Screaming. Throwing temper tantrums. Pitting employees against one another. These are just a few of the ways a bad boss can warp an employee’s experience–not only on movie screens, but also in real life.
Just ask Cristina, a graduate student living in Lakeview.
Cristina, 31, initially was excited about her first job out of college. But instead of joining a young, fun start-up, Cristina found herself at a 15-employee organization so dominated by “an atmosphere of manipulation and intimidation” because of a sinister supervisor that she has since sworn off working for small-business owners.
“I learned that entrepreneurs will sell you this spiel as if you’ll be getting all this responsibility, but in my case, it was all under false pretense,” said Cristina, who asked that her last name not be published. “The guy I worked for did this to everyone he hired, making sure to get people fresh out of school who didn’t know what they were getting into.”
Bad bosses can exist in any size company, said John McKee, a workplace consultant. In fact, “psychotic supervisors” often thrive for years no matter how bad their behavior. These people often are promoted because they are ruthless and relentless. They are often oblivious to overworking their staff members. Company leadership may mistake this for productivity, McKee said.
“Ghengis Khan probably sounded great in his mission statement, but was likely a horrible person to work for,” said McKee, who also is the author of “21 Ways Women in Management Shoot Themselves in the Foot.”
Bad bosses also can be very sneaky.
In Cristina’s case, her boss singled out staffers and hit them up for dirt on other employees.
“He didn’t realize that we would go out, have drinks and compare notes after work,” Cristina said. “Still, it was uncomfortable having someone ask repeatedly, ‘How do you think so-and-so is doing?’ “
Although experts said a boss should occasionally take the pulse of employees, it’s wrong to launch inquisitions.
“You might say, ‘Manager, I need to say that I feel quite a bit uncomfortable in answering those questions, could you be more specific about what you’re asking me,’ ” said Anita Madison, who trains managers and employees for Chicago-based ComPsych. “I’d like to be helpful, but perhaps I can’t lend insight into this particular topic.”
What if the boss doesn’t back off?
“Divulge just a bit of harmless info to get that jerk off your back without doing any disrespect or damage to the employee you’re being asked about,” McKee said.
But what do you do if your boss is outright anti-social? Cristina said her boss often threw tantrums in front of employees.
“If he had a bad meeting with investors and you happened to walk by with a cup of coffee in your hand or you took a break that he felt was a bit too long, he’d scream and shout at you,” Cristina said. “It was very demeaning.”
However tempting it may be, don’t shout back. Instead, give that person (and yourself) at least a day or so to cool off, McKee said.
“You want to come to the person a day or so later and say, ‘I understand that you were frustrated with me yesterday, but I would appreciate it if you would call me in and talk to me behind closed doors instead of in front of my peers,’ ” McKee said. “Tell that person it doesn’t help if you’re treated like a child or an idiot.”
KKYLES@TRIBUNE.COM
