How to thrive in a toxic org

Question

I am currently in a toxic org. Typical signs including people "kill themselves over work", try to compete on the same projects, product directions keep changing every quarter or so, and managers have little empathy and set unrealistic deadlines, too much thrash, etc. There are some turnovers recently in my org too.

However, there are indeed a lot of benefits of staying in my current company -- tech stack is modern, I got to work on AI/ML, pay and benefits are good, colleagues are indeed very talented, company has a good reputation, etc.

So if I want to keep in the same team in the same company (let's just assume for my situation, switching team isn't viable), any good tips on how I thrive?

In my team, I truly witnessed a 10x engineer (they are L5), and they made massive contributions to the team, including both daily technical discussions and high-quality code. Although somewhat burnt out, they are enjoying themselves in daily work too. I guess I can learn a lot from them.

Moreover, sometimes when some co-worker takes a leave (like parental leave) or leaves the company, I can usually fill the void in projects, etc. And maybe step in management if there is some opening.. (which is my long-term career goal)

But other than those points above, any other tips on how I thrive better? Thanks!

Rahul Pandey · Accepted Answer

Unfortunately, if a workplace is toxic, it usually stays that way. It's rare for one person to leave, or for a management change to fix all the problems. I would not pin your hopes on some simple change allowing you to thrive if the culture is broken across the whole company.

So my advice is to be clear about:

What are you trying to learn?
What is the exit criteria?

You have a great person to learn from in the senior 10x engineer on your team. I'd figure out what exactly they're exceptional at and try to collaborate closely with them.

The exit criteria is important because it helps you establish what you're sticking around for. Your long-term career will suffer if you get burned out. So figure out a promotion, learning, project launch, or management experience that you're looking for, and work methodically toward that.

I also really like Alex's answer here about finding a "Secret Manager": How can I navigate a toxic work culture with a low EQ engineering manager while maintaining my motivation and professional integrity?

How to thrive in a toxic org

Discussion