Why it matters
Toxic cultures take hold quietly, team by team, long before resignations. A regular review of a few observable signals catches problems while they are still local and fixable.
How to run it
For each team, check the nine signs:
- Regretted departures clustering in the team
- Falling survey response rates
- One-to-ones cancelled or one-way
- Recognition staying inside an in-group
- Colleagues slow to help each other
- Public criticism without private repair
- Fear language in retrospectives
- Unusual HR complaint levels — a spike, or total silence
- "That's just how they are" said about a leader
Then act:
- Address senior-leader behaviour first.
- Restore weekly, two-way one-to-ones.
- Hold private repair conversations.
- Reset psychological safety with the team.
- Re-check the signs next quarter.
Watch out for
- Reviewing company-wide averages, which hide local problems
- Excusing a senior leader’s behaviour
When not to use it
Specific harassment or misconduct needs a proper, confidential process — not a review meeting.
