Stop Sabotaging Your Team
By VICKY BROWN
Ever had that nagging feeling that something’s off with your team, but you can’t quite put your finger on it? You’ve tried the team-building activities, you’ve got the values posted on the wall, and you even brought in donuts on Fridays. But somehow, the energy keeps dropping and productivity is slipping.
Here’s the truth: team culture isn’t about the flashy stuff that looks good on paper. It’s about the everyday behaviors that either build up your team or tear it down completely. After years of working with entrepreneurs and small business leaders, I’ve identified four specific culture killers that can destroy teams from the inside out – often without leaders even realizing what’s happening.
The “Invisible Hierarchy” Effect
You might pride yourself on having a flat organization or an open-door policy. “There’s no hierarchy here!” you announce proudly. “Everyone’s voice matters equally!”
But let’s be honest – unspoken power structures exist in every organization, regardless of what’s on paper. When certain team members start to feel that only specific people’s ideas get traction, or they notice that some voices are consistently ignored while others are amplified, resentment grows rapidly.
I’ve seen companies where this invisible hierarchy was so embedded that newer team members would actually wait to hear what the “favored few” thought before offering their own opinions. That’s when you know you’ve got a serious culture problem.
To break down these invisible barriers, start rotating who leads different initiatives and meetings. Create intentional moments for your quieter team members to contribute – not by putting them on the spot, but by structuring conversations so everyone’s voice is heard. One of my favorite strategies is implementing anonymous idea submission for key projects. It’s fascinating to see which ideas rise to the top when names aren’t attached. Don’t forget to actively acknowledge contributions from all team members, not just your usual go-tos.
When you implement these practices, you’ll be amazed at which ideas rise to the top when names aren’t attached. Suddenly, that new hire’s suggestion might outshine your veteran manager’s approach – and that’s exactly how meritocracy should work.
Toxic Positivity: The Silent Morale Killer
This one is tricky because it often comes from good intentions. As leaders, we want to maintain a positive atmosphere. We focus on solutions, not problems.
But there’s a line where healthy positivity crosses into toxic territory. It happens when leaders reflexively shut down concerns with phrases like “Let’s stay positive!” or “We don’t have time for negativity.”
What you’re unknowingly doing is creating a culture where real issues go underground. They don’t disappear – they just fester into deeper frustration because people learn they can’t speak openly about challenges.
Try creating “reality check” meetings – dedicated spaces where your team members can bring up genuine concerns and challenges they’re facing. The magic happens when you follow up these conversations with visible action steps. When people see you taking their concerns seriously, they’ll bring issues to you directly instead of letting them simmer. Make sure to explicitly distinguish between unproductive complaining and constructive problem-solving, and model this behavior yourself by openly acknowledging challenges the team or company is facing.
Remember – acknowledging problems isn’t being negative, it’s being honest. And honesty is the foundation of any healthy team culture.
“… Every time you follow through on a small promise, you deposit trust in the bank. Every time you don’t, you make a withdrawal.“
The “Micro-Trust” Erosion Issue
When we think about trust, we tend to focus on the big moments – promotions, major decisions, crisis management. But what I’ve seen in years of HR work is that it’s actually the small, daily moments that build or break trust.
Consider this real-world example: I worked with a CEO who was genuinely shocked when his entire product team resigned within two months of each other. From his perspective, he’d given them competitive salaries, flexible work arrangements, and plenty of autonomy. What he couldn’t see were all the micro-betrayals happening daily:
- Dismissing improvement suggestions without consideration
- Rescheduling their updates to accommodate “more important” meetings
- Taking credit for their innovations when speaking to the board
These seemingly minor actions create tiny cracks in trust. And over time, those cracks become chasms.
If you think you might have a Micro-Trust Erosion issue, the best way to fix it is to be intentional about follow-through on small commitments. If someone shares an idea in a meeting, circle back in a week to acknowledge their contribution. When you miss a check-in or one-on-one, make it up and explicitly acknowledge the miss. Consider creating systems to track and credit ideas to their originators, ensuring people receive recognition for their contributions. Take a hard look at your calendar and ask yourself whose meetings you consistently prioritize or postpone – this pattern reveals more about your true priorities than any mission statement.
Your team members are keeping score, whether consciously or unconsciously. Every time you follow through on a small promise, you deposit trust in the bank. Every time you don’t, you make a withdrawal.
Whether you’re an entrepreneur jumping into a leadership role, a seasoned business pro with new HR responsibilities, or just starting your HR career – we’ve got the right path to guide you through your HR hurdles.
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Innovation Gaslighting: The Say-Do Gap
This final culture killer creates a frustrating gap between what companies say and what they do. Leaders love to tell their teams, “We value innovation!” But then when employees actually suggest bold new ideas, they’re met with “That’s not how we do things here,” or “We tried something similar five years ago.”
This disconnect between stated values and lived experience is a form of organizational gaslighting. You’re telling people one thing is true while your actions demonstrate the exact opposite.
So, how do you actually build a culture that walks the innovation talk? Start by creating “innovation checkpoints” – structured moments where you deliberately evaluate not just whether ideas succeeded, but how your team responded to them. Did you celebrate the person who took a calculated risk, even if it didn’t pan out?
One strategy that’s worked wonders for my clients is implementing a “no penalty zone” for first attempts. This means the first iteration of any new approach is explicitly protected from criticism about its imperfection. Instead, focus exclusively on what you learned and how to evolve it. Make a point to publicly celebrate learning from failures, not just successes.
Finally, take an honest audit of which behaviors actually get rewarded in your organization – remember, your team is watching not just what you say, but what you reward, what you punish, and what you ignore.
Building a Culture That Works
The good news is that awareness is the first step to change. By recognizing these patterns early, you can take steps to build a culture that genuinely supports your team members and allows them to do their best work.
After all, culture isn’t just what you put on your website or say in your meetings. It’s the sum of your daily behaviors and decisions. So, make them count.