Hate Your Job?

We spend the majority of our adult lives at work so it seems only fitting that we find a rewarding job, an appreciative boss, and company at which we're proud to work. Unfortunately, things don't always work out this way.  The question we have to grapple with is, "what is enough to keep us engaged?" and for some that may be out of reach. For example, the boss you got along with so well is replaced by someone you don't. Perhaps you’re a new employee and you quickly realize things aren't what they seemed during your interview.  Or, you may be a tenured employee watching the culture morph, disappointingly, into something estranged from what drew you there to begin with. Whatever the circumstance, if you find yourself feeling unshakably disgruntled you are at risk of becoming a "toxic" employee.  And a toxic employees will have a negative impact on more than just him or herself. 

What the data shows...

A study by leadership development training company, Fierce Inc., revealed that the trump (lower case "t") card of what brings down teams is NEGATIVITY (trust me, the political irony is not lost on me).  Nearly 80% of employees view a negative attitude, the hallmark trait of a toxic employee, as "extremely debilitating" to team morale.

dsfgs@WorkWorries.com conducted a similar study and found that coworkers were a bigger source of stress than bosses.  62% of participants reported that coworkers caused them more stress than bosses.

Chances are that at this moment you know someone who is "toxic."  The cause of their toxicity may differ, but they all share certain behavioral traits by,

• putting forth less effort
• delivering lower quality outcomes
• distracting others with gossip
• actively sharing negative views on just about every topic

The undeniable truth is that toxic employees have stopped caring about the health of their employer.  In a post titled, How to deal with difficult people at work, by Maurice Gilbert, he summarizes a list of things a person can do to support "toxic" co-workers. What I found empowering was his message that finding a solution to this issue was within each of us.

Toxic employees a topic buzzing at conferences

At a conference I attended recently the topic of toxic employees came up and a frequently asked question was, "Why don't toxic employees care about their job?" Certainly a fair question, and the reality is there could be any number of answers, some of which have roots inside and outside of the office.  The question I was more curious about was, "Why do toxic employees stay?"  Toxic employees have a catastrophic impact on the quality of their co-workers lives, not to mention their own.  More importantly, the toxic employee is the only person who can do something to change their situation.

The "I hate my job" Moment

Have you ever found yourself sitting up in bed after your alarm clock (aka mobile phone) goes off, and your first thought is, "I hate my job!" In the last 3 months I've heard this sort of thing from more clients than in the last year.  I suppose that a stronger economy has given employees greater options and more freedom to find another job in 2016 than previous years.  When I hear those painful words, "I hate my..." my advice to clients is that they have 3 options, and a responsibility to choose one quickly, not just for their own well-being, but for the well-being of their family, friends, and co-workers.

Are you "toxic" or do you know someone who is? Here are 3 things you can do.

1. Accept the circumstances at work.

Frankly, this means stop complaining to other people, stop distracting other people, and get on with it.  This is the least likely option to work, even if one is in "survival mode" because the mental and physical resiliency required to handle the continually growing damage that unhappy work environments cause is not sustainable.  However, if a person is working part-time, or works from home I have seen individuals put their head-down, meet expectations, and find other ways to fulfill their goals outside of work. 

2. Change the circumstances at work.

Assuming you are someone who wants to be productive consider taking a more active role; if you don't like your situation, do something about it.  Hoping someone notices how unhappy you are puts you in the position of being a victim which is disempowering and often times translates in a way that invites adversity rather than empathy.  Think about what it is you specifically want to change. When I speak with clients they're knee-jerk reaction is to pass the buck and say, "My boss...." or "My team..." This is absolutely the wrong way to think about the situation because it means the solution is completely out of your hands.  Instead, ask yourself, "If I were to enjoy what I do and be productive at it what would I need to do differently?" 

3. Leave.

At the end of the day if you're not happy, leave.  Staying in a role, at a company, or working for a manager that you don't respects you will make your days feel painfully tedious, demotivating and longer.  Overtime you'll either become progressively more disengaged, or worse, actively disruptive.  Either way, you'll be hurting yourself and your toxicity will make those around you uncomfortable and less productive. 

In closing...

Study after study shows not only a correlation, but a causal relationship between positively engaged employees and positive financial performance.  There is a clear and compelling case for employers to recruit, build, manage, and develop engaged employees.  That said, businesses evolve, acquire other business or are acquired by other businesses, which means that employees must move along with them in order to thrive.  However, it's not the employers' job alone to make employee engagement a priority, the employee needs to have a genuine desire to be there and see their team succeed.

-Brian Zotti, i-CAN Consulting