(Work) culture shock

One of my oldest friends and I caught up over the holiday weekend over beers and, both of us being in that “career driven” phase of our lives, we inevitably found ourselves talking shop.

He told me about his new gig at a company where everyone actually likes each other. Like, really. They do karaoke nights, they invite each other to family dinners. I wasn’t aware such workplaces existed, but he says it’s their MO.

Despite that, he’s felt “off.” Not about the place, but about himself. This was wild to me because he’s always been the super-social type, but now he’d been struggling to connect with his colleagues. He said he believes he has “toxic workplace PTSD” from his previous job, where he’s just waiting for the other shoe to drop.

In one of my business classes, we basically used Harvard Business Review as our textbook. When I heard about what my friend was dealing with, I remember this HBR article that I thought was worth sharing tips on:

• Write a letter to your past self, telling yourself how good of a job you did with the tools and team you were given.

• In your new job, set clear expectations and boundaries—don’t let yourself get bullied anymore.

• Even in the best workplace, you might get triggered by something that happened in the past, take a deep breath and don’t let it come to the forefront.

• Every time that something good happens, give yourself some credit. Celebrate small wins because you deserve every single one.

• Open up to your new work crew when you’re ready. They’re happy to have you as part of their team, and will embrace you even more for being your authentic self, scars and all.

Remember to let yourself heal and grow. Okay, friend?