This underappreciated skill is the antidote to workplace toxicity

Consider the last time you had conflict with a coworker. It doesn’t have to be as dramatic as a full-throated shouting match or a yogurt thrown across the break room. It could be a moment in which you perceived a passive-aggressive snipe from a colleague during a team meeting, or an incident of gaslighting in a private conversation in the hallway afterwards.

Discussion around “toxicity” and how it relates to workplace culture has garnered attention in recent years, and this toxicity in question can take on countless forms. According to a 2023 survey from the American Psychological Association, 19% of employees said their workplace is very or somewhat toxic, and those who experienced workplace toxicity were over three times more likely to report damage to their mental health than those who observed a healthy work environment (52% vs. 15%). Moreover, I believe this problem can be expected to grow worse as more workers are forced to return to the office in the wake of the pandemic.

Evolving employee dynamics and an increased awareness of toxicity in the modern workplace is a reality that employers must face. One way to do this is for teams to invest in helping workers establish “toxic-proof” skills, such as emotional intelligence, to combat toxic workplace culture and the fallout—employee dissatisfaction, quiet quitting and worker exodus—that can follow.

What is a toxic workplace culture?

At one point or another, we’ve all experienced moments of disaffection with the boss or a coworker. We may have even felt attacked in the workplace. But are all of these moments representative of toxicity? What if the negativity or anxiety a worker is feeling isn’t a direct or deliberate aggression from a colleague? What exactly are the conditions that constitute a toxic workplace culture?

According to Business Leadership Today, toxic workplace culture “is a culture in which conflict is common and the work environment is negative because of unethical behaviors, a lack of inclusion and disrespect.” Let’s take a closer look at that definition:

First, the qualifier that conflict in the workplace must be “common” implies that one or two adverse incidents aren’t necessarily indicative of a sustained culture of toxicity. Workers are human, and humans can be guilty of lapses and poor judgment from time to time—especially in a work environment full of daily pressures and disparate personalities and backgrounds. Particularly when an incident is addressed by the involved parties (with cooler heads, of course) and resolution is an honest aim, work conflict can sometimes lead to healthy growth and a stronger foundation of mutual respect.

The other key piece to our description of toxic workplace culture is tied to another important qualifier: that a work environment is negative because of certain key behaviors or intentions. A worker’s unhappiness over the lack of daylight exposure they receive from their cubicle, for instance, doesn’t quite qualify as “unethical behavior,” “a lack of inclusion,” or “disrespect.” But what if that worker simply asked her supervisor if there might be a workstation available that offered more sunlight? And what if the boss snapped back that the employee is paid fairly and should be happy with the workstation she gets, then regularly badgers the worker in the weeks to come with snide comments about the audacity of her request? According to our cited definition, a strong argument could be made for the presence of a toxic workplace culture.

What is emotional intelligence, and how can it help combat toxicity?

One of the causes of a toxic workplace culture can be a relative lack of emotional intelligence (EI) among a company’s workers. Lower levels of emotional intelligence in a single employee can even create toxicity and sour the culture of a workplace. So what is emotional intelligence, and how do workers with higher levels of EI help develop a healthier workplace environment?

Emotional intelligence is one’s ability to identify, understand, and manage their emotions, as well as those of the people around them. If that sounds aspirational and complex, especially in a work environment, that’s because it is. A high level of EI isn’t easily achieved, and it must be constantly honed and reevaluated in an ever-changing workplace. But it’s worth it: The World Economic Forum ranks emotional intelligence as one of the top skills needed to excel at work. Plus, McKinsey has argued that the need for social and emotional skills will grow at a faster pace than the need for cognitive skills among employees.

Work often creates a fast-moving, high-stakes environment for employees, who are naturally inclined to experience an emotional reaction to that setting. The real-time processing of those feelings is at the core of emotional intelligence. Foundational research has led to the Cascading Model of Emotional Intelligence, which suggests strong EI is characterized by a progressive sequence: 1) perceiving emotion, 2) emotional understanding, and 3) emotional regulation and management.

Through the observation and practice of this sequence, employees—and particularly supervisors and executive leaders—have the ability to change a work landscape by better managing conflict, navigating interpersonal relationships, strengthening teamwork, building resilience, and fostering client satisfaction. High levels of EI within customer service have even been shown to help improve retention rates. Time and no small amount of evidence-based research have established the clear connection between emotional intelligence and job performance.

How to avoid a toxic culture and create a healthy work environment

Now that we understand toxic workplace culture, its potential fallout, and the importance of emotional intelligence in combating toxicity, how can companies apply what we know toward building a healthier, more stable, and ultimately more rewarding workplace environment? Here are three solutions:

1. Measure candidate and employee emotional intelligence.

Historically, determining the emotional intelligence of job prospects and existing employees once involved mostly guesswork—if it was even considered by employers at all. Now organizations have the ability to measure EI through psychometric assessments. In one instance, top and middle-rated work performers scored higher on an emotional intelligence assessment, and those with higher EI made more calls, had more quality conversations with prospects, and were able to convert more calls to sales.

2. Spot potential toxic tendencies among job candidates

EI assessments can help hiring managers and HR departments identify toxicity red flags among candidates. Emotional intelligence exists on a spectrum, so a company shouldn’t necessarily reject an experienced, skilled potential hire based on a single negative indicator. But EI assessments can help organizations build more accurate holistic profiles of job candidates, avoid costly hiring mistakes, and create a more inclusive and supportive work culture.

3. Help build emotional intelligence in the workforce

Employees don’t have to be stuck with a low emotional intelligence score. Although some people may inherently have a greater ability to manage their emotions and relate to others, it’s possible for a willing worker to develop their EI through training and experience tangible, lasting results.

Until the world becomes fully populated with self-aware, empathetic, and well-adjusted people, there will be levels of toxicity that can be found in nearly any workplace environment. But with an understanding of individual emotional intelligence, the role of EI in the workplace and the tools to optimize the emotional intelligence of a workforce, organizations are now empowered to identify and address toxicity, and build a company culture that prioritizes respect, worker satisfaction, and productivity.