7 Signs and tips on how to survive a toxic work environment

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I knew for 6 months I could not stay in my previous job.

I continuously returned home upset, complaining to my friends and family, and feeling unfulfilled after every shift. It didn’t matter how long I worked or where I worked in this company, I wasn’t finding any gratification from my position.

I had been searching for a new job for about 6 months before I could finally quit. I knew I needed the money at the time but my happiness and skills were not being fulfilled at my previous job.

My previous job is the closest I came to a toxic work environment. It probably was considering how unhappy it made me over time. But I’m not alone. Many people suffer from toxic work environments. A few even compiled their stories into a book, Rising Above a Toxic Workplace: Taking Care of Yourself in an Unhealthy Environment (it’s doing great on Amazon and probably makes a bit more money than their toxic work environment did!)

I have been a part of many unfortunate work environments. I wouldn’t say all of them are toxic but many are close to it.

I refuse to name any company that I associated with negatively because someone else might find that same role in that same company very fulfilling for their lifestyle. One job does not fit everyone. My main concern is that you find a fulfilling, happy, and beneficial work environment that allows you to grow in your professional career.

It’s important to know the possible warning signs of a toxic work environment. Knowing these signs and incorporating tips on how to survive toxic work environments is essential to your growth as a young professional.

If you are in a toxic work environment, do not immediately give up on your situation, but know how to deal and learn from that situation until you know you can rectify it. Whether that means moving to another job, transferring branches or departments, or making some changes from your current position, you are able to make necessary changes that will improve your professional career.

Toxic work environment sign #1: Poor communication

Does your boss effectively communicate their expectations to you for your projects? Maybe you’ve given up on asking for help when you only receive eye-rolls in response. Or maybe you haven’t received any feedback on your projects since you started your position.

Poor communication can take many forms in the workplace, but a toxic work environment doesn’t allow communication to breach many or any forms across the company. Good luck hearing back about your forms in a timely manner.

How to survive this toxic work environment: Determine a where and who

Most miscommunication tends to come from one or a few people. Typically, a lack of communication isn’t involving everyone, so determine who is lacking in this area and where they are within the chain of command.

If you need your broken link to do something and be a middle man for a project or report, see if you can go directly to the source or if you need to be updated about a process or system they might be struggling through. Being knowledgeable about a situation can lead to an understanding most of the time. Otherwise, see if you can have a one-on-one meeting to resolve any issues that are arising.

Toxic work environment sign #2: No mentors or guidance

If you’re starting a position for the first time, it can be difficult to see some of the game-changers and influencers in the office. However, if you’ve worked in a position long enough, say about 6 months, and you can’t find a mentor or anyone to gain guidance from, you might have hit a roadblock.

Even as a CEO, everyone needs guidance and someone to learn from in a work environment. If your workplace is uninspired and lacking passion to improve in their position, you might need to find another department.

How to survive this toxic work environment: Find like-minded individuals

Seeing uninspired coworkers is a depleting environmental factor for me. If people around me don’t take pride in the work the accomplish, I can’t see the silver lining of working in that environment.

Finding anyone to encourage me and mentor me in some way does wonders for my accomplishments. If you find yourself in a toxic work environment with a lack of mentors, try to find like-minded people with similar goals for their careers. Encourage and offer help when the other needs it to be successful in their job.

If you need some guidance or tips to survive your current toxic work environment, take a look at some of these stories in Rising Above a Toxic Workplace: Taking Care of Yourself in an Unhealthy Environment.

Toxic work environment sign #3: Lack of goals

Sure completing a new project is fun, but what else do you want to accomplish at work? A company or department with a lack of goals won’t accomplish much other than accomplishing what needs to be done.

Goals are a major factor in your success. Having a lack of goals can leave you feeling unaccomplished and unfulfilled in your career. It’s important to create goals both for your work-life but for your department and company as well.

How to survive this toxic work environment: Set personal goals

Despite not having many company-issued goals, you are still able to create your own. Try setting up a few goals for your department if you are able but at least set measurable goals that you can keep track of throughout your time in your position.

If you need someone to hold you accountable, confide your goals to a like-minded co-worker or mentor and determine if you can meet regularly to discuss your progress.

Related Content: Form habits vs. achieve goals: Focus on both to create a successful lifestyle

Toxic work environment sign #4: Poor work-life balance

Taking work on a deadline-related project is one thing, especially if you do it once in a blue moon, but constantly taking work home and disengaging from your friends and family is a sign of a toxic work environment.

Constantly feeling chained to your desk while you are in the comforts of your own home is a sign of a poor work-life balance. You should have the ability to leave work at work and divide your time from the office from your personal life.

How to survive this toxic work environment: Leave work at work

Sometimes work needs to be taken care of, but it shouldn’t bog you down and cause you to avoid living your life. So whether that means leaving paperwork at the office or disconnecting email accounts from your phone, devise a plan to keep your work separate from your personal life. Determining boundaries is one of the first steps in this process.

If your boss is piling too much work for you to handle, talk to them about your workload. If they aren’t able to hire another person, see if they would be able to delegate a task or two to someone else.

Toxic work environment sign #5: Negative work-related thoughts

Everyone experiences bad days at work. It doesn’t matter how, but they do tend to happen. What I mean by negative thoughts relates to almost or having anxiety or being unmotivated about going into work. These thoughts are or are almost debilitating in your progress to get into work and be a productive member of your company.

Being negative regarding your work and work environment is a nearly constant battle. Returning to a negative thought-related work environment can lead to stress, health, and mental problems in the future.

How to survive this toxic work environment: Create a positive environment

This can be from many things. Both creating an encouraging and positive environment in your workplace and in your routine in getting to work can help. Starting your day with a quick exercise, meditation, and a healthy breakfast help encourage you to start your day on a positive note.

In your work environment, try creating a warm and positive aesthetic in your office space. That can mean a number of things, such as photos of friends or family, inspirational quotes on bright stick notes, or fun, unique knick-knacks to line your desk (many of my coworkers have housed action-figure toys around their space).

Check out these positivity tips to survive your current toxic work environment in Rising Above a Toxic Workplace: Taking Care of Yourself in an Unhealthy Environment. Each will encourage you to make the most of your situation until you are able to move on or correct the situation.

Toxic work environment sign #6: Inconsistency

Are you constantly told of different ways to follow a policy your company has in place? It’s one thing to have a policy change across a company, which is understandable, but when it becomes inconsistent how a supervisor requests a policy to be managed, it can be a liability.

Not only could the policy or procedure be unclear, but inconsistency could also mean allowing favoritism and special treatment towards certain departments or employees. Having unclear procedures or policies can lead to mishandled projects at best and being fired at worst.

How to survive this toxic work environment: Define a clear process of events

If you are dealing with inconsistency in a toxic work environment, it’s essential that you determine how the process should go in the first place. Have it in writing or a reference material so you can point out inconsistencies to supervisors or coworkers if questions arise. Also, make sure this process is clear across departments, in case someone wants special treatment in the future.

If someone starts to ask for special treatment, I would refer to my supervisor about the matter or ask other parties involved in any circumstances that might arise in the situation. Otherwise, stick with the process given to you for your safety and remain a firm stance on providing equal treatment.

Toxic work environment sign #7: Turnover

Turnover is part of running a business. It is bound to happen for a number of reasons. That being said, make note of how long and how often turnover is occurring in your work environment. Also, keep in eye out for any layoffs occurring in your company or industry as well.

Turnover rates are a good indicator of an unfulfilling work environment. I’ve encountered many jobs with high turnover rates for many reasons, but if your workplace is experiencing high turnover rates, one or many of the previous toxic work environment signs might be a factor.

How to survive this toxic work environment: Have an exit strategy

If you notice high turnover rates, you might want to start looking for other employment. Again, turnovers can be caused by many things, but it is important to know the longevity of your possible career with a company if not many others are willing to stick around.

Knowing what you want to accomplish and gain from this work environment is a great starting point. This will allow you to focus on positive aspects of your position rather than focusing on your coworkers’ leaving patterns. It’s also a good strategy when applying for other jobs to focus on learning experiences rather than focusing on negative experiences with another company.

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