So, what everybody told me is that what they really wanted was an administrator who would hold people accountable, and that’s what I really wanted too. So, that was what I did. And the result was everybody was like, ‘Actually, we hate that.’ – Participant, Low-Morale Experiences in Formal Library Leaders study
In Part 1 of this series focused on Legacy Toxicity, I clarified that this Impact Factor comes from my research on the low-morale experiences of formal leaders. I also cemented that this factor and its associated outcomes cannot be removed from the context of workplace harm. Legacy Toxicity soundly surfaces that direct reports and/or organizational peers or supervisors are engaging in abusive behaviors towards the impacted formal leader, that the harmful behaviors precede the current leader, and that the organization tolerates the harm (toxicity; Walton 2008). Understanding this context, what are some common signals that Legacy Toxicity is present? Let’s briefly review some organizational characteristics, behaviors, and language of Legacy Toxicity:
Organizational Signals of Legacy Toxicity
- Departmental separation and/or individual worker isolation: departments reject collaboration with other units; employees who want to work with others are excluded; abusers deliberately isolate and/or overwork high-performing workers; workers isolate themselves to avoid abuse/neglect;
- Organizational narcissism: the organization believes its the best regardless of data-driven evidence to the contrary; any indications of imperfection are not acknowledged; employees who highlight gaps or leave the organization are seen as interlopers or disloyal; organizational operations help promote these narratives.
- Employee longevity is conflated with leadership experience: particularly evident during interim leadership appointments, employees who have been with an organization for a long time are perceived as leaders because of their longstanding employment – not because they’ve shown leadership skills, and even if they are known abusers within the organization (See Also, “Library Nice“); and
- Suppression of/condescension towards worker autonomy – paternalism; endemic organizational narratives that workers aren’t trustworthy or that they need to be monitored or coddled. There is an implicit preference for learned-helplessness behaviors. Self-determinism and creativity within the context of getting work done are suspect, even as innovation and productivity are presented to employees as markers of worth and value.
Behavioral Signals of Legacy Toxicity
- “Mean girls” (relational aggression)
- Workplace grooming
- Malicious gossip
- Inherent contempt or cynicism for the leader’s role/authority/visioning/plans
- Disinforming
- Triangulation
- Undermining/circumventing leaders’ attempts at defining/updating responsibilities/processes/accountability/communications
Language Signals of Legacy Toxicity
- “That’s just how [employee] is!”
- “I/We’ve always done it this way.” (also, “I don’t know why we do it this way.”)
- “We did that [insert timeline] ago and it didn’t work.”
- “[The former leader/supervisor] said…”
- “It doesn’t matter what I/we think.”
These signals also highlight the interconnected nature of Impact Factors – in this case in particular – Uncertainty & Mistrust (moved from an Enabling System to an Impact Factor in 2023) and Contagion (realizing that other people are being abused/neglected, and/or engaging in abusive or neglectful acts towards other employees to ward off abuse/neglect from an established abuser or as a pre-emptive defense mechanism – Kendrick 2017).
If you’re a formal leader, which of these signals have you encountered in your workplace? How has it affected your leadership goals? If you’re not a formal leader but you’ve noticed any of these signals at your workplace, how has it affected your work or how you perceive your co-workers?
As we continue our exploration of Legacy Toxicity, next we’ll focus on what formal leaders should consider when establishing interpersonal relationships with with traumatized employees. Be sure to join Renewals on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, or Blue Sky so you’ll know when that post is available. For regular connection, subscribe to the Renewals newsletter.
Would you like knowledgeable and empathetic support to prepare for and/or respond to the signals of Legacy Toxicity? Renewals offers coaching clients access to original and ongoing research and experiential insights on contemporary library workplace dysfunction and harm – along with a breadth of tools you can apply to navigate and mitigate the impacts, promote community building, and center well-being. Let’s set up a Connection Call!
