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Imagine you\u2019re on a ship at sea. The weather is rough. The captain seems oblivious, the crew is confused, and the unease is starting to look like panic. Some of the crew are already lowering boats. Others are bailing. The rest are hoping the storm passes.<\/p>\n
Most people who have worked somewhere long enough recognize that ship.<\/p>\n
In many workplaces the storm is emotional rather than literal. It drains energy and enthusiasm until getting through Thursday takes everything you have. Recognizing what you\u2019re looking at is the first step, whether you plan to steer the ship or get off it.<\/p>\n
I know that articles like this one usually read as a catalog of complaints about people. We think of the manager who micromanages. Maybe the colleague who gossips. Another favorite is the leader who plays favorites. Nearly every sign below is real, and nearly none of them are caused by the person you\u2019d name if someone asked.<\/p>\n
Toxic environments get built. Rarely on purpose, usually one reasonable decision at a time, and they keep producing the same behavior long after the people who built them have moved on.<\/p>\n
Which changes the question worth asking, from who is doing this to which part of the environment<\/a> keeps producing it.<\/p>\n The seventeen signs sort into three places. Where a problem lives determines what works on it.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\nSigns in what people believe<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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