Recently, a close friend had an experience dealing with ongoing toxic behaviour. Unfortunately, the initial impact was insignificant, as the individual was allowed to shame my friend, a junior team member, and copy several senior people across it.
Yet, the next time she did this, her behaviour escalated again without consequences, and the impact was significant.
She has now established a pattern of behaviour which has increased. Fortunately, my friend is no longer the recipient of her vile behaviour. Yet, I often wonder how this can be allowed in 2023.
Numerous accounts of Toxic Behaviour, Narcissists and Sociopaths working within organisations exist. Why is it tolerated? More importantly, what are the long-term effects?
This individual's behaviour has given her a benchmark of how far she can push. Her narcissistic rage and belittling of others without any repercussions will have an impact in the longer term. Whether that is high turnover within the workplace, attracting talent with the same behavioural traits or declining productivity.
I am curious why it is still allowed to happen, particularly after the #metoo and #blacklivesmatter movements. So, how do we deal with this and protect ourselves from toxic behaviour?
Many articles suggest resigning and walking away. However, we should teach schoolchildren strategies to deal with this and say, "No, this is not okay".
I read an interesting article from @JonathanAlpert where he provides tips on maintaining perspective when you are feeling defeated. Some of these included:
Give yourself a break.
Step back and gain some perspective.
Don't personalise it.
Don't define yourself by it.
Be a problem solver.
Think about your strengths.
Surround yourself with positive people.
These are some great strategies. However, ultimately they will not necessarily resolve this situation. I would love to hear your thoughts and experiences.
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