How to Handle Toxic People at Work

About this episode

The episode discusses how to effectively handle toxic people at work by exploring underlying issues and fostering respectful communication.

At almost every seminar or speakingevent, someone asks me this question: How do we deal with toxic people atwork? My answer is probably lesscomfortable than expected. Before labeling someone as “toxic,” it’s worthasking a few difficult questions. Could the situation be more complex than itseems? Is the other person simply under pressure? Or could there be somethingin the interaction that we ourselves unintentionally allow? Sometimes what we call toxicbehavior is stress, misunderstanding, or a communication style shaped bysomeone’s background. Before escalating the situation, it may be worth having arespectful conversation, giving feedback, and allowing the other person toexplain their perspective. Handling difficult people at workoften begins not with confrontation—but with curiosity, clarity, andboundaries. #communication #leadership#workplacecommunication #conflictmanagement #emotionalintelligence#leadershipdevelopment #professionalgrowth #workplaceculture

People in this episode

Host: Gerhard Ohrband

Topics covered

• toxic behavior
• workplace communication
• conflict management
• emotional intelligence
• leadership development

Keywords

• toxic people
• workplace culture
• communication style
• stress
• misunderstanding

More episodes of Communication Psychology and HR – with Gerhard Ohrband

• Why We Often Don’t Share Useful Information With Our Colleagues · May 31, 2026 · 13 min
• Why We Sound Unconvincing in Conversations — Even When We Mean Well · May 23, 2026 · 12 min
• Why We Resist Improving Our Communication Skills · May 16, 2026 · 15 min
• Employee Voice Between Pretense and Reality · May 9, 2026 · 15 min
• What Do I Think and Feel About This Person? · May 2, 2026 · 9 min
• Error Management Training for Communication · April 25, 2026 · 13 min