Dealing with a Toxic Boss
May 18, 2011 1 Comment
Employee Engagement “Employees don’t leave their company—they leave their boss” says the author of a recent Florida State University study of 700 workers. The study revealed that many employees believe their supervisors don’t give credit when it’s due, gossip about them behind their backs, and don’t keep their word. This is costing companies millions of dollars in unnecessary employee turnover costs such as the time and energy spent on recruitment and training new employees!
Among the findings of the study, the following were reported by participants:
- 39 percent: Their supervisor failed to keep promises.
- 37 percent: Their supervisor failed to give credit when due.
- 31 percent: Their supervisor gave them the “silent treatment” in the past year.
- 27 percent: Their supervisor made negative comments about them to other employees or managers.
- 24 percent: Their supervisor invaded their privacy.
- 23 percent: Their supervisor blames others to cover up mistakes or minimize embarrassment.
So here is today’s Daily HR Tip. Four tips for employees who want to deal more effectively with a toxic boss:
- Don’t take it personally. It’s difficult to understand how someone can be mean spirited, unprofessional, or even abusive. But if you try to understand your boss’s perspective it may help you cope with the behavior more effectively. And realize it’s not about you—people who are abusive are almost always that way with others, too.
- Draw a line. When a behavior is clearly inappropriate or abusive, stand up for yourself. At some point, no job is worth being harassed or abused. And you may find standing up does not cost you your job—it has a good chance of ending, or at least reducing, the poor treatment.
- Don’t sabotage. If you take revenge, you become part of the problem.
- Be patient and take notes. We’re not suggesting a palace coup to unseat your boss—that strategy can go very wrong—but you may find it useful to have notes at your disposal should the boss shine the spotlight on you.
Tags: bad boss > bad bosses > employee turnover costs > florida state university > how to deal with a bad boss > hr blog > hr tips > human resource management > human resources blog > organizational development > team work > toxic boss












May 19th, 2011 @ 3:18 am
[...] Dealing with a Toxic Boss No Comments – Posted by admin – Filed under Employees Ad by Google google_ad_client = "ca-pub-9058170664534319"; google_ad_slot = "4185208288"; google_ad_width = 468; google_ad_height = 60; EmployeeEngagement “Employees don’t leave their company—they leave their boss” says theauthor of a recent Florida State University study of 700 workers. The studyrevealed that many employees believe their supervisors don’t give credit whenit’s due, gossip about them behind their backs, and don’t keep their word. Thisis costing companies millions of dollars in unnecessary employee turnover costssuch as the time and energy spent on recruitment and training newemployees!Among the findings of the study, the following were reported byparticipants:39 percent: Their supervisor failed to keep promises. 37 percent: Theirsupervisor failed to give credit when due. 31 percent: Their supervisor gavethem the “silent treatment” in the past year. 27 percent: Their supervisor madenegative comments about them to other employees or managers. 24 percent: Theirsupervisor invaded their privacy. 23 percent: Their supervisor blames others tocover up mistakes or minimize embarrassment.So here is today’s Daily HR Tip. Four tips for employees who want to dealmore effectively with a toxic boss:Don’t take it personally. It’s difficult to understand how someone can be meanspirited, unprofessional, or even abusive. But if you try to understand yourboss’s perspective it may help you cope with the behavior more effectively. Andrealize it’s not about you—people who are abusive are almost always that waywith others, too. Draw a line. When a behavior is clearly inappropriate orabusive, stand up for yourself. At some point, no job is worth being harassedor abused. And you may find standing up does not cost you your job—it has agood chance of ending, or at least reducing, the poor treatment. Don’tsabotage. If you take revenge, you become part of the problem. Be patient andtake notes. We’re not suggesting a palace coup to unseat your boss—thatstrategy can go very wrong—but you may find it useful to have notes at yourdisposal should the boss shine the spotlight on you.DailyHRTips.com [...]