What if you could see a toxic work culture?

What if you could see the toxicity in your workplace as easily as you see the pollution in this waterway? Do you think you would be happy to swim there every day? Would you want to clean it up?

So many of the things that make work shit tend to be intangible. We can't physically see them, but we experience them deeply. When there is a lack of clarity, incivility, unfairness, excessive demands, inadequate remuneration, no recognition, poor accountability and sound values, it's like this stream - and we have to swim there every day.

So how do we stop creating this mess and start to detox the culture of our workplace?

 > Check out upstream and see where it is coming from - that's leadership where everyone is proactively engaged

 > Get in and pick up one piece at a time (even if you didn't put it there) - that's teamwork

 > Stop throwing stuff in - that's self-regulation

 > Put in a net to capture as much as possible - that's your structures, systems and processes

 > Encourage and reward those who are working to regenerate the area - that's feedback

 > Have some penalties for those who continue to litter - that's accountability

What would you see if you were to draw your workplace river? Can you name the things that are making it toxic?

Once you got it cleaned up, would you feel okay about throwing your crap in there? Would you speak up if you saw someone dumping their garbage in there?

Look around this week and notice the intangible things polluting your working world. How will you work towards detoxing your workplace culture?

Because, underneath all that shit, there is a vibrant ecosystem with a natural tendency to flow, support and nourish all sorts of life and be a beautiful and restorative place. I want to see every workplace like that, don't you?