There are four ingredients that add up to becoming a HERO in the workplace. Psychologist Eve Ash takes us through the necessary qualities of being Honest (someone who says what they think, gives feedback and honest criticism) and Ethical (does the right thing for the team, the organization and the community). They are Respectful – polite, interested and caring, no matter what experience, culture or nationality they encounter. And they are Optim... There are four ingredients that add up to becoming a HERO in the workplace. Psychologist Eve Ash takes us through the necessary qualities of being Honest (someone who says what they think, gives feedback and honest criticism) and Ethical (does the right thing for the team, the organization and the community). They are Respectful – polite, interested and caring, no matter what experience, culture or nationality they encounter. And they are Optimistic – not dampening others’ ideas, instead looking for opportunity. Show more Show less

It is tempting when things continually go wrong to blame an incompetent manager. Peter Quarry, psychology expert, suggests first doing a reality check with someone independent (it might be a personality clash causing the problem). Try clearly communicating your needs to the manager while negotiating outcomes. Be flexible and share coping strategies with others. If you can no longer cope, it may be time to leave that team.

Being surrounded by complainers is hard, but as Peter Quarry points out, there’s ways to handle them. You can acknowledge what they’re saying, showing empathy and putting forward positive solutions. If they persist, and especially if you work with them, they are best ignored as what they really seek is attention. When you don’t react, there’s no payoff.

Being angry can become a self-destructive habit, causing anxiety and high blood pressure. Psychology expert Peter Quarry says a healthier way to manage anger is realizing that it is a form of energy. This energy is much better funneled into creative projects, planning to do something happy with colleagues or family, or accomplishing personal goals.