The best work environments are places where there is a healthy respect amongst all employees. They might not all love each other, but they know they have to cooperate to accomplish their goals.

There are many behaviors that can effectively destroy a group, according to the consultant who goes by the name Starhawk (a.k.a. Miriam Simos), in her book “The Empowerment Manual.” She wrote that most of these behaviors crop up when employees attempt to avoid dealing directly with conflict or disagreement.

Starhawk lists the five most common behaviors that can destroy your group, and what they entail:

• Talking about people behind their backs: Instead of confronting people directly to give them constructive feedback, complain about them to others.
• Gossip: Bond with one person by ridiculing another. The emergence of online technology has made it easier and faster to spread gossip and with less opportunity for people at a distance to ascertain its validity.
• Scapegoat: Choose one person to bear all the blame for a problem in the group.
• Spread negative rumors: Spread the first rumor you hear without checking its validity first.
• Case-Build: Recruit others to your point of view. Present your case first and get them on your side before they have a chance to be influenced by others. Demand they choose sides.

If these behaviors seem like they are out of high school or middle school, that’s because they are. Make sure you put a stop to any of these types of actions in your organization.

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