|
New research shows that over one in ten UK workers have a toxic relationship with their peers and managers Used by the NHS and IBM services, Britain's leading visualisation platform, Rethinkly, comments on the value of creating a psychological safe space to improve communication at work "The only way out is to create ‘psychological safety’, especially at the top"
A study released by Gleeson Recruitment Group has revealed that an astonishing 93% of UK employees have experienced a toxic workplace and 82% have left a role because of a toxic boss. Following the recent resignation of the Deputy Prime Minister, Dominic Raab, over reports of bullying allegations, there has been a rise in the number of public documents reporting toxic work cultures. Coinciding with Mental Health Week which is currently taking place, we are called to examine how the culture we find in our offices can affect our wellbeing. This comes as new national research from, Rethinkly - a visualisation platform helping businesses resolve communication challenges in the workplace - unveils a first-of-its-kind study addressing the crippling impact a destructive work environment can have on communication, social anxiety causing millions to feel unhappy in their jobs, as over one in ten UK workers say they currently have a toxic relationship with peers and managers.
Key findings:
- 35% of the British workforce say they are unable to fulfil any kind of public delivery – presentations, client meetings, etc. – without acute anxiety
- 11% have a toxic relationship with peers and managers at work
- 26% harbour all workplace tension and find confrontation too difficult
- 15% have taken time off work due to feeling so challenged in communication
- 28% say that the inability to communicate within the workplace has had the largest impact on productivity
At a time when absenteeism due to poor mental health is rife and productivity is at its lowest, the founders of Rethinkly, the metaverse software that allows users to recreate uncomfortable scenarios in a virtual safe space - discuss the key indicators to watch out for that suggest the culture of a workplace is toxic. Used widely within the NHS and by corporate firms such as IBM, Rethinkly’s software removes all real-world references to create a safe space that is designed to inspire autonomy of expression.
Identify manipulative tendencies
Psychological manipulation is when someone uses underhand, deceptive techniques and often disguises aggression as good intentions. A manipulator in the workplace may give mixed messages on a regular basis. For example, they might
excessively praise and compliment you, and build a jovial rapport to build trust and a relationship that straddles both the professional and friendly realms of working. However, this relationship can be used to their advantage to employ tactics to control and coerce you at the same time.
You feel nervous about speaking up at work
Rethinkly's proprietary data shows that just under one in five (18%) employees worry that their peers and managers will judge them for making a mistake; a further 35% say they are unable to fulfil any kind of public delivery – presentations, client meetings, etc. – without some form of anxiety. Andrew Jackon, the co-founder at Rethinkly and former partner at PWC, says: "Communication challenges are directly aligned with morale, productivity, and commitment which have real business impact. Effective communication and building a strong culture based on healthy engagement are often talked about but surprisingly difficult to achieve. But when organisations start to embed and grow critical communication skills and adopt them as a competitive advantage, they can start to see a significant shift in their trajectory. ”
You are feeling stressed at work more often than you are not
Recent statistics show that an astonishing 76% of employees report moderate-to-high or high levels of stress at work. This can be due to a multitude of reasons, from not being able to cope with the demands of their job, high pressure, low pay, and lack of effective communication between co-workers. If you're struggling to get clear answers, instructions and direction, you might find yourself becoming more disengaged from leadership and fellow employees. This often leads to poor productivity, poor quality work, low job satisfaction and employee retention problems.
Jackson says: "If your organisation slips into becoming too stress heavy, the toxic culture activates threat systems and damages both people and productivity. Surprisingly, there can be a shared responsibility for addressing the issue - it is both the team leader's and the team member’s role, and not all of us want the same thing. The process of addressing toxic or highly stressed cultures all starts with one thing - the ability to express how you are feeling, particularly about difficult situations or when conflicts arise.”
|
