How to spot TOXIC traits at the workplace?

In an earlier article, I had mentioned that there is a negative correlation between toxic work culture and productivity. Places with bad working environments have poor productivity. (Link to my earlier article is provided at the end)

I would now like to highlight that there is also a correlation between people who create toxic environments and their incompetence. Unhappy people with many insecurities usually foster a toxic environment to camouflage their incompetence.

10 Traits of a Toxic Person:-

1.????? Negativity: a person with negativity may see the world as cold, cruel, and evil. They may frequently complain, ruin the fun, or dampen people's spirits with defeatist comments and actions.

2.???? Judgmental-ness: a person who is judgmental may judge situations, people, or events without experience. For example, a colleague may tell you that a training seminar will be boring before you even arrive.

3.???? Dishonesty: a person who displays dishonesty may lie or mislead others. The act of lying is a choice but dishonestly is the tendency to lie. Many people use dishonesty as a coping mechanism.

4.???? Rigidness: a person who is rigid may be stubborn, inflexible, or unable to adapt when things don't go as planned. For example, an employee may struggle to adapt when a new boss joins your team and changes the team dynamic.

5.???? Cynicism: a person who displays cynicism may think that interests and goals motivate people to the detriment of others.

6.???? Bossiness: a person who is bossy may take charge of a situation, demand control, or assert dominance over others. For example, a bossy colleague may micromanage your part of a project, despite not holding authority over you. A bossy colleague may also challenge your manager's leadership or undermine them.

7.????? Arrogance: a person who displays arrogance may believe they are more intelligent and more important than others. As such, they may treat others rudely or condescendingly. For example, an arrogant and selfish employee may refuse to listen to anyone else's ideas and are not willing to collaborate.

8.???? Manipulation: involves using tactics to control or influence others to serve one's own interests. Manipulative individuals often employ tactics such as deception, guilt-tripping, gaslighting, or playing mind games. They exploit vulnerabilities and emotions of others to maintain control over them. This toxic trait erodes trust, creates power imbalances, and undermines the autonomy and well-being of other persons in the team.

9.???? Hostility: involves displaying consistent anger, aggression, or resentment towards others. Hostile individuals tend to be easily angered, quick to argue or insult others, and have difficulty managing their emotions. This toxic trait creates a tense and hostile environment that undermines open communication, emotional safety, and overall relationship satisfaction. It can lead to a cycle of conflict, hurtful behaviour, and damaged trust.

10. Aggression: refers to a tendency to use force, intimidation, or hostility to assert dominance or control over others. Aggressive behaviour can manifest physically, verbally, or emotionally. It involves lashing out, threatening, or causing harm to others. Aggression creates fear, harm, and a sense of danger within the workplace. It damages trust, safety, and emotional well-being, making it nearly impossible to foster a healthy and nurturing connection.

How to deal with toxic personality traits at work?

1.??? Understand that it isn't about you

·??????? When someone else's behavior makes you feel insecure or sad, you may feel tempted to blame yourself.?

·??????? Don't. Other people's toxic traits reflect their struggles and insecurities, not you. You can only control your own actions, self-esteem, and?mental fitness.

·??????? Watch out for signs you are ‘JADE’-ing their behavior. When you JADE, you "justify," "argue," defend," or "explain" someone else's behavior to minimize its impact.?

2.??? Try not to react

·??????? If someone treats you poorly, reacting with anger, aggression, or annoyance may worsen the situation. Instead, start by?taking deep breaths, then, leave the situation if possible, and?practice self-care.?

·??????? Depending on the behavior, you can act dull or emotionally unresponsive to make it harder for the person to engage with you.?

3.??? Set boundaries

·???????? Setting boundaries with someone can reduce the impact of their behavior on you. Each boundary should have a consequence.

·???????? For example, "If my colleague makes a passive-aggressive comment about my appearance at work, I will excuse myself and speak with them later."

?4.?? Be honest about how the toxic trait impacts you

·???????? As we mentioned, many people don't realize they have toxic traits. So, telling someone that their actions have hurt your emotional well-being may help them understand they need to change.

·??????? Sometimes, an honest conversation can help someone turn a toxic relationship around.

?5.??? Seek help from others

·??????? Someone's toxic traits can harm the social well-being of your friend group, family unit, or team. Naturally, you may need to seek support from others. This way, you can work together to approach the person about their behavior and develop a better relationship.

·??????? If someone at work is behaving poorly, you may also need to report their toxic behavior to superiors or to HR.

Please read my earlier article ‘Toxic Work Culture’ dated Sep 2022 using the link below:-

https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/toxic-work-culture-husein-sakerwala-cpp-pci-psp-/?trackingId=CMsMRulS1CCy80Rgxc4Btw%3D%3D