What is a Workplace Culture?

“A workplace culture is composed of the

values, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors that

Creating a Positive Workplace employees share and use on a daily basis.”

-Charles Rogel

Culture • Values
• Beliefs
• Attitudes
• Behaviors

“Making your organization a happy place to go to

work is an essential component to successful long-
lasting business. A happy work environment attracts 15 Signs of a Negative
good people and helps the people who work for you
do the best for the company.”
Workplace Environment
–Cheryl Stein, Business Coach
• Micromanagement
• Dysfunctional management
• Rigid expectations, no flexibility
• Focus on complaints about work
• Sarcasm and negative attitudes
Common Positive Attributes
• Fear of failure
• Lack of appreciation
• Overabundance of criticism
• Destructive gossip that dehumanizes others
• Lack of opportunities for health and wellness
• Inconsistent accountability, favoritism
• Unapproachable, detached management
• Lack of openness in communication
• Betrayals, backstabbing, and lack of trust
• A sense of feeling unsafe
• This is a fun place to work
• We are results oriented
• Everyone here cares about each other
• This is a great place to learn and grow
 1. Positive Values

• There is a positive mission statement that has clear goals

10 Signs of a Positive
• Goals are achieved in ethical, honest ways
Workplace Environment
• There is an elevated sense of purpose

2. Relaxed and Productive

3. Commitment to Excellence
Atmosphere

• People enjoy coming to work
• People feel appreciated, acknowledged, and rewarded
• Fear, domination, and intimidation are absent
• Creativity, productivity, and innovative thinking flourish
• People take responsibility for their decisions and actions
• People are on time for work and meet project deadlines
• People strive do the best, delivering quality products and
services
 4. Open and Honest 5. Cooperation, Support, and
Communication Empowerment
• Everyone communicates in an open and transparent manner • People are willing to take on tasks and assignments

• People solve difficulties in collaborative ways • People have a sense of camaraderie, cooperation, and
empowerment

• People don’t play nasty revenge games when given difficult • There is healthy competition without vengeful, spiteful
feedback
backstabbing

• Difficult feedback is taken as opportunity for growth • Positive gossip

7. Understanding, Compassion,
6. Sense of Humor
and Respect
• Understanding and kindness prevail when faced with challenges,
• People keep things in perspective, have fun, laugh accidents, illnesses, personal tragedies, and natural disasters

• Laughter generates endorphins, reducing stress • When people are treated well they will usually go the extra mile for
others

• Humor used tactfully and tastefully is healthy • Recognize people as human beings versus dehumanized coworkers
• Humor makes the workplace more enjoyable and fun • Respect is always given whether you personally like or dislike
someone
 8. Flexibility 9. Positive Reinforcement
• People need acknowledgement, appreciation, and gratitude to be
motivated
• Change is the only constant
• Genuine compliments, rewards, bonuses, raises, promotions, and
• Embracing change and making accommodations for new certificates of achievement celebrate efforts and recognizes
trends and technology accomplishments

• Non-attached to ways of doing things • People need ‘thank you’ from directors, supervisors, and colleagues to feel
valued and appreciated

• Change is an opportunity to learn new skills and grow • Congratulating a colleague on a success or achieving goals creates
professionally in one’s line of work goodwill

10. Emphasis on Health, Family, The Benefits of a Positive

and Environment
• Wellness Programs values health and wellbeing
• Insurance benefits, retirement programs, and corporate benefits are offered
• Daily lunch breaks and regular vacations are encouraged
• Exercise during breaks or lunch can renew and re-energize the rest of the day
• Take sick time when you are sick
• Providing reimbursements or on-site childcare reduces worry and stress
• Environmental awareness, sustainability practice, and recycling benefits the
organization and creates greater meaning and purpose at work
Workplace Culture
• Reduces stress and anxiety
• Increases health and wellness
• Promotes a fulfilling work life and job satisfaction
• Gives a sense of meaning and purpose to your work
• Elicits gratitude, respect, kindness
• Promotes productivity and quality products and services
• Higher staff retention and attracts quality staff to open positions
 “The greatest need of a human being is to be
understood, validated, and appreciated.”
–Stephen Covey
1. Set Limits with Complainers
• Limit the time you listen to complaints and avoid feeding
into them. Instead, ask the person how he or she intends
to solve the problem.
How to Manage Toxic People
2. Don’t Die in the Fight
• Manage your emotions during a conflict with a toxic
person. Sometimes it is better to walk away than allow
emotions to overwhelm you and prevent a rational
response.
 3. Rise Above
• Emotionally distance yourself from toxic behavior and
approach the interaction as a science project. Focus only
on the facts in a stoic manner. Observe irrational, drama,
disturbing behavior from a non-emotional and rational
perspective.
5. Observe Boundaries
• Establish and observe boundaries in a conscious and
proactive manner. Decide when and where you’ll engage
with a difficult person. Decide what you will share and not
share. Keep boundaries firmly in place when a difficult
person tries to encroach upon them….which they will!
4. Manage Your Emotions
• Have mindful awareness when you are experiencing
emotion dysregulation with a toxic person. Don’t engage
when you are in that state. Instead just smile, nod, and
walk away. Give yourself time to regulate your emotions
so you can respond in a calm and thoughtful manner.
6. Don’t Limit Your Joy
• Don’t let the comments or opinions of others determine
your sense of joy and satisfaction at work. Be the master
of your own happiness. If a difficult person has a problem
with you, then they have a problem, not you.
 7. Focus on Solutions, Not
Problems
• What you focus on determines your emotions. Focusing
on problems generates negative feelings and stress.
Focusing on solutions creates a sense of empowerment,
good feelings, and less stress. Don’t focus on the difficult
person, focus on how you will manage them.
9. Squash Negative Self-Talk
• Avoid negative self-talk at all costs! We tend to absorb
the negativity of those around us. There is nothing wrong
with feeling badly about how someone is treating you.
Don’t make it worse with negative self-talk. Instead,
practice self-compassion and self-care.
8. Don’t Forget
• When you feel upset or hurt by the way a toxic person
treats you, be quick to let it go and move on…but don’t
forget. Be assertive in protecting yourself from future
harm and be aware of unpleasant situations so as to avert
them.
10. Limit Caffeine
• Caffeine produces adrenaline, which is the source of the
‘fight or flight’ reaction in the face of a threat. This side-
steps rational thinking in favor of a faster reaction. Limit
caffeine intake so you can respond rationally to an
irrational coworker.
 11. Get Adequate Sleep
• It is difficult to manage toxic people on your own. We all
• Adequate sleep increases emotional intelligence, a
clearer perspective, and helps manage stress. Sleep
promotes a more positive, creative, and proactive
approach to toxic people, providing a more accurate and
clear perspective.
• Discover the greater purpose and meaning to the work
Ways to Contribute to a
Positive Workplace Culture
12. Have a Support System
have ‘blind spots’, ‘buttons’, and weaknesses when it
comes to dealing with difficult people. Identify one or two
people in your personal life or at work that you trust for
insights and assistance when you need it. Supportive
people can point out your weaknesses and provide new
perspectives, solutions, and strategies for managing toxic
people in at work.
1. Discover Purpose and
Meaning in Your Work
you do. How does your work affect your department,
organization, or people it serves? Having a sense of
greater purpose cultivates work satisfaction and quality
products and services.
 2. Take Responsibility
• Take responsibility for your decisions, actions, and behavior
at work. Be punctual for work and meet project deadlines,
creating less stress and a sense of dependability and
goodwill among colleagues.
• It is difficult to admit when one makes an error or oversight
at work, yet it reinforces how much you value your work,
your integrity, and demonstrates you are trustworthy.
4. Be Open to Change
• Change is the only constant. Embrace change instead of
resisting it. Be open and flexible to new ideas, people,
procedures, and technology as opportunities for personal
growth and new professional skills.
3. Practice Mindfulness
• Mindful practice at work involves increasing your
awareness of the present moment. Instead of running on
autopilot, take time to be mindful of your working space,
be aware of how you feel, give your full attention to the
people you engage with during the day, and be fully
present to the specific work at hand.
5. Be Courteous and Respectful
• Being courteous, friendly, and respectful to coworkers,
managers, and customers makes work life much more
pleasant. Respecting and understanding other personality
styles is compassionate and kind. While no one is perfect
and everyone has bad days, one can always be courteous
and respectful to others. Courtesy and respect are
contagious!
 6. Have a Positive Attitude 7. Observe Boundaries

• Be ready, willing, and available to take on work. People • People spend a lot of time at work with coworkers. We
appreciate openness to go above and beyond with
get to know each other and learn about each other’s lives
additional work or help when needed.
to a degree. Yet it is important to observe good
boundaries at work and at home. Mindfully choose what
• It is inevitable that problems and conflicts will arise at you will share and not share about your personal life at
work. Shifting your prospective from ‘problems’ to
work. Mindfully choose what you will share and not share
‘challenges’ provides opportunities for growth and
about your work life at home.
resolution rather than complaints and drama.

Take Away
• We learned the definition of workplace culture
• We identified signs of negative and positive workplace
environments
“Be the change you want to see in the world”
• We identified ways to manage toxic people (and the workplace)”

• We identified ways you can contribute to a positive workplace

environment
–Gandhi

• Additional articles and exercises