Executive Coach, Lifelong learner, Dad, Bass player, Outdoor Enthusiast, Former Apple Worldwide Director of Finance.
[ROM] Is your environment toxic?
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When you argue with reality, you lose. —Byron Katie Grace told me her workplace is toxic. There seemed to be no respect for her or her time. Over and over again, she had to incorporate last-minute feedback. The night before leaving for an international trip, she was asked to update a document she had circulated for review weeks earlier. Others hadn’t responded for weeks, only providing their feedback at the 11th hour. And this wasn’t the first time this had happened. Every time she pushed to finalize a deliverable for her project, Feedback came in late. She was getting increasingly frustrated, to the point of questioning her longevity in the job. When a recruiter called, Grace took the call and had a preliminary interview. She had enough of the toxic environment, and was ready for a change. As I discussed her work environment with Grace, the quote from Byron Katie came to mind. When you fight reality, you always lose. Grace was fighting the reality of her company. At her company, the norm was to respond at the last minute. Grace was taking it personally and trying to change it, but she was swimming upstream. Her mounting frustration made it feel toxic. A new perspective helped her see that it wasn’t her — it was the culture of the company. It was annoying, but it was something she could plan for. She started setting deadlines a few days before she actually needed something, Meaning late input wouldn’t create a fire drill. The result? What had seemed like a toxic environment became manageable. There are certainly environments that are toxic. A peer recently reported her manager for abusive behavior, and the manager was fired. Those situations happen, and the ending isn’t always as satisfying as it was in this person’s case. But before you label your environment as toxic, try changing your perspective.
You have more power than you know to shift the nature of your job. What can you do to increase your satisfaction and impact this week? To being an empowered employee, |
Rusty Gaillard
Executive Coach, Lifelong learner, Dad, Bass player, Outdoor Enthusiast, Former Apple Worldwide Director of Finance.
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