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With the headline-grabbing reality of toxic behaviors in the office, far too many people face intimidation, disruptive behavior and bullying every day at work. When a boss or a co-worker make your work life more difficult by becoming a part of the problem, it hurts your ability and desire to perform.
Many people I meet with try to talk with the teammate in question, make complaints to human resources and follow protocol when intimidating or negative behavior occurs. That’s healthy.
But what about when the quieter issues occur — the ones that may not seem to rise to the level of workplace “violence” per se? What about those times when your boss has a chance to stand up for you and protect you from seemingly innocent yet inappropriate behavior, but you’re not quite part of the “cool” crowd to them?
When poor behavior by co-workers and bosses is accepted and allowed to flourish, it can take a toll on an organization. According to a study published in Harvard Business Review, employees claim these toxic incidents lead to:
• Decreased work effort
• Decreased time at work
• Decreased work quality
• Lost time worrying about the incident
[“source=forbes]
