Negativity in the work place.

[EnduranceNinja]

I work at a place with constant complainers and all a round negative people. It is within a department at my job so it is not the whole company. I have tried three times to get out of my department but all have failed. So that opinion is not aviable right now. It is so gloomy most times that it is hard not to join my co-workers and complain too. I have been trying to be more positive and even made the comment that being a complainer all the time could take years from your life. Just hoping to start something positive. My co-workers bring me down and make me angery. And since it is so negative there the workers are also back stabbing to one another at times. When I first joined this department I wanted to make a good impression and worked hard. Soon I found the other co-workers just used this to make me do the jobs they don't want to do. And at times I am like that too doing this to our new hires. I am keeping my eyes for new openings for different departments. Another thing my boss just pretends not to see whats happening and at times feeds into the trouble. I am not saying I am a victim here because I am now at the point where I am just like them. I just want to start change at my work place if it is possible.

Thanks for your time.

[Kingston]

Don't try to change that workplace. If you were strong enough for that, you would not be posting about it. It is not energy efficient to row against the stream . Economy of action is essential in strategy, as any ninja knows .

Get a different job first and then quit. Read the career writings Steve has done recently. If you live in a village and that is the only company there, move to the city. Plenty jobs there.

No negative environment is sustainable.

Quitting is one of the finer pleasures in life!

[cdn2wheeler]

Originally Posted by Kingston

Don't try to change that workplace. If you were strong enough for that, you would not be posting about it. It is not energy efficient to row against the stream . Economy of action is essential in strategy, as any ninja knows .

Get a different job first and then quit. Read the career writings Steve has done recently. If you live in a village and that is the only company there, move to the city. Plenty jobs there.

No negative environment is sustainable.

Quitting is one of the finer pleasures in life!

^^ Kingston has it right on the money. If your work is poisoning you, then get out. Your health, mental well-being and personal code of ethics is far too precious to be wasted trying to change an organization that has no intention of changing.

[Ninja]

Steve had a great (and very amusing! ) blogpost that covered this problem once. "Ten reasons why you should never get a job", or something like that. One of the reasons was that negative fellow employees can suck the life right out of you until you turn into a drone like them. You will be assimilated, resistance is futile... unless you run like your heels are on fire and your ass is catching. You can't change the people around you, or (like Kinston already said) you wouldn't be posting here. Fight the collective, get out of there!

[EnduranceNinja]

Thanks for the replies

I am working on leaving my job someday. I am looking at becoming a personal trainer. One thing it is within a department at my job that has a toxic enviroment you can say. So I am not looking at leave the job the company as a whole is OK. I just want to try to get by till I can get out of this department into a better one. after the holidays there might be some openings. I have been shutting out all the negativity so far with success. Your right I can't change my co-workers. I have found if I don't feed into it it helps. I try to remind myself not to play these games. And most important I know this is not where I plan to be. I will escape soon. And I found at times cracking a joke or two cuts the negativity. You can't be negative when your laughing.