Stuck in a toxic work environment? Here are 5 helpful tips!
Toxic workplaces are a thing of the past. If you feel like you're in a toxic environment, it may be time to start looking for a new opportunity.
Here are 5 tips to help you maximise your career and get out of that toxic work environment:
First, you have to acknowledge that something in the workplace is now no longer working for you.
This will help you recognise your purpose and what or if something in your environment can be fixed. This can start by reaching out to your company's HR branch. However, if your HR branch is one of the issues, you would have to communicate your problem through other means. Make use of anonymous methods, like using surveys or anonymous tips. However, if both HR and management are the source of toxicity, then the best thing to do is to find a company that aligns better with your values and energy.
After going through the 1st step, you might find yourself being unable to find a company that aligns with you. In that case, here are some tips on how to decrease certain toxic situations in the workplace:
1. Your Co-Worker Is Taking Credit For Your Work
You can be reluctant to say if a co-employee is taking credit score in your ideas, however, there are approaches to prevent it from escalating. "The amplification effect,” is a place of business tactic that went viral throughout the Obama era back in 2016. The team-centric technique is based on allied co-employees repeating and crediting you for your key factors or ideas while they are around your superiors. If a colleague attempts to take credit score for your idea or concept, co-employees can reiterate the fact that it was your idea, to begin with.
2. Your Co-Workers constantly gossip about others
There are 2 ways to go about this: Directly talk to the person that is gossiping or distance yourself. If it is dangerous or hurtful to others, then standing up to it is the right path of action. If that is not an option, excuse yourself from communication and refuse to participate.
3. Even the remote workplace can be toxic!
Unknown to most people, toxic behaviour can also occur in remote environments! This can be in the form of burnout, avoiding significant problems, or experiencing terrible communication with your colleagues.
In addition, it's much more difficult for someone to distinguish between work hours and home hours. Many employees tend to get attached to their PC, irrespective of the hour, which can speedily result in burnout.
To save yourself from draining your energy, remember to set clear boundaries, and provide time to have breaks.
Addressing interpersonal troubles is even trickier in remote work situations when you cannot directly meet your co-worker to speak face-to-face. If a co-employee is refusing to work with you, try to send a heartfelt e-mail or message outlining your issue and suggest solutions to overcome the problems. Using bullet points to outline your problems will make them easier to understand. However, in case there's dead silence after 3 attempts, you need to forward the problem to a higher-up and hear out their recommendation.
4. Prioritise yourself in a toxic work environment.
Prioritise what makes you happy. If the tasks you are given are helping you optimise your workload, then what you can do is ask for extra work doing that particular task.
We suggest taking an evaluation test to decide what kind of tasks are the most optimal for you. If you are able to reduce unnecessary tasks or empty meetings with co-employees, your workload may begin to feel a lot lighter. Although you cannot remove a chairman or manager's decision from your workload, you can learn to decrease other kinds of business, along with pointless video conferences. Cutting out the pointless toxic moments in your day will help you to be much more energised and engaged.
However, if these are no longer isolated incidents, but rather a long-term consistent pattern of a toxic work environment, then, once more, it is time to reconsider your career path or look at another company that might be better suited for you. While you're coping with a poisonous place of business, it is crucial to have compassion for yourself.
At the end of the day, you should always remember to empower yourself first and foremost.