{"id":11012,"date":"2023-08-25T03:15:55","date_gmt":"2023-08-25T03:15:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/leadership\/how-to-deal-with-toxic-people-in-professional-settings\/"},"modified":"2023-08-25T03:15:57","modified_gmt":"2023-08-25T03:15:57","slug":"how-to-deal-with-toxic-people-in-professional-settings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/?p=11012","title":{"rendered":"How To Deal With Toxic People In Professional Settings"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Being in a toxic professional environment can be tough. Maybe it\u2019s the managing director whose employees secretly dislike them. It could be a coworker who makes disparaging comments. Or it might be someone in a networking group or Slack. Sometimes dealing with a toxic professional setting means taking the initiative to leave.<\/p>\n

In December 2022, I left a fellowship at an environmental non-profit based out of New York. After providing my address to receive a work computer, my manager looked up my address and admitted to doing so when I asked if they did. They ran two employees out of the organization in less than a year.<\/p>\n

After I quit, I went to human resources and reported them. I feared for the future of my career for a very long time. But after an investigation, it turns out I was not the only former employee who felt they were toxic.<\/p>\n

The organization has a reputation for being a toxic workplace, so much so that it\u2019s been written about in The New York Times, POLITICO, and E & E News.<\/p>\n

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According to medical professionals, staying in a toxic work environment can have long-term impacts on someone\u2019s mental health.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you feel like your livelihood is threatened you will develop PTSD symptoms. I am a strong believer in workplace trauma,\u201d says Dr. Judith Joseph, a board certified psychiatrist and Chairwoman of the Women in Medicine Board at Columbia University.<\/p>\n

\u201cWorking with an individual who emotionally breaks you down, who makes you feel as if you\u2019re not doing a good job, who controls you and treats you like an object, having someone like that in your presence on a constant or continuous basis affects you,\u201d Dr. Joseph says.<\/p>\n

Although it can be tricky to navigate, there are ways to make toxic work situations better. Here are a few ways to handle being in a toxic professional setting.<\/p>\n

Document Everything<\/h2>\n

This is one of the most important parts of dealing with a toxic work environment. All of your negative experiences should be documented, especially when it comes to racism and other forms of prejudice. Email is a great way to maintain a paper trail.<\/p>\n

\u201cHave a paper trail, you will need it,\u201d says Khadyajah Jenkins, a former talent scout at Adobe. \u201cUnderstand the employee handbook. You should know your rights. A lot of the time our rights are being violated and we don\u2019t know. Understand the policies and procedures that are in place for your work environment.\u201d<\/p>\n

Look through the employee handbook to see if any of the rules were broken by your toxic colleague. If they were, report it to human resources. If you think a report will work against you, it may be time to consider leaving altogether.<\/p>\n

Set Boundaries<\/h2>\n

Setting boundaries can be done in many ways. Try to limit interactions with the person affecting you. If the toxic person you\u2019re dealing with is in management, try to get out of doing meetings with them regularly if you can. If they are having a serious impact on your mental health, you may want to consider seeing a therapist or attending a support group.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen someone has the power to determine your livelihood it\u2019s a power dynamic. The person knows they have something over you and may abuse that power. Trauma reactions may be depression, overeating, or self-medicating with alcohol,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Do your best to avoid lashing out at the toxic person in your workplace because that could hurt you down the line. Take time off for your mental health if needed.<\/p>\n

Create An Exit Plan<\/h2>\n

It\u2019s important to keep in mind that leaving may be your best option. However, you shouldn\u2019t leave your job unless it\u2019s absolutely necessary. You don\u2019t want to come off as someone who frequently leaves jobs. Your best bet is to find another job, give two weeks notice, and exit gracefully.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t create safety in a place that is toxic or harmful to you. You can have as many boundaries and meditative practices but if it\u2019s not a safe space, it\u2019s simply not a safe space,\u201d says Jenkins.<\/p>\n

Dr. Joseph expressed similar sentiments. \u201cThink about things that matter in life. Is the job really worth it? Workplace mental health is life or death,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s a public health crisis. We need to make sure our team members are happy, content, and safe in workplaces.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Read the full article here<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Being in a toxic professional environment can be tough. Maybe it\u2019s the managing director whose employees secretly dislike them. It could be a coworker who makes disparaging comments. Or it might be someone in a networking group or Slack. Sometimes dealing with a toxic professional setting means taking the initiative to leave. In December 2022, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11013,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[76],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-11012","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-leadership"},"yoast_head":"\nHow To Deal With Toxic People In Professional Settings | Brandiary<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Being in a toxic professional environment can be tough. Maybe it\u2019s the managing director whose employees secretly dislike them. 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