Numerous recent reports have shone a light on the dangers of a toxic culture in organisations - the recent Gilbert report into Ofsted being a case in point. What all these reports have revealed though is that a toxic culture can impact any workplace.

Members of staff entering a new school for the first time are often more likely to spot signs of toxicity because current staff are either immune to the behaviours and practices on show - or are afraid to speak up because of the consequences they’ll face.

That said, it is possible to change a toxic culture and it doesn’t have to take years. It starts with identifying the signs of toxic culture and then understanding the practical actions required to address the causes.

Firstly, you need to spot the signs of a toxic culture:

1. There’s lots of talk about culture, but never any action

Staff know that things are bad. They feel it every morning when they wake up, during every lesson and every departmental meeting.

All they want is to convert the talk about changing culture into action. But there’s always an excuse. Money, time, knowledge, willingness, the board of governors, the education system and so on. The lived experience of staff is never a priority.

2. There’s no empathy between staff members

Emotional intelligence isn’t a ‘soft’ or ‘nice to have’ skill, it’s a critically important component in building and maintaining relationships between staff members.

When our EQ is high we have the capacity for empathy and trust, and develop the ability to communicate effectively.

When empathy between staff is lacking, then selfishness reigns and the opportunity for toxic culture is enhanced.

3. ‘Brilliant jerks’ aren’t dealt with

You know who I’m talking about? That person - often they’ve been there for years - who has a wealth of knowledge and experience and, when they’re in a good mood, will happily share it with you.

However, they are rarely in a good mood and you find yourselves tip-toeing around them in the hope they don’t bully you. A culture is only ever as good as the behaviour it’s willing to tolerate.

And here are three things you can do to manage the risk of a toxic culture arising, or else to fix the problems you already have:

1. Proactively define your culture

You get the culture you choose to build, yet many schools choose not to be proactive at all. They hire who they believe are the ‘right’ people, talk them through the processes and then magically expect the culture to be vibrant.

Instead, you have to define what you want your culture to be and work towards building a sense of community and belonging between staff - then hold yourselves to that. Taking a day before the school year starts to agree or reiterate the behaviours and ways of working required to do this is never a bad idea.

2. Make relationship building a priority

This is not about making friends, it’s about building respect and understanding personality and communication differences.

Run small (and therefore, safe) group exercises where staff can share a bit about themselves, their work preferences and how they like feedback. Don’t go overboard, just give people the chance to get to know each other and start to trust and understand one another.

3. Have the courage to performance manage or confront

Follow formal processes for poor behaviour or performance to the letter. Document everything and use a witness if required. If the toxic behaviour is being driven by the leader themselves, then seek counsel from those responsible for placing them in that position.

Again, document everything and if you feel your feedback falls on deaf ears, use the next available channel. No one is above the rules and no one should be allowed to undermine the safety of the workplace, regardless of their position.

Culture is the responsibility of every single member of staff and it is incumbent upon everyone to play a positive role in its evolution. All too often people like to sit on the sidelines and watch the culture become toxic, often playing a part themselves.

But by proactively mitigating the risk of toxic culture, staff commit to being part of the solution and addressing the root causes - together - of the problems that they observe.

School leaders who do this will not only create a fantastic place to work, but see an increase in staff engagement and student results, both of which will see the reputation of the school greatly enhanced.

Colin D Ellis is a five-time best-selling author and culture consultant. His latest book Detox Your Culture (Bloomsbury) is out now. Find out what kind of culture you have right now at www.fiveculturesquiz.com