"

C.A.R.L.’s Strategies for Tackling Workplace Toxicity:

1. Stop Rewarding Bad Behavior: Rewarding toxic behavior sends a message that such conduct is acceptable. Instead, prioritize people over profits by managing according to your company's core values. Recognize and reward behaviors that align with being teachable, showing compassion, extending grace, telling the truth, demonstrating humility, operating with pure intentions, and looking for ways to promote peace.
2. Implement a Zero-Tolerance Policy: Establish a clear, zero-tolerance policy against character assassinations, backstabbing, and gossip among supervisors and employees. Make it known that such behaviors will not be tolerated and will have consequences.
3. Teach Supervisors to Connect with Employees: Encourage supervisors to connect with all employees every day, whether under the same roof or not. Regular check-ins help build trust, ensure everyone feels valued, and keep lines of communication open.
4. Avoid Favoritism: Ensure that all employees, whether remote or in-person, have equal opportunities and recognition. This fosters a fair and inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued and respected.
5. Promote Open Communication: Encourage open dialogue to have healthy debates and hold everyone accountable to high standards of conduct. This helps create an environment where everyone feels safe, included, valued, and empowered to do their best work.

By addressing toxicity head-on and fostering a culture of respect, transparency, and mutual support, you can build a healthy, cohesive workplace.

Validating C.A.R.L.’s Insights:

In the last Cohesion Corner™ with Dr. Troy newsletter, I encouraged you to VERIFY. It's up to each of us to vet the information AI feeds us, challenge assumptions, and apply critical thinking to make sure what we are being told is accurate

Each of the above recommendations aligns with proven workplace strategies backed by research and industry best practices. Here’s how these principles hold up:

• Stopping Bad Behavior: Numerous studies show a strong positive correlation between rewarding ethical behavior in the workplace and increased employee engagement and decreased turnover, fostering a more cohesive and productive work environment. It's good for the purse strings too. According to the Society for Human Resource Management, the stock price of the 100 most ethical firms outperforms their peers by 300%. Whereas toxic cultures often drive high attrition rates, proving that unchecked bad behavior is costly.
• Zero-Tolerance Policies: Companies with clear workplace behavior policies report fewer incidents of harassment and misconduct, reinforcing a culture of mutual respect. While this may seem clear cut, when I researched to verify, I actually found research that shows zero-tolerance policies can sometimes create a culture of fear, leading to poor decision making or hesitant enforcement by managers. It's important to note that this pitfall comes from the gray area when a zero tolerance policy leads to a mild reprimand rather than demotion or termination, leaving victims vulnerable to further harassment. To be effective, these policies must be clear, consistently enforced, and backed by a commitment to a safe and productive workplace.
• Supervisor-Employee Connection: Research from Gallup consistently indicates that employees who feel engaged with leadership are significantly more productive and less likely to leave. 70% of the variance in team engagement is determined solely by the manager. Encouraging employee engagement without focusing on how the supervisor interacts with employees, or determining the engagement of supervisors is futile.
• Avoiding Favoritism: Fairness in the workplace correlates with increased job satisfaction and team cohesion. Employees who perceive favoritism disengage, reducing overall effectiveness. This statistic from a Gartner study is eye-opening: "While 82% of employees believe they work in an unfair workplace, those who claim to work in high-fairness environments perform 26% better."
• Open Communication: Psychological safety, a key component of strong teams, stems from an environment where employees feel heard and valued. Organizations that foster open communication outperform those that suppress dialogue. When validating C.A.R.L.'s answer, I came across this excellent explanation of psychological safety from Amy Edmondson, Professor of Leadership and Management at the Harvard Business School. She calls the space where both psychological safety and a commitment to excellence are present the "high-performing zone, where problems get solved day-in and day-out." In the video, the professor is speaking about psychological safety in health and care, but the lesson can be applied to workplaces in any industry. Click here to watch.

By addressing toxicity head-on and fostering a culture of respect, transparency, and mutual support, organizations can build a cohesive, high-performing workplace.

Toxicity doesn’t go away on its own. Leaders must take intentional steps to reshape workplace culture and eliminate behaviors that undermine success. The path to cohesion starts with awareness, action, and accountability.

Click here to try out our AI-powered book bot and Ask C.A.R.L. your most pressing leadership questions.He’s ready to stimulate your thinking and provide insights that help you lead with confidence.

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To learn more, click here to purchase your very own copy of my new book Becoming a Cohesive Leader: The POWERup Guide to Grow, Develop, and Advance Your Career.

For more insight on this topic, please refer to these blog posts:

• AI as Your Thinking Partner
• UH-OH and AI
• Putting AI to Good Use
• Six Generations Have Entered the Workforce
• How to Unleash Gen AI Innovation in your CU
• Connecting HR and Technology

Interested in reading more from Dr. Troy Hall? Check out my books available for purchase on Amazon.