3 Steps for Stronger Team Culture: Why Prevention Beats Cleanup

What small business owners need to know.

Conflict at work is inevitable, but too often, HR and leadership only step in once things have already escalated or past the point of no return. According to SHRM’s 2025 Q3 Civility Index, more than half (51%) of U.S. workers who experienced or witnessed incivility in their daily lives said it happened in the workplace. Across the country, employees encounter 70.6 million acts of workplace incivility every single day, each costing an average of 35 minutes of productivity.

Time is money.

As an HR consultant working across industries and teams, I see the same pattern again and again: leaders wait too long. By the time they act, conflict has already taken root, and the fallout hits culture, trust, and retention.

Here’s what I’ve learned: the best HR isn’t reactive, it’s preventive. It’s about spotting issues early, setting expectations clearly, and creating safe spaces before small problems spiral into big ones.

After working with countless businesses, here are the three practices I’ve found to be absolute game-changers:

1. Don’t Ignore Toxic Behavior in Top Performers

High results don’t excuse bad behavior. A “star” employee who undermines teammates can do more damage to culture than a low performer. Ignoring toxic traits—just because someone delivers numbers—signals to the rest of the team that respect and collaboration don’t matter.

Accountability has to apply to everyone.

2. Run at Least One Engagement Survey Annually

Conflict doesn’t start with a formal complaint. It starts quietly, in how people feel day-to-day. An annual engagement survey provides the data to spot red flags early—before frustrations harden into disengagement or turnover.

Make it count: share results transparently, act on feedback, and use the process to recognize employees who strengthen culture.

3. Provide a Neutral HR Resource

Employees need a safe, unbiased place to voice concerns. Without it, issues are either buried or explode later. Whether you use a third-party HR partner or an in-house HR leader, give your team a channel outside their direct manager.

This isn’t just about compliance. It’s about building trust and catching conflict early, before it spreads.

Bottom Line: Conflict at work can’t be eliminated, but constant conflict can. By holding top performers accountable for their behavior, running at least one engagement survey every year, and providing employees with a neutral HR resource, you move from reactive “cleanup” to proactive culture building.

And let’s be real, none of us (maybe except me) started a business because we wanted to deal with personal conflicts or bad behaviors. Most founders and leaders want to focus on building something great, not mediating drama. That’s why it pays to have someone (whether in-house HR or an outside partner) handle the tough stuff you don’t want on your plate.

The payoff: fewer disputes, healthier teams, and way more energy for the work that actually matters.