Toxicology of workplace

A toxic work environment

What is the first image that appears in your mind with the above sentence? 

When someone says "my office is so toxic", is it,

A team full of fun people but a leader who is always behind targets?

A very good team but the customer is highly demanding and the superiors aren't doing anything to that?

A high-risk environment and the boss is hell-bent on the targets, every day throughout the year? 

A superior officer who is always behind in productivity, 

A senior with just work in mind and no empathy?

A well-experienced person who is not understanding the whole team and its culture? 

Or, someone who always supports some age-old tradition?

If it is based on the above, it is most likely that the toxicity is from superiors, 

I have listened to many conversations where when one is faced with a lot of new challenges, thrown with new opportunities when not ready, or given extra responsibilities with experience, one assumes that the work is turning toxic and the first person to take the bullet is their immediate superior.

don't get me wrong when I say this. This is highly subjective and personal and 

not all the conversation of toxic workspace fits in here, but majorly these days the context of a toxic workplace is misunderstood, and I have seen the above categories as a reference.

Whilst it is true in most cases, i.e, a boss or a leader who is choosing any means to achieve things. Let us for a change also look from another perspective.

Instead of saying my boss doesn't care about me, have we ever reached out to the same person asking how his/her day has been?

Did we ever think, why the person is assigning all the things out of context or ask the bigger picture behind it, did we give the benefit of the doubt?

Have we ever put ourselves in their shoes, and maybe instead of just assuming "they work more because they earn more or they don't have life", did we ever look at their vision, big picture, and see if our long-term goals align with that?

We all know that as one moves up the ladder in their career, one has a lot of big responsibilities from cost to employee wellbeing, and in that process, the person may get lonely, did we ever assure them that we are here as a team and no matter what happens we are in this together?

Every work is noble and every level is dignified, did we really understand and strive towards positivism? Did we put the hierarchy aside and look the things in plain eyesight?

And Finally, when we thought, "yes, things are going down and this isn't the right place for me", did we try informing those who are staying and those who have the power to correct it about the things that can be corrected?

It's just like you're moving out of a place and you inform someone to take care of plants or pets, Isn't it??

It's time we look at things not just from our views but also from the whole organization's structure, there will definitely be a time when we have to reach out to our seniors( or the equivalent) irrespective of the work and domain just to check in on them and to lend a hand even when not needed. 

Empathy at work doesn't come with the role or money but from the "we are all at the end of the day human beings" concept. you will always have to leave a toxic place when encountered in one, but if possible let the others know the damage done and what you think is the cause and solutions so that the rest can be in a good place. And always put yourselves in others' shoes before blaming or guessing about them. 

Remember, "we need to treat people the way we want to be treated and though being emphatic might not solve everything, it will give you a way to look at things and with that maybe new ways"