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Toxic Workplaces, Engagement & EQ [3]


Affected employees have diverse types of coping mechanisms but broadly, it bothers around behaviors like, cutting down on work commitments, concentrating on particular work scope, limiting deliverable to items listed in their Job description, engaging passive aggressive behavior. The list is endless. While these stances may seem justifiable the question is how effective are they in the long term vis-à-vis achieving your goal of succeeding at work and in your career?

Emotional Intelligence is what compels one to ask questions; to second guess one’s default reactions to adverse events and to seek realistic solutions and outcomes.

So for instance, how viable are the above mentioned defensive mechanisms in projecting an employee’s strengths as a top talent and one who is performance driven? In the process of retaliating to the system would an employee be shooting himself in the leg; hurting himself as opposed to really doing damage to the organization?

An EQ model of Emotional Intelligence presents a framework with three core pursuits which are very helpful in charting a path to greater motivation levels regardless of our current work environment.

At the risk of undermining the various ‘defense mechanisms’ of employees, I believe it would be beneficial to consider other viable options to explore other than those which we’re accustomed to.

An EQ Model of ‘Choose Yourself’ presents the competencies that helps us learn to generate options as well as a competency known as ‘Consequential thinking’. Simply put, it is the skill to managing your impulses and acting intentionally [rather than reacting]. It is the process of reflecting to identify a response that is optimal for yourself and others.

So for instance you could ask yourself, what other behavioral options and/or disposition could you adopt under the present circumstance that would yield a high dividend yet have the least cost implication? How can you navigate a toxic work environment, do good work and remain true to your authentic self? This kind of evaluation helps you make choices and adopt behaviors that will ultimately help drive your life in the direction that you want – not one in which a perceived bad system would help chart for you.





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