Is It All About the Match? Understanding Toxic Work Environments

Have you ever felt drained at work while others seemed perfectly fine? The truth is, toxicity isn’t always universal—it’s about the match.

What Is a Toxic Work Environment?

A toxic work environment is one where negativity, stress, or unhealthy dynamics affect employees' well-being and performance. It can stem from poor leadership, lack of communication, or workplace culture that fosters competition over collaboration.

Signs of toxicity include:

• High turnover rates and burnout.

• Gossip, favoritism, or exclusion.

• Lack of psychological safety—fear of speaking up or making mistakes.

• Unclear expectations, excessive workload, or unrealistic demands.

• Emotional exhaustion due to workplace conflicts or manipulation.

From my perspective, I would add that "toxicity" is more about a mismatch rather than one side being better or worse than the other in the employer-employee relationship. I would also add that matching and rematching occur not only during the forming stage of team building but also during periods of change.

So, let's dive into the patterns and explore what can be done to transform a "toxic" employer-employee relationship into a healthier one.

The Effect of Distancing Oneself from the Team

What to Avoid:

• Distancing from everyone often stems from expecting an ideal pattern of behavior from others.

• Avoiding vulnerability may signal actual weakness, as true strength lies in embracing humanity rather than striving for a "superhero" persona.

What to Do Instead:

• Cultivate curiosity about others and their perspectives.

• Be open to both constructive criticism and compliments.

• Offer constructive feedback rather than withdrawing.

• Engage consistently with the team to build meaningful interactions.

Building Healthy Boundaries

"Respect the balance" (as stated in The Substance)

• You cannot force others to meet your expectations, but you can shape your own behavior to minimize harm.

• Recognize and accept your resources—whether they are strengths or limitations—as realities.

Healthy boundaries involve but are not limited to:

• Taking breaks even when you resist doing so.

• Pushing forward when you feel stuck.

• Asking for help when needed.

• Knowing when to say no without guilt.

• Differentiating between personal and professional interactions.

• Communicating needs and limits clearly.

These are just some of the points I have recently had the opportunity to observe, but there are many more aspects to explore and discuss on this topic.

In the end, I would add that what is called "toxic" is also a natural part of life that will accompany us in various situations throughout our lifetime. The main question is: what will you do with it?

Let’s interact! Share your thoughts and personal experiences with toxic work environments—what patterns have you noticed, and what helped (or didn’t) in improving them?