Don't Let Workplace Sabotage Dim Your Shine: How to Spot It and Stay Motivated

Just as work challenges seem plenty, now there's the added worry of being undermined by colleagues, your boss, or even your own actions. This extra burden of stress can weigh heavily, potentially extinguishing your motivation.

I typically shy away from dwelling on negativity, but when a client highlighted this issue as a significant source of stress, and with my extensive experience in this area, I realized it's still a prevalent issue. It's important to acknowledge potential sabotage attempts and focus on bringing your best self to work. Learning to navigate past these challenges is essential for finding happiness in your job, advancing in your career, and reducing unnecessary stressors so you can stay focused and move forward.

There are five potential saboteurs, any of which could be contributing to your stress. Before pinpointing the primary cause, it's crucial to stay mindful of your work environment and colleagues, as well as your own actions under pressure. By identifying the root causes of your stress, you can regain control and prevent similar situations in the future.

The Saboteurs:

• The gossipers. Is there gossip happening around the office and lunch room? Best to avoid those conversations. But keep an eye on who is starting them or contributing to them. These groups tend to be an energy drain. They focus solely on negativity, spread false news, and take sides. They are unhappy, and sometimes jealous, people that try hard to make themselves feel better. While they may not impact you directly, once sucked in, the negativity spreads.

• Be watchful of lazy co-workers. If you suspect, try to understand their motivation first before making assumptions. Observe what projects they take on, how long they take on them, how well they do, who they report to, and what their skill level is. Chances are, you could be competing for the same promotion or work praise, and they might be seeking help to get them there (without doing the real work). Remember, don’t do someone else’s work and don’t drop everything to assist. I know we want to be nice and be seen as helpful but believe me, we usually get the short end of the stick. You can be kind but be firm on your decision to stick to your schedule (so you’re not falling behind on your own work) while still being friendly to help guide them if they have troubles (without actually doing the work for them).

• Be aware of toxic managers and other workers that zap energy on an hourly basis. These people are usually unhappy at their job, can’t fix their own problems, don’t have the skills to handle the project, abuse the company system, and are sometimes conceited. I know this is negative but it’s what research shows as a red flag for you to watch out for. You have to be very strong around these people as they can be very manipulative. They’ll say what you want to hear and you’ll get no where if you help them. These toxic people are not your friends and only think about themselves. It’s best to speak with your supervisor about this, or have them speak with your boss to see how it fits within your current workload.

  • Side Note: Make sure your boss isn’t weak and agrees to everything coming your way. If so, ask “What other project should I remove, or place lower in priority, if I’m to make room for this?” Make them think about what they just did to stifle their teams progress.

• The devious boss. Watch the actions and conversations you have with your superior. Do they ask for your ideas and only they get to present it to their superiors, with or without your knowledge? Do they always credit it as a “group effort”? Do you see them working hard along side you and your team or do they take frequent breaks and watch YouTube most of the day. Sounds super insulting but it does happen. Managers have to be responsible for the department and ensure an individual’s (or group’s) hard work is acknowledged, even shared with other important faculty members too. It’s not about them. It’s about the team and nurturing their employees to grow, accept more challenges, learn new skills, and motivating them so everyone can move up the ladder. Just be mindful of the boss that takes and takes and never gives back or shares the glory.

Self-Sabotage 🫢

• When no-one, but yourself, is causing stress with your job…then it’s time to look inward. Are you backing away from any challenges at work? Do you isolate yourself to your desk and just do the bare minimum? Do you engage in gossip or toxic behaviours? Do you want to be liked and do everyone’s job? Do you resent showing up to this unfulfilling job even though you have to pay the bills? Are your fears and self-doubts slowing you down? Are you taking care of yourself?

• Stress is a silent killer. Stress affects our health so badly that it can cause fatigue, insomnia, heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, weight fluctuations, bad habits, isolation, negativity, anxiety, and depression…or worse. If any of this is familiar then it’s time for you to talk to someone. Develop that support system and get this off your chest, find ways to improve your lifestyle and change your way of thinking.

Tony Robbins said “if we change how we think we can change how we feel”. Start to see things differently and appreciate them more. Life is about choices and opportunities, so you’re never stuck. So, ask yourself why you let those toxic people in? Why it was important to be liked? Why do you put so much pressure on yourself? Why do knock yourself down with negative thoughts when you needed to persevere? Why are you letting this get to you so much that it’s now hurting you?

Sometimes the job isn’t the right fit. You just exist there, and that may have worked for a bit, but stress and resentment will build up so it’s important to recognize this and start working on yourself. Talk to a life coach or mentor, read books, watch videos, listen to your inner self…whatever the method, try to explore what other possibilities are out there that can make you happy. This job doesn’t have to be forever, it’s simply a stepping stone to your greatness. Just don’t let the everyday stress, from an undesirable job, affect your health or your mood. It’s really not worth it.

Reflection

The people around you, and the people you work closely with, may have more bad days than good. They may never change their attitude or move from their job because they’re complacent. They will always push to be liked and find ways to get out of doing work. This may never change and you might see it elsewhere.

☝️ Remember to recognize the signs, adjust your mindset, and manage your stress so that it doesn’t affect your ability to perform, and exceed, at your job.

Don’t be the victim of sabotage and stress, losing all that momentum at your job. Set your intent for the day and do what you can to motivate yourself and others around you. BE the example, INSPIRE the change, and remember, you’re doing this for your health, your career, your happiness…for YOU!

Be sure to download my Stress Monitor Chart worksheet to track your negative thoughts and reduce stress.

Remember, happiness starts within you.

Jen

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Jennifer Richardson | Certified Life Coach, Stress Management Coach | Rediscover Happiness

By reading my blog, you acknowledge that the coaching information presented here is in no way to be construed or substituted as psychological counselling or any other type of therapy or medical advice. My comments are expressions of opinion only and therefore I cannot make any guarantees.