Dealing with the Toxic Manager

Toxic managers create significant disruption to any organisation and can cause immense damage. A toxic environment is not productive and very quickly the best talent will find somewhere else to work.

So, if you find yourself working for a toxic manager what can you do. Faced with any stressful situation our emotional side can quickly kick-in, but neither a fight nor flight response will be particularly successful in office situation. Attack just escalates the issues, and avoidance is never going to work.

First, remember, it isn’t forever, and change happens, it is important not to derail your own career. Seek out, and build, a network, not to gossip, try to gang-up or to play politics but build a strong support group. If the situation is abusive or unethical then, you owe it to yourself and peers to bring this to the attention of HR. Most organisations have an anonymous channel which can be used in needed.

Don’t argue, don’t fight back. Keep records, make sure expectations are clearly documented and make sure you follow through on tasks. Examine your own behaviours carefully and make sure any response is measured and balanced. To let off steam try writing the letter you’ll never send, but keep this on paper - just in case . . . .

Finally, be gentle, we all react to stress differently and are dealing with things in our own lives that nobody else knows about, and while this doesn’t excuse, it does, sometimes, help explain the behaviours.

Have great weekend!