Shut It Down, Bro: How to Avoid Toxic Culture at Your Company

Bro culture is an industry-spanning pandemic, and your company culture could be part of the problem.

learn more about Samar Birwadker

By Samar Birwadker

Cultura RF | Seb Oliver | Getty Images

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Following a series of scathing exposes from employees at Google, Uber and many more companies, "bro culture" took the hot seat last year. The companies at the center of the conversation were, by and large, tech-based organizations where men (literally and figuratively) dominated entire workforce. Most recently, the women of Hollywood proclaimed with the highly publicized #MeToo and #TimesUp campaigns that they would be silenced no more and harassment would not be tolerated. But, if everyone recognizes genuine disparity within these industries, why is it that the problem persists without a sweeping overhaul?

Related: 10 Signs You've Got a Toxic Workplace Culture, Bro

Bro culture has only been discussed as an epidemic affecting certain industries instead of an industry-blind, culture-killing pandemic. This significantly narrows the scope of business leaders who feel the need to take a good, hard look for cracks in their company foundations. In many cases, major overhaul of fundamental principles is the antidote for correcting long-lasting problems. Allowing your company to be marred by an exclusionary culture "scarlet letter" is not only damaging, it could spell doom down the line.

Here are actionable steps that every business leader can take now, not when it's convenient, to ensure an inclusive, positive company culture runs through their organizations.

Own your company culture from Day One.

Manifesting a healthy company culture requires a top-down approach. Inequality in the workplace is everyone's problem, but it's the charge of leadership to define standards of what good company culture is and isn't for every employee. It's in the interest of management to guarantee a comfortable work environment for all employees so people from all walks of life can work productively and harmoniously together.

Starting off, many companies practice what I like to call "calculated recklessness" -- cutting corners to get a competitive edge while trying to get your name out there. But if you try to cut corners and don't define company culture from Day One, your company will gain notoriety for all the wrong reasons. Making healthy culture a company cornerstone from Day One is the only way to create something lasting that will leave the impact and legacy you truly desire.

Related: 7 Ways Silicon Valley Could Transform Its Toxic Culture

Accountability starts with open lines of communication.

When building something from the ground up, hours are long, deadlines creep up and projects pile on, causing tensions to run high. A silent office is not an office without corporate culture issues. I always say, people leave managers and teams, not companies. Showing genuine concern for individuals keeps them engaged and nurtured so they feel their investment is matched by their manager, as well as their company. Open lines of communication are only productive if everyone within a team, including managers, feels comfortable enough to participate. Regular check-ins also provide opportunity to proactively address challenges that truly matter to individual employees.

This also means managers have to be ready, and willing, to hear constructive feedback. To keep this sentiment from the bottom to the top, we schedule weekly one-on-ones between team members and managers to keep communication open and ensure employees have a firm grasp on ever-evolving company expectations and best practices.

Related: Is 'That' Sexual Harassment? How to Tell, Using 'Cooper's 6 Levels.'

Be conscious of normalization in your workplace.

Normalization describes the effect of the expected and the ideal blending together to form a new perspective in a certain group of individuals, in this case, a workplace. What is "normal" in your office is not always in line with what is conventional, or what should be accepted as good company culture. Company culture needs to be constantly re-evaluated, and if the principles you founded your company on no longer serve your employees, change them.

The dangers of normalization in the workplace create echo chambers where everyone becomes so used to the standard operating procedures that small infractions go unnoticed and unaddressed. Managers need to not only allow but also encourage their employees to voice their concerns about company practices, especially when not in line with their moral code. At the end of the day, it costs far less time and fewer resources to solve problems in real time than to replace employees who left because concerns raised about company culture infractions fell on deaf ears.

Related: These Companies Are Battling Sexual Harassment By Teaching Employees to Recognize Unconscious Bias

It's not too late for your company.

Creating diverse and dynamic teams is priority No. 1 for any business leader focused on innovation and positive growth. High-quality people know that life's too short to dedicate time to a company that isn't aligned with their personal values and won't hesitate to leave. By throwing up your hands and declaring it's too late for your company to evolve and create a better company culture for your employees, you become complicit in toxic culture, and it will inevitably lead to your downfall.

Starting from the top down, business leaders of companies -- large and small, spanning every industry -- can only benefit from holding themselves accountable, revisiting the foundations of corporate culture and ensuring an even playing field for all employees where every voice is heard.

Samar Birwadker

Founder and CEO of Good&Co

Samar Birwadker is co-founder and CEO of Good&Co Labs, Inc. Using a proprietary psychometric algorithm, Good&Co helps companies increase employee engagement, reduce turnover and make better hiring decisions, while empowering millions of employees to make smarter, more informed career decisions.

Related Topics

Editor's Pick

This 61-Year-Old Grandma Who Made $35,000 in the Medical Field Now Earns 7 Figures in Retirement
A 'Quiet Promotion' Will Cost You a Lot — Use This Expert's 4-Step Strategy to Avoid It
3 Red Flags on Your LinkedIn Profile That Scare Clients Away
'Everyone Is Freaking Out.' What's Going On With Silicon Valley Bank? Federal Government Takes Control.
Leadership

How to Detect a Liar in Seconds Using Nonverbal Communication

There are many ways to understand if someone is not honest with you. The following signs do not even require words and are all nonverbal queues.

Starting a Business

Selling Your Business? Do These 6 Things Right Now.

If you want the maximum price you need to make these moves before you do anything else.

Business News

Carnival Cruise Wants Passengers to Have Fun in the Sun — But Do This, and You'll Get Burned With a New $500 Fee

The cruise line's updated contract follows a spate of unruly guest behavior across the tourism industry.

Celebrity Entrepreneurs

'I Dreaded Falling in Love.' Rupert Murdoch Is Getting Hitched for the Fifth Time.

The 92-year-old media tycoon announces he will wed former San Francisco police chaplain Ann Lesley Smith.

Leadership

5 Practical Strategies Founders Can Use to Improve Their Mental Health

Supporting your mental health is one of the most important investments you can make in your company. If you're unsure where to begin, choose one of these strategies and focus on implementing it in your everyday life.

Business News

What Does the Banking Crisis Mean for Startups and Small Business Owners?

Author, CPA and business owner Gene Marks break down everything entrepreneurs need to know about the impact of the SVB collapse.