You're the recruiter. You're visiting a prospective client's office. There's this undefinable but very present atmosphere that's like a dark cloud in a March sky.
After meeting with the prospect for a few minutes, one of their staff contacts them. Some issue needs their attention and it can't wait. The prospect gives instructions after grimacing, making some rough statement to you about how they have to handle this interruption, and then growling some terse comments to the staffer.
Your meeting goes pretty smoothly after that. You learn that your contact has been in their position for the past twelve years. They were promoted to this position from an interesting series of events. The two of you do a tour of the office. You see little things that are a bit peculiar but say nothing. Morale seems tepid, at best. The visit ends.
You can't tell on a first visit. It takes a little time to definitively come to a conclusion. But it could be that this is an office with an abusive manager. The situation is taking its toll on the staff, the atmosphere and the office's bottom line -- its workforce and its profits.
How does one survive this type of boss? How should you counsel your superbly qualified candidate so they will survive? Steve Gerardi, a writer for Health Tips from Army Medicine advises four military directives should guide a lower officer or enlisted on how to handle the abusive superior officer:
- Respect others
- Do your job
- Do what is right morally and legally
- Be brave in the face of compelling circumstances
Steve also gives pointers on how to not confront but discuss the matter with the abusive superior and what to do next. His advice applies both to the military and nonmilitary situation, career and domestic.
These types of managers are a toxic bullet to an organization. Dr. Steven Berglas explains the dynamics the bad manager can have on the office and what happens to the victim staff. His comparison of the situation to that of domestic abuse and resulting Stockholm Syndrome mentality is extremely accurate. The relationship and environment go through the same three cycles of abuse -- honeymoon, dependency development, battering in the form of verbal, economic, or emotional attacks.
Bad bosses can and do bash the bottom line. The basis for the loss set forth in a 1998 interview of a corporate consultant wherein the arrow of fault was aimed and firmly planted in a number of domestic violence-similar traits. Some attribute bad boss syndrome to overconfidence. I would posit that the problem stems from (to name a few issues) lack of confidence, jealousy, lack of training and an acute awareness of shortcomings, coupled with a lack of knowledge or skill in knowing where and how to get the corrections needed, and an unwillingness to make needed changes.
It is possible for an abusive boss to do a self assessment. The traits to watch for are:
- Belittling language
- Creating Isolation
- Judging and criticizing
- Belittling (e.g., missed employee appointments, dismissing a subject before it is resolved)
- Accusing and blaming
Interesting how these traits are on all fours with the domestic violence abuser. A few of the domestic violence classics that are missing are threats (implied and overt), economic control, circular arguments, illogical deduction, making statements and attributing them to the target. One could speculate on whether this person is also an abuser/batterer at home.
Alexander Hiam, in a 1998 interview, made recommendations for bad boss change. They are good -- recommendations for both the abusive boss and for those who work for one. Unfortunately, Hiam focuses primarily on the boss who wants to change and fails to consider that the bad boss does not actually recognize that they are the source of the problem in order to seek some sort of remedy. Chances are higher that they are oblivious to their issues and will need some intervention put directly in front of them before they actually see the mirror before them.
That intervening mirror usually comes from HR's having some form of consultant or change agent. Sometimes the recruiter fills that need as part of their consulting services to the client. These agents can have quite a healing effect on the organization that is amenable to healthy change and does not want to rely on living the life of perpetual victim with an excuse. The change agent can coach on improved communication skills. They can provide feedback on management style compared with corporate culture. They are able to dentify organizational structure, whether it needs adjustment and where. And they can assist in developing management training programs that get leadership up and running in optimal time with as little fallout as possible.
One of the ways to avoid needing such agents, however, is through good screening and selection processes when you are recruiting and hiring candidates. Look for telltale signs of bullying or an abusive personality. There are several that are subtle. For those who are experienced, the traits will leap out at you or slither across the room like a sleazy lizard. Another (once you awaken to your nightmare) is to train your managers as you groom them for their position.
Still, it is a sensible thing to do -- manage the dysfunction to avoid the burnout, dropout, potential lawsuits and overall costs. And the responsibility can reach further than HR. The recruiter who places such a candidate can be as culpable for reckless hiring as the company that gives the nod to signing on the bad news.
Yvonne LaRose is a California Accredited Consultant. She specializes in various aspects of Organizational Development. In addition to being a trained and experienced mediator, Ms. LaRose is a certified Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault Advocate and Domestic Violence Legal Advocate. She has written on the subject of workplace abuse, counseled, interviewed, and studied various forms of abuse and its remedies for more than ten years. To learn more about Yvonne, visit her website, Executive Recruiting Entrances.
