Escaping a Toxic Work Environment

Before I finally took the plunge to start my literary career, and later my resume writing and career consulting firm, I experienced some levels of a toxic work environment. I worked in telecom, started in video conferencing on the customer service side, then moved over to IT operations. Although it was heavily male-dominated, I loved it. Most were team players, and all management required was that you do your job and go home. And of course, be a team player, provide the best customer service and the usual, reasonable expectations. They cared about your career progression and we had an entire company university with courses and certifications. Need to learn Cisco? Sign up. Need to learn cloud technology or a certification for a pay raise? Sign up. All for free.

One reason for my transfer, other than wanting to gain more behind the scenes experience and higher pay, was due to the customer service department’s stifling rules. This was back when micro managing was on the rise. It was all about the metrics, not the employees. Later, these same rules shifted over to our IT operations. Some employees started whining and our weekly meetings became gripe fests. Later, our department was bought by an audio-conferencing company. The downward spiral continued, resulting in high employee turnover. Nine people quit within two weeks.

Maybe you have experienced this, or a more intense toxic environment. For example, maybe you work for a company that doesn’t embrace change. Other employees with less experience and knowledge than you are being promoted, there’s no team support, management set unrealistic goals to achieve, or you simply feel unappreciated although you go above and beyond.

Now, you could JUST QUIT! But… before you do that…

If you’re feeling stress or discomfort from a toxic work environment, try the following:

➤ Change or build your network with supportive colleagues. Those who are real team players, are honest and you can trust won’t stab you in the back.

➤ Ask to have a one-on-one meeting with your manager to express your concerns. Hopefully, there’s an open-door policy. If you work remotely, ask for a Zoom, Teams or other video meeting. During this time, ask what you can do to help as well.

➤ Stay focused on the most important goals whether operational or for your own professional development. For example, your coworkers are a pain, but a new bonus plan has been implemented and you’re focused on achieving it. Or, your company will pay for you to get your next degree so you need to weigh the pros and cons of working there.

Figure out which one is more important and how to strike a balance. This may result in asking your team for help, or again speaking with your manager.

➤ Don’t take your work home with you. You are only continuing the stress if you do. Let your home be your place of solace and a way to get away from it all.

➤ Avoid office gossip or at least, don’t get caught up in it. Things can really get misconstrued and the next   thing you know, your name is floating around as the culprit. Just politely excuse yourself or casually walk away with a smile.

➤ Seek out career coaching. Not only can coaches help you with a career transition outside of your department or company, but many assist with developing communication skills, which is key for leaders and employees of all levels.

➤Do you have a peer review team? If not, form one. We did this and it really helped to make coworkers more accountable. Not only this, we were able to voice our department concerns tactfully. This was before the department buyout (mentioned above).

➤Ask HR for assistance. One thing I did first, was form a relationship with the HR Manager before I started voicing my concerns. This gave her a chance to get to know me, give her honest opinions and advice on what to do. If it was something she needed to look into herself, she did so while keeping employees anonymous.

These are just a few tips. When all else fails, start planning your exit strategy before things get worse.

Are you or have you ever been in a toxic work environment? What tips worked for you?