Toxic employees in the workplace bring negative behaviors that tax your sanity and your health. They lurk or reside near your cubicle as supervisors, direct reports, coworkers, or even a vendor. Unfortunately, you can’t change people. The best chance you have to keep your sanity and preserve your health is to create a strategy to mitigate the misery. There are a few approaches you can leverage to reduce the drama of stressful situations.
Reframe Your Thinking
You can’t change people but you do have the power to change yourself. Avoid dwelling on how the other person or people can change. Ask yourself, “what can I do differently in this situation?”
Patience Is Golden
It takes 14 days to start a habit and just as long to end one. All situations are not resolved quickly. Be patient on getting resolution and understand that problems surface when there may be more to it at the root.
It’s Not Always about You
The problem is not always related to you. Your colleague may have just yelled at you but it could just be an after effect of not getting enough sleep the night before.
Harness Your Communication Skills
If you are in a work situation where toxic behavior is negatively impacting your success, take time to confront the situation in a positive manner. Schedule time to discuss the matter with the individuals in question. Preserve self-esteem throughout the conversation in word and tone. Seek win-win solutions. Make time to share and listen to each other. Try not to place anyone on the defensive by pointing fingers. Use the following formula to share your concern. “When you <action>, it makes me feel <emotion> like <result of the action>.
Coordinate Your Style
Be sensitive to other people’s styles and how they like to work. When you get to understanding their communication style, you can sometimes adjust your approach to get a more productive relationship.
Document Negative Behaviors
Take time to carefully note what happens, when, and how it impacts the work you do. Don’t make it personal.