There are THREE major personalities to try to avoid while at work- but please know, that this advice is in “quotes”-unfortunately, when we are at work we can’t always choose who we are surrounded by… situation dictates that choice. What we can do is choose to respond to toxic co-workers better. It is a two way street, and if we let their toxicity affect us, we are just as guilty in the equation!!! It’s not easy. Take lots of deep breaths 🙂
- The Distractor— There is always someone who manages to forward the silly email, shout out about the picture on Instagram, has a ton of personal drama, etc. Their whole day DOES NOT AND SHOULD not be yours too. Draw a mental line in the sandbox between yourself and the distractor and ONLY cross it when necessary. Engage very little and arm yourself to tune out and delete without being rude. Sometimes Distractors are capable of doing their work well and don’t realize that their ways cause others to fall off their game. In that case, a little speaking up, respectfully, would be great. Also- most managers know exactly who the Distractor is. Don’t be fooled into thinking your boss is clueless. 99% of the time, they are very well aware.
- The Professional Narcissist— He/she has professional problems and NO ONE else does. And worse, no one else has work to do until the PN’s needs are met. Eek. The worst. The best way to handle someone who literally only sees their own phone/inbox/calendar is to manage it up. Sure- is it annoying to have address someone and “babysit” their needs IN ORDER to protect your own, but if it helps you in the long run, it’s worth it. Don’t forget to address a situation. We all get so easily irritated by a professional narcissist that we don’t even try to just say, “Hey, I need a minute.” Sometimes a gentle, I am sorry I am in the middle of something, is all the person needs to be pushed back to reality.
- The Negative Nancy— Sometimes I think the Negative Nancy is the worst culprit of toxicity in the office of all. We need positive energy to stay afloat- and when it’s zapped out, the whole system shuts down. Try not to give into their thinking. Raise your collective voice over the NN. And try to keep collaborative meetings and communication offline. Words can be lightened when they are spoken, but over email Negative Nancy has more power. EVEN THOUGH, you personally would prefer to avoid direct interaction with his/her toxic energy, the short term pain may be better than the long term.
