4 Counter-Intuitive Ways To Dealing With A Toxic Workplace

Spread the love

Research shows the workplace is ripe with very harsh realities for the American worker. Recent studies show:

The Gallup Organization tells us that employee engagement continues to sink. Nearly 70% of employees are actively disengaged.
A study by CareerBuilder shows that 58% of managers say they didn’t receive any management training. A leadership crisis indicates we have people in leadership positions, that don’t know how to lead.
A Harvard Business Review survey indicates 58% of people say they trust strangers more than their own boss.
Most alarmingly nearly 1 in 5 workers say they face a hostile or threatening environment at work, a study by Rand Corp., Harvard Medical School and the University of California, Los Angeles revealed.

The advice in dealing with a toxic workplace dominates the Internet, articles, and publications we read. A lot of that advice includes to just quit your job. While I would never advocate for anyone to withstand an abusive, I also recognize that sometimes just quitting isn’t an option.

In some cases people relocate their families, to join what they thought would be a fabulous workplace only to find a toxic and dysfunctional environment. Or it may be that the field of work is specialized and has limited opportunities. Whatever the case, sometimes making the decision to quit is not an easy one.

While contemplating your career options here are 4 counter-intuitive ways of dealing with a toxic workplace:

Pull Together, Not Apart

When things get weird I have a tendency to get into “HDWH” mode -- head down, work harder mode. But that also means at times pushing people away to keep to myself. Trust me, in that mode sometimes things may feel more difficult -- especially when you begin to feel alone.

Find people you can trust, even just one person. Pull together and be a support for one another. There is something empowering about that despite how difficult the work environment. Who knows perhaps over time the one or two of you will become a majority. And the toxic behaviors that were permitted before will dissipate. Hold the hope and pull together, not apart.

Find the Positive

Negativity can breed more negativity. Some toxic workplaces would encourage people to tear each other down, as opposed to building each other up. Outright reject the negativity. Question negative stories and gossip. While you are at it, reject the negative self-talk too.

Instead consciously decide to look for positives. Finish this statement: I like _______________. Where you live? The co-worker that you walk in the office with every morning? The coffee in the break room? Start small if you have to. Then think of a new positive the next day and the day after that.

Learn About Toxic Behaviors

Research the different toxic behaviors not so that you can adopt toxic behaviors, but instead how to deal with it on a healthy level. This seems counter-intuitive particularly with most advice is to quit or get away from it. But we know that sometimes we can’t just get away from it.

Use keywords such as how to deal or work with a particularly toxic situation. If the advice is to quit, move on to the next article. Or tap into your trusted network and find people who may know more about these behaviors than you do. You may be surprised at what you find and tips on how to manage the situation. You can move from feeling helpless to helpful and empowered.

Remember Your Health

So I know I need to look in the mirror on this one too. Those same studies that talk about workplace realities will also tell you that toxic workplaces are known for damaging one’s health too. Bad habits may be prevalent such as stress eating, working harder, and longer hours without exercise.

It's time to address this issue -- Go ahead, plug in the treadmill and see if it still works. Or at least go walk the dog.

As I said earlier by no means am I advocating accepting abusive or unethical behavior in the workplace. You may need to report the behavior to someone who can do something about it. In the end, you may still find for your mental health’s sake that its time to move on to another adventure. But in the meantime, hopefully picking up these tips will help you rise above it so that you’ll be ready to take on the world.

Bio
Latest Posts

Tresha Moreland

Tresha Moreland is a 30-year organizational effectiveness and strategic workforce planning expert. She partners with business leaders to develop workplace strategies that achieve best-in-class results. She has held key organizational leadership roles in multiple industries such as manufacturing, distribution, retail, hospitality, and healthcare. Tresha is the founder and principal consultant of HR C-Suite, LLC (www.hrcsuite.com). HR C-Suite is a results-based HR strategy resource dedicated to connecting HR with business results. She has received a master’s degree in human resource management (MS) and a master’s degree in business administration (MBA). She has also earned a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR), Six Sigma Black Belt Professional (SSBBP) Certification. She is also recognized as a Fellow with the American College Healthcare Executives with a FACHE designation.