Little things can cause more stress than having to be in the same room with a person that either doesn’t like you or that you don’t like. In the workplace, this type of uneasiness can greatly affect a person’s performance as well as his/her over all happiness.
Monday morning is taxing enough without having to worry about whether or not Negative Ned, Chatty Cathy or another difficult co-worker is going to attempt to corner you in the break room or even worse, talk your ear off while you try to meet a deadline.
Toxic Co-Workers at the Office
Toxic people at work are just that: toxic. They contaminate everyone they come in contact with. Whether this individual is a bully, a martyr, a know-it-all, a whiner, a procrastinator, a back-stabber or an unproductive credit-taker, none of these personalities lend to productive work environments.
All though one may try to keep away from such people at work, often, that’s just not possible. So, short of finding new employment or committing a crime, what do you do if your everyday interaction puts you in constant contact with this problematic individual? What if you’re assigned to work on a project with such a person? Or what if you’re part of the same team? What if you have to share cubicle space with a terrible co-worker?
Types of Toxic Co-Worker
First of all, one must take time to understand why these people act this way. Though all toxic types likely suffer from low self-esteem and struggle with their self-worth, there are some differences between the extroverted bully, know-it-all, back-stabber and unproductive credit-taker and the introverted martyr, whiner and procrastinator.
While the extroverted set of toxic people speak loudly and love to hog the spotlight, the introverted set are more interested in dragging people down along with them to wallow in the mire. Both sets have a propensity towards insecurity and tend to project their inner negativity onto anyone who gets close to them.
Dealing with Problematic Co-Workers
Once you realize that you can do nothing to change the way these toxic people behave and act, you can begin to create a more productive work environment for yourself and for your fellow non-toxic co-workers.
Here are some things you can do to defuse awkward or troublesome work situations.
- Always treat everyone with professionalism and respect. Behaving in a mature, adult manner may not turn off the “toxic” switch in the bully or the know-it-all, but it will temper down their reaction to you and hopefully steer them elsewhere.
- Don’t allow yourself to be sucked into the game. When you find yourself partaking (whether willingly or not) of the toxicity of gossip, take measures to ensure that you don’t add any fuel to the fire. If you’re stuck, listen quietly without putting in your two cents. But if at all possible, simply walk away.
- Don’t contribute to the whiner or martyr’s woe-is-me attitude. When they start complaining about anything and everything under the sun, change the subject. If they bring it back to them and their complaints, change it again. It is possible that your whiny co-worker will get the hint and cease his complaining… at least to you.
- Keep your opinions of others to yourself. If you’re in the habit of telling co-workers exactly what you think of the new secretary or the old HR guy, then get your apologies ready. Toxic people tend to have bionic ears and are very quick to spread the news. Be very careful who you say things to and who happens to be around when you say them.
- Toot your own horn. Working with the credit-grabber is a thankless task. So often you do most, if not all of the work and they take all the credit. If this happens repeatedly, simply let it be known that you did what you did. Tell your co-workers what your part was in the project and how it is that you contributed to the finished proposal. If you stay quiet to not step on any toes, guess whose toes ultimately wind up being crushed? Yours.
These are but a few of many professionally suggested remedies to help create a more harmonious work environment. In extreme cases, however, where nothing you do seems to work, changing jobs might be the only way to go. Ensure that you have exhausted all avenues of resolution — including mediation — before embarking on a new career. Always leave leaving as the last resort.
Sources:
- Anderson, Lydia. “Getting Along with Others, Even the Difficult Ones” Business Journal Serving Fresno & the Central San Joaquin Valley; 2/24/2006 Issue 323522, p8-8, 1/2p.
- Chynoweth, Carley. “Toxic People” The Times (United Kingdom); 11/29/2007.
- Wheeler, Marilyn. “Toxic People at Work” Mademoiselle; Nov96, Vol. 102 Issue 11, p164, 2p.
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