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Tears in the workplace? No!

Sharing negative feedback? No!

Unique style of work? Definitely no! 

No space and time for life, just work? Yes

This is the story of many toxic work environments. People suffocating but still wanting the security of a monthly salary. People with no clear career vision, from where they are, but too scared to start the job search, too scared to ask for better standards and better treatment. Just stuck in the daily routine of an unbalanced life. Plenty of NOs and very few YESs.

Like most abusive relationships, 

• There is always something  to hold on to in order to validate your stay. It can be the stable salary, the benefits (car, housing, school fees, medical aid, status), which is also never enough compared to the sanity
• There is justification for the toxicity. One may tell themselves that, “It is because I am slow to learn, thus the boss shouts and yells all the time. It is because the job came as a favour therefore, I can’t let my friend down by giving negative feedback”
• This is much better than XYZ Company
• People often lose touch with who they are in the process of proving their worth. Pushing long hours, letting go of hobbies and personal time in order to catch up and prove to be worthy
• There is no transparency and there are no set professional and social boundaries in the workplace. Everyone holds a piece of information that may improve the organisation but would rather not share.. people always operate in the dark
• There is no trust among people, its gossip about everything. Gossip is the main channel of communication

How can you thrive in this environment?

Everyone you approach may have their opinion on what they may be perceiving is the cause of your reaction. In most cases no one really directly points to the reason for the reaction(toxicity) they end at, “There is no perfect workplace”. This is a fact there is no perfect workplace, however as you seek fulfillment in a career, you do not stop wanting to pursue other things in your life, like relationships, professional growth, other financial goals and just having fun rewarding yourself for your work. There is a close to perfect workplace. It’s one:

1. whose goals are clear and an employee knows where they fit
2. which thrives in making an effort to know its employees and how their personal interests, characters and plans fit into its own and actively participate in creating an environment in which the personal goals of its employees stay alive and achievable. Feeding the passion !
3. has intentional human resources management personnel and systems in place to address what may lead the organisation into toxicity
4. consciously considers the other drivers of performance like the family and society instead of completely excluding them. Old school Human Resources management and modern saw people receiving groceries from the employer, inviting family members and community members to workplace social functions/events.
5. It has open channels of communication
6. Is designed to make the whole work experience contribute to noticeable growth of a person professionally and in other areas. Life skills can be acquired from work. Great mentors and teachers can be found in the workplace.

However, if you are already in it, at times you may need to know before jumping out if there are ways to help you cope. 

1. We always start at self-awareness. Engage a Life Coach and find out more on this. Find more about you. Discover how you can take power back
2. Critically analyse the situations that overwhelm you. Is it the work (there core reason for your presence) or its other factors beyond the work
3. How is everyone fairing in this same environment, finding the information and statistics will help you decide on whether to stay or not. You can also try to objectively reach out to former members of the organisation and find out how their experiences were 
4. Go back to the drawing board and look at why you joined the organisation, and how it fits in your life.

The above mentioned and more can help start really beneficial conversations and engagements towards your success. Always remember how you spend your everyday is how you spend your life. Self confidence is always threatened by being part of toxic environments. When everything has been said you hold the power to decide what can work and give you the quality of life you deserve.

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