{"id":47600,"date":"2019-10-17T18:28:44","date_gmt":"2019-10-17T15:28:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lifeadvancer.com\/?p=47600"},"modified":"2019-10-17T18:28:44","modified_gmt":"2019-10-17T15:28:44","slug":"toxic-work-environment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lifeadvancer.com\/toxic-work-environment\/","title":{"rendered":"9 Signs of a Toxic Work Environment and How to Handle It"},"content":{"rendered":"
Dragging your feet to work every day is stressful enough without competitive or gossipy colleagues to torment you. But you’ll never know when you’ll come across them, so you must be able to read the signs of a toxic work environment.<\/p>\n
Everyone knows the boss<\/a> or colleague from hell. These people take enjoyment out of work and knock the passion out of you. There are other signs that your work environment may be toxic<\/em>, and we introduce you to them in this article.<\/p>\n You may feel that your workplace is toxic, but are afraid of being too sensitive. Here’s how you would know that it is.<\/p>\n You’re probably familiar with this scenario. A new colleague puts in extra hours at work and exceeds performance expectations. Jealous colleagues<\/a> tell him not to work too hard, or they’ll seem to be slacking.<\/p>\n The use of peer pressure indicates that the work environment of this organization is competitive to the point of being hostile<\/strong>. Employees shouldn’t feel the need to compare themselves with each other, as each of them should be able to make unique contributions to the company.<\/p>\n You raise concerns during meetings, and seemingly, everyone makes decisions together. And then, a select group of colleagues hold a meeting after that and conveniently forget to include you. The managers of other teams tell their subordinates that the ideas discussed during the previous meeting were terrible.<\/p>\n The next day, you find the decisions everyone made together refuted. In short, there is no synergy between the teams.<\/p>\n Perhaps a manager mistreats their subordinate, or a coworker says things that they shouldn\u2019t during meetings. While professional organizations address these behaviors, toxic ones will not. To avoid confrontation<\/a>, they will just let the bad behavior be, hence sending the signal that they condone it.<\/p>\n An employee puts in 16-hour days at the company. She files and takes care of the odds and ends that need attention. No one can complete his or her tasks without her help. Everyone is grateful to her. But not enough to acknowledge her at office meetings; her tasks are just too menial.<\/p>\n Companies that don\u2019t acknowledge contributions, no matter how small, will have employees that don\u2019t perform their responsibilities with passion.<\/p>\n If a company’s culture<\/a> is supportive, people will usually be motivated to perform any task, no matter how small. A manager is willing to load the equipment if the machinist is absent. They do menial tasks without being asked. No one in a supportive workplace says, \u201cIt’s not my job<\/em>.\u201d Of course, work productivity<\/a> increases.<\/p>\n Experience is valuable, but only if it means a better skillset and job performance<\/a>. It\u2019s meaningless otherwise.<\/p>\n For example, a team leader tells his subordinates that he is supposed to be a resource. However, he does nothing but sits in his office, waiting for someone to come by so that he can offer words of wisdom. A toxic work environment is full of people who don\u2019t better it with their experience.<\/p>\n A supportive workplace has a boss who says, \u201cFrom now, I don\u2019t want to hear another negative word about other co-workers.<\/em>\u201c Toxic workplaces, on the other hand, embrace gossip as part of their culture. Colleagues spend more time<\/a> talking about how inefficient a coworker is than putting effort into work themselves. Undiginied words are intolerable at work.<\/p>\n A coworker wins the \u201cEmployee of the Month<\/em>\u201d award. Perhaps he fully deserves it, because he did contribute much during the month.<\/p>\n The reality is that a person seldom achieves an award on his effort alone – he would have had the support of others. Good employees are willing to give credit to those who support them. They understand the value of shared success.<\/p>\n A toxic work environment has many Fall Guys. People make others take responsibility for their errors for the fear of being reprimanded or even terminated.<\/p>\n Conversely, a non-toxic workplace would have teams of people ready to assume responsibility for shortfalls. They know that their superiors would give them the encouragement they need to move forward.<\/p>\n You may have found out that the atmosphere at work is negative, but can\u2019t leave your job<\/a> for financial or other reasons. Stressful as it is, It doesn\u2019t have to make you miserable. Here\u2019s how you can fix the toxic situation at work, at least for yourself.<\/p>\n First, work-related tasks are bound to compound the stress that you feel. When possible, avoid checking emails outside work. You are needlessly spending time on negativity.<\/p>\nHow to Spot A Toxic Work Environment<\/h2>\n
1. Peer pressure<\/h4>\n
2. There is a meeting after the meeting<\/h4>\n
3. People let unprofessional behaviors be<\/h4>\n
4. People are dispassionate<\/h4>\n
5. Employees shirk responsibility<\/h4>\n
6. People only value experience<\/h4>\n
7. Idle or toxic gossip abounds<\/h4>\n
8. People claim credit where it isn\u2019t due<\/h4>\n
9. Employees let others take the blame for their mistakes<\/h4>\n
How to Deal with It<\/h3>\n
1. Avoid checking your mail before work<\/h4>\n
2. Start the day positively<\/h4>\n