How To Deal With Workplace Toxicity.
A toxic workplace psychologically can cause depression, anxiety, resentment and stress. Let us first acknowledge that we could perform no work without effective coordination of the mind and body. I have heard from many people who complained about just enough workloads their bosses made them do or how they feel their opinions don’t matter in their various workplaces. A workplace that affects your mental health negatively doesn’t need you to think twice before taking action. A toxic workplace can affect your Mental Health. It will not just affect your Mental Health negatively; it can also affect your aim of achieving significant results at work.
It’s funny how people pay more attention to their physical health wellness and turn a blind eye to their mental health wellness, simply because (especially in this part of the continent Africa) you can’t be diagnosed for mental illness without being seen or perceived as someone who is insane or mentally deranged. Studies have shown that a mental health illness that is not taken care of can cause physical illness.
Have you ever felt that you are working your ass off but wondering if any of this shit really matters? Especially you working a job that pays poverty wages, doesn’t provide health insurance, is gruelling, thankless and knowing in the grand scheme of things that you are just a tiny clog in the capitalist machine that doesn’t matter. Do you ever feel that at the moment why you are here and if anything you do currently, do really move forward with you? Well, we need a better working relationship because most working relationships are toxic AF! Some of you reading this right now will say ‘we need better pay to build that relationship.’
Toxic relationships can be hard to define because toxicity can be in the beholder's eye. It is unnecessary to be on the checklist but psychologists like Dr Sherrie Bourg Carter, an author and blogger at Psychologytoday.com, acknowledge common traits and behaviours: abuse of power and control, demandingness, self-centeredness, negativity, criticism, dishonesty, demeaning comments and attitudes, and jealousy. Arguably, the most devastating thing about toxic relationships is that they trap victim and perpetrator (and most times, the people involved play both roles at various times) in a cycle of stress and negativity that feels impossible to escape and overtime conditions the players to accept the situation and not even try to get out. Toxic relationships cause feelings of low self-worth, helplessness, fear, anxiety, depression, insecurity, paranoia and narcissism.
Now, what is a toxic workplace? We can define a toxic workplace as any job where the work, the atmosphere, the people, or any combination of those things cause serious disruptions in the rest of your life. (According to google) A toxic workplace breeds unrest, competition, constant stressors, sickness, high turnover and even bullying. Do you know toxic workplaces rarely stay at work? They typically follow you home, they take over your conversations with loved ones, steal away your much-needed sleep and cause worry and stress.
In this article, I will dive into signs of toxicity in a workplace and tell you about how you and I can get away from a toxic workplace.
Signs of Toxicity in a Workplace.
- Bad bosses can create toxicity
Hey, if you are a Boss reading this, ask yourself, “am I creating or contributing to the toxicity in my workplace?.” Like a Boss or Manager, you need to be self-aware to avoid contributing to a toxic work environment. As the saying goes, outstanding employees leave terrible managers, so if the following mistakes sound familiar, it’s time to step in.
2. You provide irregular feedbacks
How often do your employees deliver and ask for feedbacks? Your weekly or monthly meetings are an excellent opportunity to communicate what’s been going on and what needs improvement. Are you afraid to voice out your opinions to your boss? If your workplace has this working culture where you can’t voice out your opinion, then that place is toxic. At least, every human should air their opinion without fear. (constructive ones)
3. You can’t go to HR to report issues
You can't go to HR to report issues because you are afraid or concerned that they will retaliate. Hm! Japa Japa. I mean HR creates and sustains a good working culture, so a workplace where an HR cannot create or make sure that the working culture is toxic-free, that’s the first sign telling you that, this place screams TOXIC, TOXIC, TOXIC. People get promoted because they are related to or friends with leadership or C-suite executives. Do you find yourself in the same position for a long time? I mean, does that align with your goals? Is that where you want to be? If your workplace doesn’t seem to offer any mobility, learning opportunities, or mentorship, they are likely not invested in your growth. Once you’ve recognised that you have nowhere to grow, it might be time to change the soil.
4. Your workplace leaves you Burnout
World Health Organization recognizes workplace burnout as a legitimate medical diagnosis. Do you put a ton of energy into your work, hoping the output will reward you? Do you feel unchallenged and bored at work? If you are suffering from any of these types of burnouts, seriously consider fleeing your toxic workplace.
5. Your Boss or colleagues throw temper
Do your boss throws tantrums, verbal or physical aggressiveness, and are all excused and accepted by leadership? HELL NO!! Leadership shouldn't encourage or tolerate offensive statements directed by employers to employees. Your Team Head blames her team members when things go wrong, insistent that failures are someone else’s fault. Omo, those people don’t want you to shine. They take recognition of your efforts and let you take the fall for their mistakes. That’s not a healthy place to stay.
Now, How do you deal with a toxic workplace?
Imagine you eat something that causes you a mild case of food poisoning. You may have to stay home from work for a day, while your body attempts to fight to overcome the negative effects of the toxin and flush the toxin out of your body. Once your body fights off the poison, you will probably be okay and ready to go again within a short time. Workplaces are like that too.
- Avoid cliques and avoid gossip. It has no place to work. If you recognised that clique-ish behaviour includes management and executive-level employees, then you may very well have an organisational mean problem-and that’s about as toxic as it gets.
- Another good way to avoid a toxic workplace is to set boundaries: if your boundaries can’t be met, or at least compromised. It’s probably not for you because you deserve to have a full life outside of work.
- Rapid turnover is an enormous sign that things are bad- or about to get worse. If you can, try speaking with some employees who either left, were fired, or were laid off.
- If your company has bad communication methods, hold on tight. You are likely in a toxic environment that is going to get worse with time.
Wrap Up
I know we all have bad Mondays, challenging weeks and even disappointing months. That’s the cynical nature of a career. However, you can typically make it through a bad Monday, survive a challenging week, and learn valuable lessons from a disappointing quarter.
Remember, a toxic work environment is more than just a job you ‘hate’. Trust your gut. If you need to get a second opinion from a friend or loved one, do so. But your gut is a pro. Listen to it. Japa Japa, I come in peace.
Let’s discuss other ways to know and deal with toxicity in a workplace in the comment section.
Remy