Life is about relationships, personality and professionalism. Some relationships are healthy and productive, while others are counterproductive. Toxic relationships can be mentally and emotionally devastating, and it is important to know when someone is having a negative impact on your workplace or health in order to distance yourself from the situation.

Related: 10 People to Avoid

While you may already have an indication that a friend or colleague is toxic, we have asked a group of Young Business Council members to share some warning signs of personal or dangerous business relationships. This is what they say they should take care of:

1. Deviation
   Toxic people are usually willing to show others the wrong things they do. Because of this, you may feel insecure, unaware (at least immediately) that you are being used as a distraction to distract attention away from them.

• Chris Christoff, MonsterInsights

1. Lack of Trust
   We all know people who lack personal obligations and who think that someone else should be blamed for everything that goes wrong in their life. These people often do not meet deadlines or days, often do not do well, and show complete disregard for the people around them.

-John Turner, SeedProd LLC

3. No Limits
   Some relationships can break up, especially when the other person often communicates with you about common kindness, impossible ideas or gossip. It also doesn’t produce that you enjoy those conversations, so it’s important to mention that you need to set boundaries in order for the relationship to continue.

• Philas Kittaneh, Zress Mattress

3. Acts of Retribution
   When someone in your group begins to “retaliate” for other people’s actions or mistakes, it’s important to find out where it started and re-evaluate the person or people involved. This can seriously damage the business and the working environment. The same applies to personal relationships.

• Karl Kangur, Upstairs

3. All Take, No Offer
   Whether you are thinking about your personal or professional relationship, you should meet the right amount of offer and take. A big red flag is when you have a partner who asks for help and advice but has never had time to support you. It is better to continue in such situations and invest in a healthy relationship.

• Syed Balkhi, WPBeginner

6.You use your information against you
You know you are in a toxic relationship when someone else is using your past or your weakness on you. They can use your information to put you down in front of others, or they can use it to trick you into doing what they want. This is a clear sign of a bad relationship that you should get out of.

• Blair Williams, LunguPress

1. Inability to See Other People’s Ways
   When you enter a business with someone, or connect with a new partner, look for signs that they can’t see things from someone else’s point of view. If they do not have the ability to step into someone else’s shoes to work, relax and work together, they are less likely to bring value to your working relationship.

—Thomas Smale, of FE International

8. Isolation
   In the world of technology and personal experience, one should never be divided. One example is a manager who asks you to work overtime but reports normal hours to HR; this deprives you of the time you can spend with your family. Or someone passes by your phone contacts and tells you not to reach anyone. Everyone works better with a healthy social network and losing one is a red flag.

• Patrick Barnhill, Specialist ID, Inc.

8. Dishonesty
   When their words do not match their actions, that is a red flag. Some people are able to say all the right things, but they do nothing to support what they say. Be aware of this and do not be afraid to call it. They will continue as long as they do not receive punishment!

-Diego Orjuela, Cords and Sensors

10. Lack of Trust
    Healthy relationships, both personal and professional, require trust. Feeling anxious about the fact that someone may not like the good or do something that hurts the red flag that the relationship is poisonous. In order to grow and prosper in a healthy way, both parties must be committed to openness and honesty in order to feel safe and secure.

—S Stephen Beach, Craft Impact marketing

11. To prevent or control it
    As an adult, it is important for you to make your own decisions. You are an individual and need to be able to work and live the same way, independently. If your partner is blocking or controlling you in any way, it is time for a change.

—Stephanie Wells, Awesome Forms

12. Standing
    When things go well and personal relationships or professional communication stop, it is a sign that things are not going well. If you continue to live in a relationship that is not growing, you will also not grow, and that is not helpful to anyone in the long run.

—Matthew Podolsky, Florida Legal Counsel, P.

13. Endless Neglect
    One red flag of a toxic relationship is a person who ends up dragging you down or slowing you down in achieving your personal or professional goals. It’s OK to have an “opponent” who opens holes in your thinking and makes you aware of the dangers of defending yourself, but when this turns into endless negligence, it’s time to break the bonds.

• Zach Ferres, Coplex

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: