NEON pathways
If you’re experiencing any of the 7 dark sides of work, it can be harmful to your physical and mental health. You may feel anxious, stressed, dread going to work and even get physically sick.
If work is not a place you enjoy, you have 3 options:
- you can take the high road and try and improve the situation
- you can take the hard road and try and change the situation
- or you can go off road and leave.
My goal is to highlight the different options you have to help you make the best decision for your individual circumstances.
Find out more about each path below.
Taking the High Road
We’ve all heard the saying ‘Be the bigger person’. Taking the High Road means putting your ego aside and trying to change the situation to get the best outcome for everyone.
It’s not easy or a quick fix, but the benefits of improving the situation can mean that you diffuse conflict, improve communication and have a better working environment.
Check out my training programs or subscribe to NEON News for more resources on how you can take the high road. I also recommend Say It Skillfully by Molly Tschang and my Communication tips on YouTube.
Taking the Hard Road
You might start by taking the High Road, and if that doesn’t work, you may need to fight for your right to a safe working environment.
Standing up to the 7 dark sides of work is tough. Sometimes you’re up against a culture of bad behaviour. If you speak up, you highlight that the organisation isn’t meeting its obligations. This might be well received or people may become defensive. Often, people don’t know how to stop it, so they sweep it under the rug in the hope that it will go away, or that they won’t have to deal with it.
The hard road will probably be a lengthy process, and there will be roadblocks along the way. But the opposite may also be true. You may speak up and the person didn’t know what they were doing was impacting you. The behaviour could stop.
If you stand up for yourself others may see your courage and feel confident in standing up for themselves too. It may change the entire culture of your organisation for the better.
Subscribe to NEON News for more resources coming soon on how you can navigate the hard road or access my training programs on how to eliminate the dark sides of work today.
Going Off Road
Being the target or witness of the 7 Dark Sides of Work can be exhausting, demoralising and wipe out your confidence and self worth.
Sometimes not matter what you do, the culture and behaviours may not change, or it’s being going on too long and you can no longer cope.
If this is the case you may need to have an exit strategy to support your mental health and career progression.
If you need to leave a toxic work environment, my Off Road Package will help.
Do you need help now?
If you’re struggling with your mental health and you need help, please know you are not alone. If you need support, please get in touch with someone who can help.
Visit this page for resources and contacts
I also share tips to reduce anxiety, mental health support, videos to give you a laugh and self care activities.
Check out my article on the Great Resignation for a budget template and some potential solutions if you’ve left your job without another one to go to.
The 7 Dark Sides of Work Summit
Do you know how to stop or protect yourself from the dark sides of work? Let’s face it – if we did, we would…
I created the 7 Dark Sides of Work Summit to showcase AMAZING individuals and organisations who are not afraid to shine light on these issues.
They share real stories, real value and real solutions that make REAL change. We lean into the tough stuff – the things that people sweep under the rug in the hope that it goes away. We know that never works…
All interviews are pre-recorded and available to watch now. Register here!