When I was asked to write about toxic managers, I didn’t really know how to define them. I never even knew I had one until I heard the description from employees who were suffering. Turns out I was dealing with one a few years back and I was clueless that this was actually what toxic meant. Based on the description of several employees I reached out to, and my personal experience, here are 6 signs you are dealing with a toxic manager:
1. They micromanage their teams
“He was a control freak. When he wanted something, it had to be done his way” – Lara*
In his book “My way or the highway”, Harry E. Chambers defines micromanagement as the “excessive, unwanted, counterproductive interference and disruption of people or things”. Basically, when a manager continuously supervises and controls an employee’s work while preventing good performance and efficiency, it’s certainly micromanagement!
This is a serious problem. In fact, in a survey conducted by Trinity Solutions, Inc., 69% of non managers stated they have considered changing jobs because of being micromanaged.
So, if you feel like your boss is always intervening in your work, not allowing you to have input in how things are done and preventing you from being productive, it’s a red flag!
2. They don’t listen
“She disregards my opinion, doesn’t care about my problems and won’t listen to my feedback” – Jana*
According to Forbes, one of the top 10 reasons people quit their job is that they are overlooked and ignored. When this happens, employees tend to feel frustrated and burnt out; they are less likely to maximize their talent and potential; and eventually quit.
So, if you feel like your opinions and feedbacks are disregarded, like you are not included in the decision making process and that you have no control over your work life, then it’s a sign you might be dealing with a toxic manager!
3. They lack healthy communication skills
“I have anxiety whenever she calls me because I know the conversation won’t go well.” – Nour*
One of the key components of toxic leadership is poor communication. The latter is the inability to convey a message clearly.
Toxic managers tend to provide unclear directions, withhold information from you and may be dishonest. They most often resort to criticism instead of providing constructive feedback supported by clear examples. This will obviously hinder your growth.
Finally, some toxic managers even go to the extent of being condescending towards you, making you feel incompetent or inadequate, just so you don’t start making any requests. Forget psychological and physical safety. They will make you feel insecure, reducing your engagement and sense of belonging towards the organization.
4. They have unrealistic expectations
“She worked extremely late and expected me to do the same with no appreciation whatsoever” – Ali*
Work-life balance who? Toxic managers tend to forget that you are human. Most often, they set you up for failure through unrealistic expectations and by applying pressure to comply with every request.
If you feel like you are being given a mission impossible, handed tasks outside of your job description on a regular basis, reprimanded for not accomplishing them instead of getting support; then, you are probably dealing with a toxic manager.
5. They fail to support their employees
“He used to treat us like animals and deduct from our low rate salaries whenever he was dissatisfied with our work” – Sammy*
Toxic managers are not fans of supporting employees achieve their goals. They will observe, take notes, wait for you to fail and then hold you accountable. They will take the credit when you achieve, revoke responsibility and blame you when you don’t.
Toxic managers govern by fear. They might try to constantly remind you of the consequences of failure to keep you on your toes. In contrast, a healthy manager would empower you to act, offer support when you need it and makes sure that, together, you win!
If you feel judged rather than supported, then it’s a red flag to watch out for.
6. They mask their abusive behavior in front of the upper management.
“I don’t get how the management can’t see what a horrible person he is. I guess he plays it well with the directors and knows how to put up a good image” – Tatiana*
I’m sorry to break it to you; but the upper management will remain oblivious to this unless you speak up! In fact, toxic managers are always conscious about their public image and they will try to polish it in front of their boss.
Based on the above, if you think you are dealing with a toxic manager, then stay tuned because the solution is coming soon in my next blog post!
*All names have been modified to preserve the respondents’ privacy.
Feature Image by master1305 on Freepik