Source: EMS1
Have you ever found yourself yelling at your coworkers because they are taking too long in responding to emails? Or have you given them the silent treatment because their press release drafts did not meet your expectations? Watch out! Those might be signs indicating that you are currently trapped in your own toxic traits.
In the pursuit of personal growth, the often-overlooked endeavor of recognizing and addressing your toxic traits becomes a pivotal aspect of professional development. This article aims to simplify the intricate process into five essential steps, offering a roadmap to not only identify toxic characteristics but also transform them, fostering healthier professional development and fulfillment.
- Self-Reflection: A closer inspection
As a human, we have the tendency to dismiss the discomforting thoughts about ourselves to avoid feeling insecure about our flaws. But having these habits developed overtime could make you unaware of the things that you need to improve, which would eventually hinder you from making any professional progress in your development.
Embarking on a journey of self-discovery through reflection on your behaviors, thoughts, and feelings is a vital step in the beginning of a closer introspection. Considering the impact of your actions on those around you and moments where negativity may have surfaced is an important step that you have to take in this phase. You can also take down notes on the times where you might have acted passive aggressive to your co-workers to help you begin on sincere introspection.
- Seek External Perspectives
It is always easy to justify your negative behaviors in the workplace like lashing out whenever your co-workers make a mistake, but that doesn't make it ok to do so. Oftentimes, we tend to justify those negative behaviors in the name of ‘professionalism’ to dismiss any feedback given by our colleagues.
Consulting with trustworthy coworkers is the quickest and easiest way to get their honest opinions about yourself. People who are familiar with you might offer constructive criticism to help you uncover elements of yourself that you might not be aware of. Especially when they have worked with you for quite some time, they might have a better eye in observing the patterns that you manifested in the workplace. Instead of perceiving them as a personal attack, embracing their feedback could be a leverage for opportunities to grow.
- Educate Yourself about Workplace Toxicity
Making yourselves aware of your toxic traits through self-introspection should also include how you understand the underlying reasons of your actions, both consciously and subconsciously. It is pretty common that they are rooted from your emotional wounds that translate into different types of response. Understanding how it is manifested into different actions can provide you a wider point of view over the situation you are dealing with.
Enlighten yourself on how these traits manifest into negative habits by delving into books and articles that explore topics on toxic traits. This can help facilitate your self-identification journey. You can also learn from others as to how they typically deal with similar situations but with different approaches, which can provide a more concrete and realistic context to implement.
- Practice Mindfulness for Workplace Self-Awareness
Your toxic behaviors often resurface in unprecedented times when you are not really prepared, such as during tight deadlines when you are stressed out. This is the biggest challenge on the road to professional development because you tend to shift your focus onto other things instead of immediately addressing your toxic traits, which could dismiss all the efforts you have put into your professional development journey.
Developing mindfulness to stay present in your daily interactions is key to becoming more self-aware. Applying meditative techniques when you are typing on your keyboard or when you are interacting with people can help you to stay in the moment. This will allow you to recognize your own toxic tendencies as they surface through thoughts before they manifest into words and actions. Engaging in mindfulness exercises is a very useful tool to heighten your self-awareness.
- Be Determined For Continuous Improvement in the Workplace
Oftentimes you might hold on to your idealistic standards to achieve your goals quickly. While it is not bad to have those aspirations in professional growth, it is also important not to become disappointed with yourself when you have not met the timelines that you set for yourself. You must remember that change does not come overnight, there will be setbacks along the way and you need to embrace that as part of your journey.
Transformation takes time. Keep working tirelessly to replace those unhealthy behaviors with better ones persistently with practice, and have compassion for yourself along the way. Do not forget to keep track of moments where you have progressed, appreciate your successes, and learn from setbacks you have experienced. Remember that growth is a never-ending continuous process, and through it, you are slowly learning to better yourself.
Acknowledging and addressing toxic tendencies is a vital step towards personal development for PR consultants. By engaging in self-reflection, accepting external feedback, educating yourself, practicing mindfulness, and committing to continuous development, you can actively promote positive change and lead a more fulfilling professional life.
