It's no secret that negative people can get you down. As a solo-entrepreneur, though, these people can be bad for business (you have so much on your plate, you don't need people squashing your dreams, too).
I read an article by Brett Blumenthal about the 8 Toxic Personalities to Avoid on Yahoo today, and I think it's worth a look. In this post, I've included the personalities I think are the most detrimental to your business. They're below with Brett's description:
1. Judgmental Jims:
When you see things as cute and quirky, they see things as strange and unattractive. If you find people's unique perspectives refreshing, they find them 'wrong'. If you like someone's eclectic taste, they find it 'disturbing' or 'bad'.
Why they are toxic:
Judgmental people are much like Debbie Downers. In a world where freedom rings, judgment is sooo over. If the world was a homogeneous place, life would be pretty boring. Spending a lot of time with these types can inadvertently convert you into a judgmental person as well.
2. Dream Killing Keiths:
Every time you have an idea, these people tell you why you can't do it. As you achieve, they try to pull you down. As you dream, they are the first to tell you it is impossible.
Why they are toxic:
These people are stuck in what is instead of what could be. Further, these individuals eat away at your self-esteem and your belief in yourself. Progress and change can only occur from doing new things and innovating, dreaming the impossible and reaching for the stars.
3. Insincere Illissas:
You never quite feel that these people are being sincere. You tell a funny story, they give you a polite laugh. You feel depressed and sad and they give you a 'there, there' type response. You tell them you are excited about something and you get a very ho-hum response.
Why they are toxic:
People who aren't sincere or genuine build relationships on superficial criteria. This breeds shallow, meaningless relationships. When you are really in need of a friend, they won't be there. When you really need constructive criticism, they would rather tell you that you are great the way you are. When you need support, they would rather see you fail or make a fool of yourself.
4. Never Enough Nellies:
You can never give enough to these people to make them happy. They take you for granted and have unrealistic expectations of you. They find ways to continually fault you and never take responsibility for anything themselves.
Why they are toxic:
You will spend so much time trying to please them, that you will end up losing yourself in the process. They will require all of your time and energy, leaving you worn out and your own needs sacrificed.
What type of people do you feel are most detrimental to your business? How do you deal with them? What if they're your clients?
I am particularly adverse to the Can't do it Cathies of the world. You know the ones, those you try to encourage to be more confident, to do things you KNOW they are capable of doing and yet, because of their lack of self-esteme constantly say "I can't do that!" I have used the trick of burying your can'ts (literally and figuratively) and yet, those I can'ts seem to creep back into their psyches.
ReplyDeleteAfte a while it is just better to avoid them than try to change them.
Great post!
Heidi Richards Mooney, Author of Quirky Marketing ~ 365 Ways to Promote Your Business Using Zany and Non-Traditional Holidays www.QuirkyOffer.com
Nice post! No matter if you work full-time or work for yourself there are plenty of toxic people that will hinder your career, your self-esteem, your energy, your growth...
ReplyDeleteOver the years I've learned:
+ I won't be friends with everyone.
+ Not everyone will like me and that's OK.
+ I have to draw limits and learn how to enforce them with respect.
+ Stand up for myself, especially with aggressive, in-your-face people.
+ Realize that most of the time anything negative is about them and not about you.
+ Surround myself with people who genuinely care about my well-being both personally and professionally.
+ Giving is a two-way street.
+ Learn how to break a toxic relationship and not feel guilty about it
+ Build my "shield" so toxic people "bounce" away :-)
I supposed it is more practice each day than a lesson learned once and it goes away. Every experience builds a stronger shield and the red flags come up faster :-)