Podcast

Episode 96: Decoding and Dealing with Toxic Behaviors

Why do toxic behaviors persist in workplaces despite efforts for a healthier work culture? Find out how to discern healthy behaviors from toxic ones and learn what you can do to cope successfully with toxic relationships and environments.

Anna Eliatamby is a clinical psychologist and workplace well-being expert who has played a pivotal role in developing mental health, responsible leadership and well-being strategies for global organizations, including the UN, International Red Cross and Red Crescent, and PwC. She is the Director of Healthy Leadership CIC, a collective that encourages individuals and organizations to foster decency and make positive changes. Anna is also the author of the Decency Journey Series, a collection of compact and practical pocketbooks designed to help individuals flourish in their careers and workplaces.

If you enjoy the show, please rate it on Spotify or iTunes. Your ratings help more people like you discover the podcast!

Episode Highlights

1:56

Why do people engage in toxic behavior?

5:22

The combination of toxic behavior and positive intent

8:37

Impacts of toxic behavior

11:32

Toxic behaviors can cause inadvertent self-sabotage

13:44

The difference between holding someone accountable and blaming

16:31

The mindset behind toxic behaviors

18:55

Assessing our own toxic tendencies

25:08

Critical skills and expectations for confronting toxic behaviors

29:14

More techniques for coping with toxic behaviors

32:10

The importance of self-care when coping with toxic behavior

33:28

Practical considerations, and pitfalls, for deciding on a coping strategy

38:14

Key ingredient for outgrowing our own toxic attendances

Anna's view on the greatest unmet wellbeing need at work today

"I think the greatest unmet need is that we must address the negative the toxicity at the same time as we're adding to the positive and teaching people about things like compassion, both are necessary."

What “working with humans” means to Anna

“It's a lovely phrase, and I think it is just that to remember that we are human beings, we all are. And that should be the center from which we work. So if we're human we work with compassion, with respect, with decency -- with ourselves and with other people.”

Resources

Follow: Anna on LinkedIn
Visit: Healthy Leadership CIC
Read: the Decency Journey series of books

Michael Glazer is the creator and host of Humans At Work. His purpose in life is to make well-being at work a globally-accepted, basic human right. Learn more about Michael here.