How toxic is your workplace culture?

Every workplace has its quirks, right? Office politics, secret handshakes behind closed doors, water-cooler gossip, late nights, constant pressure to do more in less time – the list goes on. You learn to navigate the culture, or you burn out along the way. 

Leaders: It's your job to recognize these "quirks" as something more – toxic culture. If you continually look the other way and leave toxicity unchecked in your organization, you will lose valuable employees and fail to get the best from the ones who stick around.

"Nothing good is toxic – nothing," writes author and culture change expert Colin D. Ellis. "And prolonged exposure to a toxic working culture can be harmful to both business and your mental health. Toxic cultures destroy self-esteem, motivation, goodwill, relationships, and sometimes even lives."

Take a moment to honestly evaluate your workplace culture against this list of toxic qualities. What's the biggest problem in your organization? Vote - and then check out four tips from Ellis on how to create a more positive culture.