Understanding the ​Workplace Continuum

Your workplace and every other workplace has a specific culture - a feel to it; an impression that it leaves. Your workplace has a certain intangible quality that makes something about it distinct and decidedly different, but difficult to define or describe.
You know whether you like it or not, want to be there or run away quickly. ​​
Workplaces have a continuum that stretches from toxic to magnetic.
It is the middle ground that most of us are familiar with - a tolerable workplace. 
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​Think of your workplace as being at a point along the continuum. How do you experience your workplace?
  • Is your workplace toxic?
  • Is your workplace tolerable?
  • Or is your workplace magnetic?

Understanding where you are and where you want to be is the key to creating your Magnetic Workplace.

The Points on a Workplace Continuum

For many of us, we find there are elements of toxic, tolerable and magnetic experiences in our workplaces all at the same time.
There are more than three points on a continuum. In fact, there are an infinite number of points.
You don't turn from young to middle-age then to old on certain dates, Similarly, there is not a specific, identifiable threshold that moves an organization from toxic to tolerable to magnetic. 

​It’s usually the case that an organization finds itself looking toxic in some respects, tolerable in others and magnetic in some.  If your organization is like most, you hang out most often in the messy middle. 
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TOXIC

A toxic workplace sucks the energy out of its people.
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​A toxic workplace is characterized by:
  • negativity
  • inflexibility
  • distrust
  • lack of empathy
  • high turnover.
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A toxic workplace is unhealthy and destroys individuals and team connections.
In a TOXIC workplace, employees are actively disengaged.

TOLERABLE

A tolerable workplace is not bad enough to leave, not good enough to give it your all.

A tolerable workplace is characterized by:​​
  • compliance
  • tolerance
  • indifference
  • grin and bear it
  • doing just enough to get by
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​In a tolerable workplace, people have simply been tolerating far too much, for far too long
​In a TOLERABLE workplace, employees are not engaged.

MAGNETIC

A Magnetic Workplace draws it's people in; they know they matter and feel cared about.

A magnetic workplace is characterized by:
  • openness
  • growth
  • belonging
  • generativity
  • creativity
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In a magnetic workplace, people contribute to something bigger than themselves.
​In a MAGNETIC workplace, employees are actively engaged.

Magnetic Workplaces draw people to them and fill them with energy!

​When you think of this continuum and your workplace where do you and your people most often show up?
DO THIS:
​To move along the continuum and create your Magnetic Workplace you need lots of curiosity. Click here to learn how to create a culture of curiosity.