The Modern Manager

404: How to Spot and Stop Toxic Workplace Culture with Aoife O’Brien

Apr 21, 2026
Guest
Aoife O’Brien
Aoife O’Brien, an organizational psychologist who founded Happier at Work and wrote Thriving Talent, discusses how toxic workplaces form and persist. She describes different toxic types and outlines a framework for building psychologically safe, strength-based cultures. Practical signs to spot and clear actions to foster trust and meet what actually drives people at work are highlighted.
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INSIGHT

Velvet Glove Toxicity Hides Harm

  • The "velvet glove" looks great externally but harms people's wellbeing beneath the surface.
  • Awards and PR can mask practices that quietly erode employees' mental and physical health.
INSIGHT

Silence Normalizes Toxic Behavior

  • Toxic behaviors persist when no one calls them out, so tolerance normalizes incivility like lying, gossip, or rudeness.
  • Silence or inaction converts observers into de facto enablers of harmful norms.
ADVICE

Start Change By Calling Out Problems

  • Start cultural change by calling out issues and building psychological safety so people can speak up without fear.
  • Involve people in diagnosing problems so they buy into solutions and help implement change.
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