Navigating a Toxic Workplace for Dummies.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Mattice, Catherine.

Series:

--For dummies.

For dummies

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Psychology, Industrial.

Work environment--Psychological aspects.

Work environment.

Interpersonal relations.

Interpersonal conflict.

Conflict management.

Bullying in the workplace.

Harassment.

Corporate culture.

Personnel management.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (370 pages)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Newark : John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated, 2025.

Summary:

This friendly, compassionate guide is the antidote to workplace toxicity Toxic workplaces can be bad for your mental and physical health, and they're one of the leading causes of employee turnover. Navigating a Toxic Workplace For Dummies explores what causes work environments to turn sour, and what you--as an employee, manager or leader--can do about it. You'll learn why people engage in toxic behavior like bullying, harassment, exclusion, and disrespect at work. More importantly, you'll gain the tools and skills to counter that behavior with positivity. Every individual, at every level of an organization, can make a difference in detoxifying the workplace. Don't let the stress of your job environment weigh you down. Let this Dummies guide teach you to support yourself and the people around you. Discover the signs and symptoms of a toxic workplace Learn why people do toxic things, and how to protect yourself Get advice on reporting harassment and other behaviors to HR Understand how to make organizational change as a manager, HR or leader Lead your organization in a detoxification campaign Navigating a Toxic Workplace For Dummies is a must for anyone who has dealt with or is currently dealing with a toxic situation at work, as well as managers and leaders committed to resolving toxic situations.

Contents:

Intro

Title Page

Copyright Page

Table of Contents

Introduction

About This Book

Foolish Assumptions

Icons Used in This Book

Beyond the Book

Where to Go from Here

Part 1 Getting Started with Navigating Toxic Workplaces

Chapter 1 Recognizing a Toxic Workplace and Its Consequences

Defining the Prevalence of Toxicity in the Workplace

Discerning toxic from challenging behavior

Understanding how to positively influence your workplace

Understanding the Damage and Consequences of Toxic Workplaces

Chapter 2 Identifying Toxic Behaviors

How Organizations Often Handle Toxic Behavior

The Types and Severity of Toxic Behavior

Viewing toxic behavior on a spectrum

Comparing harassment and workplace bullying

Understanding organizational deviance

Conflict as a Toxic Phenomenon

Defining workplace conflict

Examining productive versus unhealthy conflict

Conflict Management Styles

Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument

Exercise: TKI conflict management style self-assessment

Scoring

Using the results

Hammer's Intercultural Conflict Style Model

Chapter 3 Understanding How Toxic Workplaces Come to Exist

Examining Organizational Culture

Defining Your Organization's Culture

Misalignments that create a toxic work culture

Risk factors in organizational behavior

Identifying Why People Engage in Toxic Behavior

Exploring Why People Become Targets of Toxic Behavior

Discovering the Role of Witnesses

Why people don't speak up

Roles witnesses play in facilitating toxic behavior

Chapter 4 Examining Legal and Ethical Implications

Understanding the Global Legal Landscape of Toxic Workplaces

Reviewing the Countries Whose Laws Go Beyond Harassment

Examining Employers' Obligations to Address Toxic Behavior

Effective policies

Effective investigations.

Part 2 Recognizing Everyone's Roles and Responsibilities

Chapter 5 Embracing Your Role in Cultivating Positivity at Work

Committing to a Respectful Work Culture

Exploring How You Can Contribute to a Positive Culture

Build up your self-awareness

Personal field of meaning

Iceberg model

Increase your social and emotional intelligence

Exercise: Rate your emotional intelligence

Decide to be a positive influence

Address your unconscious biases

Types of biases

Minimizing your bias

Building Up Your Personal Positive Brand

Chapter 6 Engaging in Opportunities for Positive Influence

Becoming a Psychologically Safe Space

Creating a Positive Team Environment

Leaning into company core values

Reimagining onboarding

Offering recognition (and rewards)

Leaning on your safety or risk-management program

Building a Positive Culture with Team Exercises

Using language for good

Building a team vision

Using positive language

Showing compassion

Showing appreciation

Fostering psychological safety

Discussing what to do in various scenarios

Chapter 7 Creating a Respectful Work Culture: A Manager Superpower

Focusing on What You Want, Rather Than What You Don't

Identifying the roles and responsibilities of managers

Exercise: Are you committed to a respectful work culture?

Countering risk factors that facilitate toxic behavior

Addressing Toxic Behavior Early On

Intervening

Overcoming justification and denial of bad behavior

Using your company's disciplinary procedure

Applying Best Practices in Taking Complaints

Reacting effectively to a complaint

Understanding your legal obligations

Part 3 Strategies for Targets and Witnesses

Chapter 8 Building Personal Resilience

Developing Resilience

Understanding the skills needed.

Deciding your fate

Prioritizing Self-Care

Addressing burnout

Getting help from a professional

Exercise: Understanding your levels of resilience

Employer's Role in Addressing Burnout

Chapter 9 Adopting Effective Communication Strategies

Recognizing Why Speaking Up Is Difficult

Identifying Passive, Assertive, and Aggressive Language and Behaviors

Assertiveness in action

Demonstrating empathy

Exercise: How assertive are you?

Implementing Tools for Effective Communication

Managing your own and others' emotions

Defining and communicating your personal boundaries

Making your boundary list

Stating and sticking to your boundaries

Preparing for challenging situations

Navigating power struggles

Chapter 10 Leveraging Your Human Resources Department

Understanding the HR Landscape

Assessing HR's Ability to Help You

Setting HR Up for Success

Document the toxic behavior

Review your performance documentation

Determine costs to the organization

Do some self-reflection

Be prepared to offer solutions

Reflect after the conversation is over

Filing Your Complaint with HR

Filing a complaint anonymously versus openly

What to expect after filing an open complaint

Potential challenges of filing a complaint

Chapter 11 Finding and Being an Ally at Work

Defining Bystanders, Upstanders, and Allies

Assessing Upstander and Allyship Readiness

Identifying what keeps you from stepping in

Developing a plan to be upstanders and allies together

The dos and don'ts of being an upstander or ally

Standing Up Against Toxic Behavior

Delegating to an appropriate person

Making your presence known

Asking a question

Paraphrasing or asking for clarification

Appealing to their values with your empathy.

Promoting empathy

Pointing out commonalities

Explaining what's in it for them

Reporting Toxic Behavior to HR Together

Differentiating between unlawful versus lawful behavior

Writing a group letter

Reporting in person as a group

Reporting anonymously versus using your name

Chapter 12 Navigating Remote and Hybrid Toxic Environments

Recognizing Toxicity in Remote Work Settings

Understanding remote-specific challenges

Identifying common signs of remote toxicity

Setting and Sticking to Boundaries

Chapter 13 Navigating the Possibility You'll Need to Exit

Exploring the Ideal Outcome of Filing a Complaint

Determining Whether to Stay or Go

Preparing to Leave

Evaluating job opportunities

Updating your resume and LinkedIn profile

Preparing for Job Interviews

Answering interview questions about your previous employer

Sniffing out toxicity during your interview

Time to Go: Managing the Transition Period

Resigning professionally

Navigating the period between resigning and your last day of work

Managing the emotional impact of leaving

Part 4 Strategies for Managers and Human Resources

Chapter 14 Addressing Team Conflict Head-On

Looking at Conflict Through the DiSC Model

Managing Conflict Within Your Team

Assessing whether team structure creates conflict

Developing the skills to resolve team conflict

Understanding conflict resolution options

Stepping in to mediate conflict

Knowing when to mediate

Deciding who should mediate

Steps for successful mediation

Chapter 15 Setting the Team Up for Success

Developing Workforce Interpersonal Skills

Implementing programs for all levels

Implementing additional programs for managers

Designing programs that influence behavior and business results

Defining the problem to solve.

Leaning on the Performance Management System

Managing performance through the employee life cycle

Giving and receiving feedback

Holding people accountable for respectful behavior

Creating a core value competency matrix

Coaching as a Key Management Skill

Chapter 16 Advocating for Positive Change

Exemplifying Positive Behaviors

Practicing self-awareness

Exercise: Does your management style help or hinder toxic behavior?

Building a Case for Culture Change

Assessing leadership's openness to change

Evaluating your influence and power

Structuring your argument

Understanding leadership's desired legacy

Engaging Employees in Positive Change

Getting employees to care

Overcoming resistance to change

Recognizing and rewarding positive behavior

Chapter 17 Assessing Your Workplace Culture

Gauging Leadership's Readiness for a Culture Assessment

Identifying Tools for Assessing Workplace Culture

Employee surveys

Focus groups and one-on-one interviews

Observation

Leadership assessments

HR process and systems review

Employee metrics review

Comparative benchmarks

Deploying a Climate Assessment

Choosing the right survey tool

Designing a reliable and valid survey

Communicating about the survey before, during, and after

Addressing the Survey Results

Creating an action team

Developing an action plan

Chapter 18 Coaching Leaders Who Engage in Workplace Bullying

Understanding Why People Engage in Workplace Bullying

Exercise: Assessing whether a leader is engaging in workplace bullying

Assessing the damage caused by workplace bullying

Motivating Leaders Who Bully to Change

Setting expectations for behavior change

Being the accountability partner

Check in regularly

Continue to check in for as long as needed

Offer resources.

Coaching Leaders Who Bully.

Notes:

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

Includes index.

ISBN:

1-394-32615-7

OCLC:

1520019907