Top 14 Signs of a Toxic Boss

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Unwanted leadership attributes that cause conflict between supervisors and employees are signs of a lousy boss. Micromanagement, conflict avoidance, and ... read more...

  1. One of the most crucial roles of leaders is to provide feedback. The major duty of managers in the workplace is to evaluate and guide personnel. A manager who fails to share performance insight is failing in his or her duties, and the silence denies employees the opportunity to progress.


    Some managers are afraid of facing employees with less-than-perfect ratings. Others merely criticize without acknowledging beneficial achievements. Then, some managers believe that an occasional "good job" suffices without further explanation. Some bosses refuse to provide any feedback at all. Perhaps the comments are too harsh or too ambiguous. Many managers fail to master the art of feedback.


    How to repair it: Arrange formal reviews at least once a year, quarterly, or monthly. Provide opportunities for more informal evaluations as well, such as one-on-one check-ins or feedback Slack channels. Outside of work, roleplay and practice offering constructive feedback to get more comfortable with the process.

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  2. One of the most frequently mentioned traits of a lousy manager is micromanagement. Micromanagers over-observe and regulate every aspect of the process rather than giving employees time, space, and liberty to perform. These supervisors want continuous updates, which can cause more delays and make the work tiresome.


    This strategy can stifle innovation and reduce production. Workers struggle to find joy and significance in employment over which they have no ownership or control. To add insult to injury, the requirement to supervise and check off every proposal or activity communicates a lack of trust. Leaders are held accountable for the team's performance. Concern about potential outcomes frequently prompts unskilled or insecure managers to closely monitor and control every aspect of the operation.


    How to fix it: Have faith in your team! Reduce the frequency of checking in. Once you and the team have agreed on how frequently updates should occur, attempt to adhere to that agreement as closely as possible. When managers give their employees liberty and space, they frequently reciprocate that confidence by meeting and exceeding expectations.

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  3. A surprising amount of people in positions of authority are uncomfortable expressing "no." These people have a difficult time standing up to their managers, other departments, and occasionally even their own team. This proclivity towards pleasing others causes problems.


    A manager may accept unrealistic requests and make promises that the team cannot meet out of fear of disappointing colleagues or supervisors. Instead, the manager may neglect to object to a concept that is not in the best interests of the firm or team. The manager should be a voice of reason and not be afraid to deliver criticism. A boss who is fearful of offending is more concerned with maintaining the peace than with the long-term consequences of agreeing.


    How to fix it: Recognize that coworker accommodation is not a zero-sum game. Please one party at the expense of another. Make decisions based on commercial interests rather than politeness. Practice saying no so that you become more comfortable asserting yourself and advocating for the needs of your team.

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  4. One of the worst toxic manager attributes is a lack of empathy, which serves as the foundation for other harmful actions. A manager who fails to perceive his or her employees' feelings may not think twice about gossiping, yelling, or overworking his or her personnel. At its most extreme manifestation, this trait manifests as workplace abuse. More subtle instances of this tendency include bosses guilting staff into taking sick leave or displaying affluence in front of minimum wage workers.


    These people also don't care, or don't appear to care, about the lives of their employees outside of the office or how extraneous issues may affect performance. While professionalism demands that employees not let personal issues interfere with their work, everyone is prone to having a terrible day. Major events such as death, illness, and delivery have a higher impact, and expecting the employee to demonstrate no impacts is unfair. Some managers treat their personnel more like machines than people.


    How to fix it: Practice mindfulness and self-awareness. In times when you cannot show kindness, then give your employees space. Make an effort to observe and imagine other folks’ feelings. Search for the root of your lack of compassion. Trust yourself to draw the line between being nice and being taken advantage of.

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  5. Top 5

    Gossip

    Leaders should actively suppress gossip in order to foster a positive team culture. Spreading rumors and gossip sets a poor example for the workers. Not to mention the conduct tanks believe in. Workers who overhear a manager gossiping about a coworker may be concerned about becoming the topic of such rumor. As a result, teammates will refrain from confiding in the manager, resulting in a schism in the relationship.


    Managers cannot provide assistance if they are unaware of team members' difficulties, and team members will not confess their difficulties if they feel the manager will not maintain a secret. In inclusive workplaces, gossip has no place, and managers should endeavor to make the workplace friendly and safe for all team members.


    How to fix it: Don’t do it. If you would not make the statement to the subject’s face, do not say it to a colleague. When other coworkers begin to gossip while talking to you, either correct the employees or leave the conversation.

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  6. Good managers maintain contact. Terrible managers turn off the radio. This is especially problematic when supervisors are stationed in different regions, travel frequently, or the team is entirely remote. Some managers go days, weeks, or even months without communicating with their teams before popping in with an obligatory check-in, update, or new assignment. Perhaps the boss saves information until the last minute.


    Alternatively, if the leader does not communicate, the conversation is one-sided. The supervisor sends an email or an instant message but never returns calls or emails. This manager pledges to call back later but fails to do so. Although the occasional delayed answer is understandable, this manager has a pattern of disappearing from the team.


    How to fix it: Stick to a communication schedule, even if you have nothing new to report. Set deadlines for important conversations, for instance, replying within 24 hours. Use a communication tool to make reaching out easier and more convenient.

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  7. There is a distinction to be made between allowing people to do their tasks and forcing them to fend for themselves. Effective managers empower their staff and defer to their judgment while still observing and providing feedback. Poor managers are sometimes ignorant that decisions are being made. These individuals never openly command staff to take the reins, but they also never make a decision that could imply otherwise.


    Workers assume that unless something is done, the situation will persist, so the staff stands up and solves the problem out of a sense of duty. There are no instructions from the management ahead of time, and there are frequently no thanks. Employees become managers without the salary or title as a result of this behavior. Taking on too much responsibility can leave employees feeling overwhelmed, undervalued, and resentful.


    How to fix it: Distinguish between manager tasks and employee tasks. For instance, staff can make shift swaps but should not create the schedule, and mediating conflicts between coworkers is a manager’s responsibility. Hold regular meetings and check-in’s and remain aware of the day-to-day happenings of the job. Do not take advantage of employees’ eagerness to help or prove themselves.

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  8. One of the most common signs of a toxic Boss is disorganization. There is a delicate line between being a little disorganized and being habitually disorganized. When managers consistently forget things, misplace paperwork, and miss meetings, disorganization becomes an issue. This behavior sets a terrible example for the department and may result in unnecessary work for other team members.


    Before managing a complete staff, a manager must be able to keep their own affairs in order. A boss who can't find his car keys doesn't inspire much trust in his capacity to organize and manage a department. Occasional absent-mindedness or messiness is acceptable, but the image of being continuously lost is not.


    How to fix it: Find or create a system that works for you. Take an hour or two at the start or end of each week to organize. Evaluate whether you need an assistant, or just need to get your act together.

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  9. One of the most obvious indications of a poor boss is credit-stealing. Some supervisors pass off their employees' ideas and efforts as their own, or refuse to acknowledge the contributions of team members. Sometimes employers act this manner by unintentionally, simply neglecting to acknowledge their employees. Thanking staff privately but never mentioning their names in public is also insufficient.

    Nobody hates to believe that their efforts are going unnoticed, or that someone else is receiving the benefits of their intelligence and hard work. Workers have goals and desires and are not just a tool to make the boss look good. Employees deserve the opportunity to advance in their professions. It is unjust to keep the applause to oneself.


    How to fix it: Be realistic in your role in the project and honestly evaluate who had the most influence on the end result. Pass along the praise and name your employees. Give your team credit, and they will likely give you credit in return. If you struggle to share the glory, then use the phrase “it was a team effort” as a baby step.

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  10. When you search for "bad boss," over half of the results will show supervisors screaming at employees, typically with a megaphone. A harsh manager, in the cartoonish stereotype, is always in a bad mood, waiting for an occasion to yell at staff, usually for a problem that is not the employee's fault.


    The amount of strain on the manager is frequently the source of these eruptions. Nevertheless, leaders should avoid venting their frustrations on their personnel. Professionalism includes emotional moderation. Temper tantrums set a negative example for the team in terms of dispute resolution. An angry boss often causes significant levels of stress and dread among staff. Nobody wants to be yelled at at work or to walk on eggshells for fear of upsetting the boss. Furthermore, when the boss erupts, the delivery overshadows the message. Workers will focus on the clash rather than the message.


    How to fix it: Learn to pause before reacting. Practice meditation, breathing exercises, and other anger management techniques. Plan an escape route in case you need to cool down before responding. If the anger persists, then consider seeking professional help.

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  11. Managers act as liaisons between teams and the rest of the organization. Successful managers serve as liaisons between the organization and the group, translating and negotiating. No department operates in isolation. Decisions that annoy or make no sense to one team may exist to keep operations running smoothly. Managers frequently have access to information that employees do not. A manager's responsibility includes explaining the reasons behind these decisions to the team and assisting direct reports in understanding the big picture.


    Yet, managers occasionally pursue their own aims with zeal, to the cost of other departments. These managers aggressively seek their own goals while showing little care for the interests of other teams. These managers defend their own teams at any costs, making excuses or covering up their employees' mistakes. They keep resources to themselves or refuse to assist other departments. Although direct reports appreciate their bosses for looking after them, these individuals are not well-liked by the rest of the firm. The supervisor gains from treating coworkers as rivals at the expense of the company's well-being. If only one team wins, the organization will fail.


    How to fix it: Think on a grander scale. Pretend you’re getting transferred to a different department tomorrow, and ask yourself whether or not your new colleagues would welcome you if you acted this way. Build relationships with coworkers in other departments and communicate regularly. Forming a rapport will help you empathize with colleagues more.

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  12. Managers' responsibility is to unite employees behind a single goal, but some bosses push coworkers against one another. This conduct is sometimes motivated by the mistaken belief that rivalry will compel the best performance from the team, but in reality, over-competition among peers hampers proper teamwork. Maybe the boss may simply enjoy inciting confrontation. Narcissists are drawn to positions of authority. These people are usually addicted to drama and feel most in control when they are producing havoc or encouraging ordinarily rational people to act out.


    Manipulation, on the other hand, is not always as sinister or evident. Passive-aggression, in the form of guilt or snippy comments, is a common manifestation of the tendency. Alternatively, the behavior may appear to be benign. For instance, the supervisor may beg or ask for favors, persist after a coworker declines, or appeal to the employee's emotions. "Would you mind working this weekend? "I told my son I'd take him to the zoo, and I can't bear the notion of him crying."

    While strong persuasion can be highly effective, it has the unintended consequence of diminishing employees' trust. True leaders inspire rather than manipulate. The distinction between the two strategies is that motivation is based on honesty and helps employees, whereas manipulation is deceptive and self-serving.


    How to fix it: Be mindful of the staff’s reactions and signs of resistance. Don’t ask them to do stuff beyond their job description, and accept no when they do— Don’t beg—be clear and transparent. You can also appeal to them by explaining your reasoning.

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  13. These executives are more concerned with their reputation than with truth. These shallow and insecure leaders are more concerned with being liked and popular than with being effective. This leader may drive the team to meet figures and quotas simply to impress the top bosses and the corporation as a whole, with no consideration for worker well-being.


    Instead, these managers could fake the data entirely, or construct a setup that makes the workplace appear more functional than usual. Perhaps these managers act kind to their employees just when their superiors or coworkers are present. On the more innocent end of the spectrum, the manager may attempt to be a "cool boss" in order to obtain favor. These people prefer to be liked rather than respected. They believe that their image and reputation are more important than actual results.


    How to fix it: Choose meaningful standards of measurements. Angle for results over good advertising, even if those results take time to materialize. Also, solicit honest feedback from peers and staff. When you receive feedback regularly, you will be less obsessed with impressing others or avoiding scorn.

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  14. For good reason, many firms prohibit managers from dating employees. Because of the power disparity between bosses and employees, the two can never be on equal footing. Skeptics argue that firms' primary goal is to avoid lawsuits, but organizations also try to safeguard employees who may feel forced to date a boss in order to avoid career consequences.


    Love does not always play by the rules, and sentiments may develop between managers and employees. While it is usually best to avoid these situations, managers who prefer to date their staff must adhere to business policies and procedures. For example, if required, the pair should report their relationship to HR. Also, supervisors should not pursue or flirt with employees as a general best practice.


    Bosses that date staff against company policy almost always fall into the category of terrible manager. This is dishonest activity that puts both the employee and the firm at risk. A manager serially dating subordinates can also indicate a lack of professionalism and boundaries.


    How to fix it: Avoid flirting, even in a joking manner. Remain alert if employees come on to you. If a relationship does develop, be professional and honest about it and take steps to remain compliant with company policy.

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