There was once a young manager who was excited for a fresh start.  However, Jo – ambitious and hopeful – soon wondered if they’d made a huge mistake.  Instead of a warm welcome, they were greeted with hostility and rejection.  How could they get out of this nightmare?
The Ask
Luckily, their boss had already recognised the team’s dysfunction. When they joined, the team was already halfway through a team coaching programme aimed at improving the team's dynamic and cohesion. 
Jo’s new role was a big step up in responsibility as a manager, and eager to make an impact. Jo was young but brought great expertise and experience. Unfortunately, rather than welcoming new ideas or suggestions, the team resisted any change to their entrenched ways of working. Jo’s arrival stirred the pot, and they didn’t like it! Colleagues acknowledged that Jo's suggestions were good, yet somehow, the ideas were constantly blocked. At first, it was minor objections, but as time went on, excuses grew thin, and some colleagues became outright passive aggressive.
During these sessions, the coach was horrified to see how certain members of the team treated Jo while others watched or turned a blind eye. Jo's contributions were dismissed in the room, to the point that Jo was even excluded from chats during the coffee breaks. The coach began to think of Jo’s mistreatment as emblematic of the team’s culture and recognised that it needed to be addressed directly. 
The shift
​One day, Jo became so overwhelmed that they cracked and broke down emotionally during the session. Calm on the outside, horrified on the inside, the coach watched as not one single person stepped forward in support. Did no one care at all? Jo stepped out again some composure, and the coach held the space in total SILENCE! The coaching challenge is not to rescue, as this tension is where growth can occur. The team needed to feel the discomfort. As hoped, this was the turning point! It forced others to see the impact of the toxic culture being perpetuated, and they were visibly ashamed.
Over the next few sessions, team members became more vocal and visible. This was crucial to breaking the toxic dynamic at play. In turn, Jo’s ideas were now being heard and the team’s attitude shifted towards a more collaborative solutions focused mindset. Jo’s confidence grew, and with it the value of her contributions to the workplace. Colleagues were friendlier. With this shift, the most vocal detractors were losing their influence. Small successes built into larger ones and the team began to embrace some of the much-needed changes.
The Answer
Creating a safe and open environment where each person is respected and given an opportunity to contribute is central to team coaching. However, it can take time to accomplish as calling it out to early can have the opposite effect. The coach introduced practical techniques to help the team express their thoughts with respect and consideration for all the voices in the room.  Techniques such as ‘protected, timed talk’ were used to ensure that each team member, including Jo, had time to speak and be heard without interruptions. It was a step towards creating an inclusive dialogue where everyone’s contributions mattered.
One agenda item introduced was “how do we evaluate new ideas in a respectful, logical way”?  This challenged the team to consider their communication style and how they introduced improvements and voiced objections in a productive, positive way. It also empowered other team members who had previously stayed quiet to speak up without fear of rocking the boat.
Toxic behaviours were brought into the light and addressed. The coach called out passive aggressive actions and words, interrupting the dynamic and highlighting their impact. It emerged that Jo’s exclusion was led by a key group of hostile colleagues while others stood by and did nothing, as so often happens with bullies everywhere. 
Withholding judgement (a very important skill of any good coach), the coach actively listened to the bullies and held them accountable for their words in a respectful, kind manner. This made it harder and harder for the silent majority to pretend that they didn’t see the bad behavior, creating discomfort that the team had to face together.​
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This was really tough for everyone, and the coaching sessions at times, were very intense. 
So What?
While we would like to think we left the bullies behind in the schoolyard, sadly we still find them in offices all around the world. When a toxic culture is ignored, entrenched or reinforced by strong personalities, it can quickly become a nightmare for everyone. These patterns can be nearly impossible to break out of, but with help, they can be transformative. 
Jo’s experience shows how addressing negative behaviours and fostering constructive dialogue can empower individuals across a company to make a difference. Jo's courage to face the issues, and contributions were central to new processes that the team desperately needed. Jo's ability to persevere and step into their personal power created a ripple effect that enabled others to also step forward into their power and have more impact in their career.
That’s what we do!  If you recognise parts of Jo’s story in your own team or organisation, know that change is possible, and you don’t have to tackle it alone.
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 Let’s talk about how we can help.