In this article I discuss stuck toxic behaviour, what it is and why does it happen. I use a real-life example to illustrate toxic behaviour in the workplace, and more importantly, I provide a strategy for how to deal with it for good.
When an executive demonstrates toxic behaviour, it is only natural that those around them focus on the symptoms. Feedback is given, describing the nature and impact of the behaviour, with the executive then working on prevention. However, when people go back to their day job, the executive’s troublesome behaviours can often return. We are then back where we started, having to deal with unacceptable behaviour in the workplace.
In medicine, dealing with symptoms alone, cures only the simplest of problems. When symptoms persist, the doctor looks at a root cause analysis, why does this keep recurring and what can we do about it?
Root cause analysis is also an effective tool when dealing with an executive’s stuck toxic behaviour. The process can usually be completed in a day and with the right reinforcement, the results can last a lifetime.
How to deal with stubborn toxic behaviour
When toxic behaviour appears to be stuck, with little or no change, there is one school of psychology that can offer solutions. Depth psychology. Originally found in the work of Jung and Freud, depth psychology explores the relationship between the conscious and unconscious mind.
Our intelligent executive with troublesome behaviour is not stuck because the feedback they received wasn’t clear. It’s the root cause behind the feedback, behaviour and mindset that needs to be addressed.
And that is where the unconscious mind comes in.
Perfectly logical to the unconscious mind
Our executive’s behaviour is perfectly logical to their unconscious mind. We just need to become aware of the logic and have something more powerful to replace it with.
But how do you become aware of what is unconscious?
This is where Jung and Freud are so useful. They described three mindsets/behaviours that are relevant to our executive, and they all operate unconsciously:
- Disproportionate strong feelings and beliefs
- Instinctive blaming of others
- Acting out of past experiences rather than the here and now
We all share these mindsets/behaviours. However, in a mature, well-adjusted executive you’ll hardly notice them. But in an executive with toxic behaviours, they will register highly.
Root Cause Analysis
An organisation which truly seeks to address toxic behaviour in one of their executives, need only invest one day of time to have an external coach undertake a root cause analysis.
During this day the coach will:
- Review 360 data already collected
- Interview the executive on the first half of their life
- Use a root cause analysis to interpret the data
- Share the analysis and develop a plan/reinforcement mechanism to shift the behaviour
Review of 360
This can be done ahead of the interview where the coach will look for patterns in the feedback that demonstrate negative deliberate unconscious behaviour.
We all demonstrate deliberate unconscious behaviour. Otherwise, we’d never be able to drive a car or touch type. It’s when this behaviour has a negative impact that it’s problematic.
To illustrate this point, a recent review of an executive’s 360 feedback highlighted the following:
- Dominates the conversation at team meetings
- Defensive if there is a problem and blames others
- Has damaged relationships in the business and won’t repair them
- Is manipulative and status conscious
- At team meetings only discusses their own topics of interest. Is dismissive of other people’s areas for discussion
- Is disparaging about others outside of earshot, so team members stop raising concerns as they think they’ll be dismissed or belittled
- Can be idealistic, perfectionist and impractical
- Has a fixed idea of their role and won’t let anything change that. Looks down on others as lesser professionals. Enjoys the resulting fight in team meetings
- Happy with win-lose outcomes rather than win-win
This is a list of symptoms. An action plan that addresses these e.g. don’t be so dominant, defensive etc. won’t result in any meaningful change. There is something complex going on in this data and a root cause analysis will be far more productive.
Jung and Freud’s three mindsets/behaviours give the coach a way to categorise the symptoms. This can then be used in the first half of life interview to gain insight into the executive’s unconscious mind.
Interview – the first half of life
The notion of life having two halves has been around a long time. However, it was a hundred years ago when Carl Jung started to discuss it as part of modern psychology:
Thoroughly unprepared, we take the step into the afternoon of life. Worse still, we take this step with the false presupposition that our truths and our ideals will serve us as hitherto. But we cannot live the afternoon of life according to the program of life’s morning. – Carl Jung ‘The Stages of Life’ 1930.
A first half of life interview gets at the ‘truths and ideals’ that were formed early on and looks at how they may be shaping an executive’s behaviour in the second half of life.
Over two hours the executive can share the story of the first 30 years of life. The executive with the 360 feedback above had the following highlights:
Grew up in a strict household. Father was a policeman. Colleagues were frightened of him because of his high standards. Mother stayed at home and managed daily structure/discipline.
Was unaware of facing/overcoming any early life crises, but did remember the following:
Intense academic pressure – it was not an option to let people down.
A schoolteacher died suddenly and unexpectedly. This was a shock. Managed the crisis by wanting to serve and lead in school. They took charge and helped others while not understanding their own feelings.
Left home for university, noting they wanted more freedom.
Root cause
This is useful data for a root cause analysis, the results of which demonstrate the executive was:
Strong at assimilating information within a rigid framework for thinking and acting.
Weak at accommodating information that didn’t fit their rigid framework. Information was force fitted into how they saw the world, resulting in mindset/behaviours highlighted by the negative 360 feedback.
Stuck, unable to adapt their mindset/behaviour to meet the challenges they face in their executive leadership role.
The child became successful in a rigid home environment by adopting a rigid mindset. This is an excellent survival strategy for them in early life. As an executive it’s less useful. When you put a square peg into a round hole at work you get noisy/jarring behaviour that indicates misalignment with the reality around you. Cue the toxic behaviour.
The root cause analysis demonstrates that the executive is not ‘a toxic leader’ as you might imply from the feedback. They are being authentic to a rigid mindset in a world that needs more flexibility.
Having coached more than a thousand executives, I have yet to meet any bad or toxic people. I have met many recovering children, who need clarity on a new success formula for the second half of their lives.
Development planning and reinforcement
A second two-hour session is the final part of the process. The coach will share the analysis and work through a development plan.
Here, the skill of the coach matters most:
- with humility and compassion the coach can reveal the unconscious mechanism at a rate the executive can understand and acknowledge.
- discuss what mature/authentic concepts can replace the unconscious mechanism. These concepts need to be far larger than what caused the negative patterns. An executive’s vocation, calling, character and what they are in the service of, are examples of suitably large and positive frameworks for the rest of life.
Once this is achieved development planning becomes a simple process. In the example of the executive above:
- Agree a series of actions that build strength in accommodating new information that doesn’t fit their existing mindset. They can reinforce by regular check-ins with their line manager or external coach.
- Choose a concept that is far larger than the old stuck patterns. Develop an action list that will help you build your understanding and knowing of how this concept is lived in your own life. Again, reinforce by checking in with your line manager or external coach.
In summary
We can put an end to toxic behaviour in the workplace with action that is informed by a root cause analysis. In the next article, I’ll share some typical stuck behaviours that get picked up by a root cause analysis and provide practical actions for addressing them.