Toxicity in the Workplace: How to Recognize It Early, and How to Deal With It

In the course of our careers, most of us will encounter adverse working environments and bad behaviors that can make our jobs unnecessarily difficult. All too often, the problems start small, and may not seem worth getting too concerned about. Unfortunately, adverse environments and toxic behaviors often get worse over time, eventually reaching a level of toxicity that makes us feel chronically stressed, causes us to lose focus, and takes any enjoyment out of work. Employees who have to deal with toxicity tend to have lower job satisfaction and lower engagement, and they are much more likely to leave their employers. That's why detecting toxicity early and dealing with it promptly are essential for keeping a workplace safe, attractive, and productive.

In this session, Jim Benson will share tips that will help you recognize workplace toxicity early, before it causes major damage, and offer advice on how to deal with various types of workplace toxicity. You'll come away with practical tools that will help you gain perspective, protect yourself and your career, and perhaps even reduce toxicity in your workplace (or at least recognize when it's time to move on). Jim won't be offering you a bezoar or teaching you magic spells, but with his deep experience in helping people work together more effectively, he's well-equipped to guide you on how to detect workplace poisons and keep them from harming you.