10 toxic workplace habits that haunt teams during change
You probably have a few scary stories to tell if you’ve survived big changes at work. Reorgs, system rollouts, “culture transformations.” You name it.
Toxic workplace habits are especially good at haunting teams during change. Let’s take a look at some of the most frightening offenders and talk about how to fix them — with a spooky season twist.
1. The feedback collector (but never connector)
The habit: People ask for input, run “listening sessions” or send surveys, and then disappear into the mist.
Why it’s scary: Collecting feedback and vanishing tells employees their voices don’t matter. Silence breeds cynicism, slows adoption and kills engagement.
How to fix it
Show your receipts. Share what you heard and how you’re acting on it. Whether you show a word cloud, present data or put on a skit, just be clear about what’s changing.
Be transparent about limits. Can’t act on certain feedback? Say why. Honesty beats ghosting any day.
Keep the dialogue alive. Feedback should be ongoing, not a one-time séance. “Let’s circle back” doesn’t cut it.
Scary good tip: Download our Feedback Fix guide to make sure you’re asking the right questions, sorting feedback properly and closing the loop with your team. No more disappearing acts.
2. The change vampire
The habit: Life gets drained right out of people when too many initiatives land at once without context or support.
Why it’s scary: People can handle change, but they can’t handle chaos. Overload turns excitement into burnout — a recipe for a haunted workplace.
How to fix it
Pace your rollouts. Pick priorities, execute them well and then move on. Slow, steady change sticks.
Explain the “why.” Context builds trust and motivates. Teams want to know how change affects them and the bigger picture.
Protect people’s energy. Celebrate small wins, reassure teams and give them a breather. Better yet, explore why people resist change so you can avoid negative feelings from the jump.
3. The disappearing manager
The habit: Managers go radio silent when it matters most, leaving everyone else to do the heavy lifting.
Why it’s scary: Employees want to trust their manager above anyone else. Absence fuels rumors, fear and frustration.
How to fix it
Equip managers first. Give talking points (not robotic scripts), anticipate questions and provide safe spaces to talk.
Check alignment. Managers who aren’t on board will derail adoption. Instead of forcing it on them, use their feedback to fine-tune your direction.
Hold them accountable for communication. If teams are confused or unsupported, there should be a plan for leadership to step up or step out.
4. The vision zombie
The habit: Organizations trot out lofty statements that mean nothing to the people doing the work every day.
Why it’s scary: Empty slogans like “One Team, One Dream” make people roll their eyes and tune out. And yes, the name comes from the fact that they never seem to die.
How to fix it
Translate vision into behavior. Give people a bottom line statement to guide their priorities, like, “If it doesn’t improve the customer experience, it’s not a priority.”
Use real language. Skip the jargon and tell people what matters in a way they’ll understand.
Model your expectations. Say one thing and do another, and you’re headed straight to No Credibility-ville — which is probably haunted, by the way.
Scary good tip: Ask people who don’t work at your organization what they think of your vision statement/slogan. If they don’t get it, employees won’t either.
5. The IM poltergeist
The habit: Cryptic chat messages appear and vanish: “Quick chat?” “We need to talk.”
Why it’s scary: Poor digital communication spreads anxiety faster than a ghostly whisper.
How to fix it
Be clear and specific. Say what you need, why and how urgent it is. And for the love of pumpkin spice, don’t send the lone “Hi.”
Choose the right channel. Not every update belongs in a chat. Some need an email, one-on-one time or something else.
Tag wisely. Every ping interrupts focus. Ask yourself if “@Everyone” is truly necessary.
6. The meeting mummy
The habit: Every issue spawns another meeting, wrapped in layers of invites and identical slides.
Why it’s scary: It signals a lack of trust — and it’s just plain annoying. If people can’t act without everyone in the room, they lose their sense of independence and nothing gets done.
How to fix it
Replace meetings with updates. Not everything needs a calendar invite. If no decisions need to be made and no questions need to be asked, you probably don’t need a meeting.
Set a clear purpose and outcome. Can’t define them? Cancel it.
Audit your rituals. Ask yourself: Does this move us forward or just keep us busy?
7. The praise phantom
The habit: Praise gets overplayed while real rewards stay hidden behind the curtain — a masquerade of appreciation that doesn’t fool anyone for long.
Why it’s scary: True recognition fuels engagement. Without it, people check out and do the bare minimum.
How to fix it
Make praise specific and timely. “You handled that rollout delay with composure” beats “Good job.”
Be real. Are they awesome? If not, don’t say they are. Otherwise the true top performers will turn against you.
Show tangible appreciation. Bonuses, raises or promotions speak louder than words.
Scary good tip: Provide an upfront incentive for those who embrace and facilitate important changes. For example: “If the department hits 100% adoption of the new system by June 15, everyone gets a $500 bonus.”
8. The ghostwriter
The habit: Leaders outsource all communication and don’t know what their people are reading, hearing and seeing.
Why it’s scary: Employees spot the disconnect immediately and know they’re being fed messages their leaders don’t believe in.
How to fix it
Be present behind the scenes. Leaders need to know the plan even if comms drives the strategy and writes the copy.
Coach on authentic voice. They should grasp the message, but still sound like themselves instead of regurgitating a script.
Schedule face time. Some topics need real conversations. Employees connect better when they can hear it directly, ask questions and give feedback.
9. The blame wolf
The habit: When things go downhill, people transform overnight. Finger-pointing replaces ownership, and the hunt for a scapegoat begins.
Why it’s scary: It erodes psychological safety. People stop speaking up or taking initiative, especially before a full moon.
How to fix it
Normalize learning. Treat mistakes as feedback, not failure. Good or bad, there’s always a lesson.
Acknowledge shortcomings. No one expects perfection, but they do expect honesty.
Reward reflection. Saying “Here’s what we can do better next time” brings down defenses and inspires others to do the same.
10. The communication graveyard
The habit: Teams are buried in messages, emails and invites, making it impossible to notice anything important.
Why it’s scary: Critical info gets ignored, employees check out and projects stall. RIP.
How to fix it
Simplify the ecosystem. Use fewer channels, consolidate messages and ask yourself if every update is really necessary.
Set boundaries. Come up with courtesy rules, like: Don’t IM someone unless it’s urgent (or hilarious).
Audit and adapt. Evolve communication as your team grows and changes, otherwise your strategy will die quickly.
Time for a toxic workplace exorcism
Toxic habits rarely come from ill intent. They usually stem from unclear roles, busy schedules or weak communication strategy. But the cost is real: misalignment, slow adoption and culture rot.
The cure is simple:
Clarity in what you say
Consistency in how you show up
Courage to listen, act and adjust
Do this and you can keep the monsters at bay — and maybe even lift the curse from your workplace.
