Organizational Productivity

How to Tell if You Have a Toxic Personality in Your Organization

Don’t ignore the signs; the consequences can be extreme

Are you a manager that has this feeling that something is just slightly off in your workspace? Perhaps you are an employee that finds your self-esteem and productivity dipping in an organization you used to find uplifting and it where was a pleasure to go to work.

Maybe you are a volunteer that just couldn’t pitch in enough at your organization because you used to love the work so much, but now you find yourself unmotivated and dodging opportunities to contribute.

Chances are you have a toxic person in the organization. There is a soul-sucking vampire in your midst that is draining you and your colleagues of energy and is just plain unpleasant to be around.

There are some common characteristics of toxic vampires. Seeing someone with one or two of these characteristics, especially if they don’t exhibit them all the time, could just be a co-worker having a bad day. However, a true toxic person tends to exhibit all or most of these on a consistent basis:

They are just not nice — They may be especially syrupy sweet to select people (particularly the boss) on occasion in an effort to play politics, but generally they aren’t respectfully, courteous or genial to others.

They don’t tell the truth — Facts are fluid and are generated as needed to support their own personal narrative of being a victim.

They always blame others for problems — It is never their fault, and “no one told them” is a frequent mantra.

They are constantly involved in drama — Something is always going on in their lives where they are the victim. And…

They won’t let things go — If they feel they have been slighted in any way, they won’t rest until everyone knows about it.

They have to be right — Every. Single. Time.

They are excellent manipulators — They know just what to say and when to inject a positive comment to get what they want; they excel at organizational politics.

So, what is the best way to deal with a toxic soul sucking vampire if you are unfortunate enough to work around one? Time, distance and shielding — Sorry, I borrowed that one from my haz-mat days of how to deal with nuclear radiation. The principal is largely the same with a toxic person though.

• Time — Don’t let the person take up time in your life. It may be difficult but push them out of your thoughts. They don’t deserve any of your time aside from any mandatory professional association you may have.
• Distance — Use physical distance and emotional distance to create a barrier between you and the person. If you are in a physical office setting or volunteer location, try to keep yourself physically away. If you are in a remote workspace, see if you can do you work at a time when that person isn’t present, or place your remote chat service in “Do not disturb”.
• Shielding — Establish firm boundaries and make sure everyone knows them. When the offending vampire crosses a line, be sure to register the offense in a professional manner through appropriate channels. Gossip isn’t the answer, but a succinct and fact-based accounting of any issues delivered to your supervisor or HR is appropriate.
• Let them do their thing — Much like a nuclear blast or a radiation release, there isn’t much you can do to control the person. Let them erupt. Others may not yet have noticed the signs of a toxic person, but it won’t take long.

As an individual, there is a lot you can do to mitigate the effect of a toxic vampire, however no defense is perfect because the vampire is often tireless as they need constant admiration to fuel their exaggerated sense of importance.

Eventually they tend to wear people down.

So, as a manager, once you have identified a toxic person you have a difficult choice: manage the problem person; or dissect them from your organization.

Even if you have the will and ability to remove them, it won’t be without drama and some degree of downstream fallout. However, if possible, the best solution is always removal of the toxic vampire.

Whatever value they bring to the organization is erased by the toxic impact they have on the others around them. You may be surprised by how dramatically a toxic vampire can reduce a team’s capability and production.

On the surface the signs might be subtle. People may stop speaking up in team meetings for fear of becoming the target of the toxic vampire. People will hole up in their offices (practicing physical distancing) which eliminates chances for synergistic interaction. Or maybe people begin spending more and more work time maneuvering to avoid the vampire, leading to productivity drops.

Specifically, how to go about removal of the vampire is situational to the organization’s guidelines, but some general advice is prudent.

• Do it quickly — Once you have made the decision, don’t wait a few days, or even hours. Pull that plug.
• Do it now — You probably have all the information you need. Do it now before more soul gets sucked out of your organization.
• Be polite but firm — Stick to the facts and details, and don’t get sucked into their drama. The vampire will perform all sorts of emotional gymnastics and feats of manipulation. Ignore all that and stick with details.

It’s never easy to deal with a toxic vampire. Working with them can be extremely challenging and emotionally exhausting. Removing them from your organization can also be extremely challenging and emotionally draining.

You just need to decide how long you want to stay on the vampire roller coaster ride.

If you like this, you might like some of my other writing:

Timothy Key spent over 26 years in the fire service as a firefighter/paramedic and various fire chief management roles. He firmly believes that bad managers destroy more than companies, and good managers create a passion that is contagious. Compassion, grace and gratitude drive the world; or at least they should. Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, and join the mail list.