Transforming toxic workplace culture can feel overwhelming, especially in healthcare where stress and pressure run high. But meaningful change doesn’t require a complete system overhaul. It starts with leaders who are willing to listen, involve their teams, and take small, consistent steps that build safety, trust, and accountability.
On an episode of the Coffee Break Podcast, I spoke with Priscilla Myers, a transformational healthcare leader and a consultant at the Healthy Workforce Institute. Priscilla shared her experience of stepping into leadership in a highly stressed NICU environment and what it really takes to shift culture from the inside out.
Her story is a powerful reminder that toxic cultures don’t change overnight, but with the right strategies, they can change.
Why Culture Change Feels So Hard
Healthcare teams are under immense pressure. Staffing shortages, long shifts, and constant change create fertile ground for tension, disengagement, and burnout. When leaders step into these environments, they often feel pressure to “fix” things immediately.
But as Priscilla shared, that approach rarely sticks. Leaders who jump straight into solutions often miss the heart of the problem: what’s fueling the toxicity in the first place. Is it:
- Unclear expectations?
- A lack of structure?
- Unaddressed disruptive behavior?
- Communication breakdowns?
Until you know the “why,” you can’t create sustainable solutions.
7 Strategies for Transforming Toxic Workplace Culture
Priscilla’s approach offers a roadmap any leader can follow. Here are strategies you can start applying today:
1. Start with Listening
Before making changes, take time to truly listen. Have one-on-one conversations, even informal five-minute check-ins in the hallway. Ask what’s working, what isn’t, and what’s fueling frustration. You’ll gain insight into where to focus first.
2. Invite the Team into the Process
When her team transitioned from 10-hour to 12-hour shifts, Priscilla didn’t dictate the change – she invited the team to co-create it. They voted on start times and scheduling models. This transparency and inclusion helped build buy-in and accountability.
3. Create Psychological Safety
Shifting culture requires building an environment where people feel safe to speak up. That means setting expectations, being transparent, and encouraging shared accountability, and not just leader-to-staff, but peer-to-peer.
4. Equip People with Tools
Don’t just tell your team to “communicate better.” Give them training and scripts. For example, Priscilla partnered with an organizational consultant to teach her team about communication styles and how to flex them. The result? More effective collaboration not only within the team, but also with physicians, nurses, and families.
5. Model the Behavior You Expect
Culture starts with the leader. If you want respect, show respect. If you want accountability, demonstrate accountability. Consistency is everything. Your team is always watching how you show up.
6. Respond with Vulnerability
Priscilla admits she didn’t have all the answers as a new leader. By being open about what she was learning, she invited her team to grow with her. Vulnerability builds trust, and trust builds culture.
7. Address Issues Quickly
When disruptive behavior surfaces, leaders have 48–72 hours to address it. Any longer, and details get fuzzy, assumptions take over, and resentment festers. Quick, direct conversations show your team that you take culture seriously.
The Ongoing Work of Culture Change
Here’s the hard truth: transforming toxic workplace culture is never “done.” It’s ongoing. Culture shifts require planting seeds every day by acknowledging the small wins, addressing issues head-on, and reminding the team why their work matters.
As Priscilla put it, “You don’t have to change the entire system to be transformational. Start with your team, your unit, your shift. Stand firm in your values, stay grounded in facts, and speak up. The culture won’t change until someone refuses to accept the way it’s always been.”
