Today’s workplace feels more like a minefield rather than one of progress, because we’ve lost the basic tenets of human interaction. It’s time to grow up.
Does your workplace feel like an ecosystem of collaboration, trust, and progress – or is it a battleground of clashing egos and flaring tempers, where a handful of people do the heavy lifting while others coast or claim credit?
If it’s the latter, you’re not alone. The modern workplace is in chaos. And if we don’t acknowledge it, we can’t fix it.
Recognising the reality
Here’s what characterises today’s workplace for too many of in the workforce:
Mis(s )communication – We have more ways to communicate than ever, yet we’re failing spectacularly at it. Emails go unanswered, video calls are pointless and messages are misinterpreted. Instead of clarity, we get confusion, micro-aggression and polite dismissal. Real conversations are dying, and so is productivity.
Organisational silos – Departments don’t talk to each other. Groups operate like secret societies. Individuals hoard information rather than share it. The result? A fragmented workplace where no one sees the full picture, and problems get stuck in an endless loop of ‘not my job’.
Poseurs – Every workplace has them: the ones who show up for the applause but not the work; who say ‘I’ when for ‘we’; who skate by, contributing the bare minimum, yet somehow climbing the ladder. Hard work doesn’t always win in these environments – loud voices and politics do.
Misplaced values – Trust, respect and consideration are now endangered concepts, and basic decency is a luxury. Trust is fragile, respect is conditional. Kindness? That’s for ‘soft’ people, right? Wrong. Workplaces thrive when these values are embedded in culture, not treated as optional extras.
Anger issues – The workforce, as a whole, is burnt out; short-tempered and exhausted, we turn on each other instead of fixing the systems that drive us to the edge. Frustration manifests as arrogance, tantrums and aggressive leadership. It’s workplace Darwinism, and it’s toxic.
Changing the status quo
Nothing changes if nothing changes. If we want better workplaces, we must build them.
- Rebuild trust: Leaders need to lead with integrity, and teams need to operate with transparency. Trust isn’t a given; it’s earned, and building a culture of trust will boost morale – and productivity.
- Recognise core values: Reintroduce respect and consideration as crucial principles; genuine appreciation of a job well done or a simple ‘thank you’ for any small effort has a profound impact.
- Communicate effectively: Be clear and direct; listen to understand, not just to respond. Understand that emails and messages – vital for today’s remote, global workforce – call for more care in delivery than live conversations.
- Encourage collaboration: Share knowledge; cross-pollinate ideas and work together – not in isolation –to effect real progress.
- Call out poseurs: Recognise the real contributors, and challenge cultures where visibility matters more than value.
- Banish burnout – Tackle burnout and its impact at the core; address toxic leadership, and create environments where people feel valued, rather than disposable.
The workforce isn’t broken beyond repair – but it is in desperate need of a reset. Workplaces that function need functional people: less ego, more accountability; less noise, more substance.
Because work should be challenging – but it shouldn’t be war.
Ingrid von Stein is the founder and CEO of Indigo Zebra Communications, leading strategic communications for over two decades. A podcaster and global peace ambassador, she has collaborated with some of the world’s top brands and earned numerous global and local awards for innovation and communications.
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