Culture problems aren’t always easy to spot. There aren’t always big red flags or neon signs pointing at the issues. In fact, some of the most damaging culture issues start quietly with a missed meeting, a vague job description, or an offhand comment that goes unaddressed. But over time, what seem to be small issues can grow into much larger problems.

Why Culture Problems Are Easy to Miss

Culture isn’t a spreadsheet or a project plan, it’s a pattern of behaviour and unwritten ground rules that guide people in an organisation. It can’t always be seen, but it can certainly be felt. That’s why it’s so easy to overlook the warning signs.

Leaders are often the last to know when something is wrong. Why? Because either employees don’t feel safe speaking up, or their feedback has been ignored. In some organisations, there’s a culture of ‘being nice’ or ‘not rocking the boat,’ even when things are clearly off track. We call this false harmony.

Symptoms are brushed off as personality clashes or temporary stress. But without proper attention, those ‘little things’ can fester. That’s why leaders must develop one of the most valuable leadership skills that can be cultivated – picking up cues and acting on employee behaviours, no matter how subtle.

7 Early Warning Signs You Shouldn’t Ignore

Here are seven subtle, but telling, signs that your team or organisation might be heading towards a toxic culture:

1. General Confusion: When employees regularly ask the same questions or seem unclear about expectations, roles, or priorities, it’s not necessarily incompetence, it could be unclear direction from leaders or frequently changing goalposts. A common symptom of this is overworked, frustrated managers who complain that their teams lack accountability. The issue often is not with the people, but with the processes given to them, and the lack of good decision making by leaders.
2. Low Psychological Safety: This is not to be confused with general work stress, pressing deadlines or stretch targets. This is about people hesitating to offer ideas, ask questions, or admit mistakes, they may feel it’s unsafe to speak up. If this is a constant across the organisation, leaders must get to the bottom of it. Often visible through false harmony at meetings, reluctance to take ownership or marked by awkward silence.
3. Passive-Aggressive Communication: Eye rolls and sarcastic comments instead of direct and positive feedback indicate unresolved tension and a lack of trust.
4. Inconsistent Accountability: If some people are held to different standards than others, resentment builds quickly. Fairness, equity and follow-through are replaced with favouritism, workplace politics and frustrations.
5. High Turnover (or Silent Quitting): When people leave abruptly, disengage or tell other employees they are actively looking for a ‘new position,’ it’s a sign that something in the organisation needs to be addressed. Worse than that, is silent quitting – when employees turn up to work but do the bare minimum.
6. ‘Us vs. Them’ Thinking: Whether it’s departments, management levels, or remote vs. in-office, any kind of division points to deeper issues with communication and cohesion. A common telltale sign is when your customers hear excuses about missed deliverables while teams play the blame game internally.
7. No Time for Reflection: If the team is always in reactive mode, constantly ‘putting out fires’ without pausing to debrief or improve processes, it’s likely there are cultural issues or process inefficiencies at play.

How to Intervene Before It’s Too Late

The good news? Putting in place effective boundaries and good HR practices can help. You don’t have to wait for a crisis to start repairing culture. Here’s how to intervene early and effectively:

• Ask, Don’t Assume: Use anonymous surveys, one-on-ones, or informal check-ins to learn how people actually feel. Don’t rely solely on what’s said in public meetings.
• Acknowledge What’s Not Working: Ignoring issues doesn’t make them disappear. Addressing issues openly and without blame, models accountability.
• Clarify Roles and Expectations: Much of what’s labelled as ‘toxic’ stems from simple miscommunication and lack of trust. Clearer roles, processes, and goals among other initiatives, go a long way to establishing open communication.
• Invest in Leadership Development: Many cultural issues trace back to untrained or overwhelmed managers. Equip them with the tools they need to lead well. Train your leaders in how to lead and manage people, rather than rely on ‘trial by error’ leadership.
• Reinforce Core Values Through Behaviour: Culture isn’t what you say on your website, it’s what is practised every day in the workplace. Make sure your values show up in decisions and with employees.

Culture isn’t built in a day, and it doesn’t fall apart overnight either. The early signs of trouble are often subtle, but they matter. Whether your workplace is toxic or just mismanaged, the cost of inaction is high; low levels of trust, decreased performance and a revolving door of lost talent.

Leaders who tune in early, ask the right questions, respond with clarity and care about the culture in their organisation, can stop small cracks from becoming deep divides. Remember: it’s not about being perfect, it’s about being proactive.

Spot the signs. Start the conversation. And choose to get HR help if you need it.