How to Handle Toxic Coworkers

You don't have to swallow the bullshit or light the place up. The real flex? Moving like an assassin who's seen some things.

THE PROBLEM

Corporate life would be easy if it weren't for:

The saboteur
The credit thief
The chaos tornado
The "just playing devil's advocate" parasite
The whisper network enthusiast
The slack-jaw who weaponizes incompetence
The coworker who's always "confused" when you speak but magically understands when Chad repeats your idea louder

Toxic coworkers drain your time, your energy, and your trajectory. And if you don't learn to neutralize them, they will absolutely derail your rise.

THE CHEAT CODE

Don't fight toxic people.

You don't match their chaos.
Manage them strategically, quietly, and with receipts.
Your goal is not to "win." Your goal is to maintain clarity, control, and career momentum while helping them destroy themselves.

⚡ WHAT TO DO RIGHT NOW

In the box below, choose ONE toxic coworker to neutralize this month. Then deploy these precision moves:

Clarify and Confirm: everything in writing "Per our conversation, here's what I'll own and here's what you'll own."
Bring sunlight: Loop in the right people so dysfunction can't hide.
Force specificity: "What exactly do you mean?" Toxic people can't survive clarity.
Set the pace: They want chaos. You respond at your tempo, not theirs.

THE TRAP

Trying to fix them.
Trying to befriend them.
Trying to get them to like you.

A toxic coworker's approval isn't a badge of honor. It's a ticking bomb.

YOUR SHADOW WORK

Write your reflections in the box below.

Where do you still feel the need to defend yourself?
Whose drama is driving you nuts?
What old story makes you susceptible to toxic behavior?

THE STRATEGIC TRUTH

Toxic coworkers thrive on three things:

Reaction (your emotional energy)

Confusion (muddy ownership)

Silence (no witnesses)

Executives don't care who started it. They care who looks like the adult in the room.

When you remain clear, factual, and unbothered, the toxic one will implode.

Write your script

Don't fight toxic people. Manage them -- strategically, quietly, and with receipts. Your goal is not to "win." Your goal is to maintain clarity, control, and career momentum while helping them destroy themselves. You don't match their chaos. You expose it calmly.

EXAMPLE:

"Let's get clear on roles so we don't duplicate effort. Here's what I'm owning, here's what I understand you're owning -- correct me if I'm off."

CHEAT CODE COMPLETE

You've got the intel.

Now go make your move.

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How to Handle Toxic Coworkers

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