Colin on Culture

The Three Levels of Toxic Culture

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In this episode I discuss the three levels of toxic culture and the signs to look out for at each level. I also underline the importance of addressing toxic culture early to prevent it from becoming harmful.

Episode takeaways

  • Toxic culture can be categorised into three levels: combatant culture, corrosive culture, and harmful culture.
  • Combatant culture is characterised by high engagement but low emotional intelligence, leading to stress, unclear priorities, and passive-aggressive communication.
  • Corrosive culture involves bullying, harassment, favoritism, and unethical behaviour, and it can cause physical and mental health issues.
  • Harmful culture includes physical assault, emotional cruelty, fraud, and overt discrimination, and it requires a significant effort to turn it around.
  • It is crucial to address toxic culture early to prevent it from escalating and causing long-term damage.


    • What kind of culture do you have right now? Take the free Five Cultures Quiz and find out: www.fiveculturesquiz.com

    Timestamps

    01:55 The Three Levels of Toxic Culture

    06:14 Combatant Culture: Signs and Impact

    13:21 Corrosive Culture: Bullying and Harassment

    18:00 Harmful Culture: Physical Assault and Fraud

    21:52 Importance of Assessing and Addressing Culture

    Useful links 🔗

    Connect with Colin on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Download ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠the Culture Whitepapers for managers and senior executives

    Subscribe to the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Making Great Work Happen⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ weekly newsletter

    🎙️ Check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Inside Out Culture Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ where myself and Cath Bishop get behind the headlines of cultures making the news to extract the learnings and insights, good and bad.

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