3 Ways to Help Deal With Toxic Coworkers
“Much like a dysfunctional family, the workplace can also be a breeding ground for chaos,” Lisa Evans expertly states in her article “How to Deal With Toxic Coworkers – and Keep Your Sanity in Check”. We all know what having frustrating coworkers can be like: they drain your energy, lower the morale of the office, and can even annoy you to the point of showing that frustration. As a prosperous leader, it’s your job to contain each of these situations and provide relief to suffering employees.
Evans suggests you follow these three strategies if you find your employees find themselves with an off kilter coworker:
Focus on Yourself. It’s easy to get distracted by what other people are doing, so instead spend your time and energy doing your job as well as you can.
Don’t take their behavior personally. Most people with toxic work habits rarely take responsibility for their actions and instead blame others or circumstances. Chapter 3 of The Prosperous Leader has a list that may be helpful in this situation: A Guide to Things Passive Aggressive People Say (p. 26).
Set Boundaries. “Define what is acceptable behavior and what isn’t--then communicate with appropriate boundaries,” Evans suggests.
