How do I know if my manager is toxic?
While management methods are evolving to become more collaborative and respectful of the well-being of employees, we can see that there is still the profile of the toxic manager in some companies.
According to a survey conducted by the ADP in eight European countries, 23% of respondents point to toxic management as the source of employee productivity failure.
This type of manager is a haunting for any employee who joins a company. With his methods that belong to another time, the toxic manager sows terror and anxiety among his team. It can lead colleagues to lose self-confidence, burnout and depression or even resignation in the long term.
This week, Meet My Job helps you recognize a toxic manager!
1. He's ALWAYS right.
First of all, you need to know that no matter what you do or have done, the toxic manager will always be right. This type of manager always thinks better than his team and he doesn't care about having their opinion.
However, if a decision he has made turns out to be counterproductive and unsuccessful, he will not hesitate to contest his responsibility and will even try to find one or more scapegoats within his team.
It is therefore very difficult, if not impossible, to prove him wrong as he shows immense bad faith and inordinate self-confidence . If you decide to face him, however, be wary because he could make you pay for it, by attributing the failure of a project or a bad decision for example.
2. He takes all the credit.
The toxic manager will always seek to take credit for his team. He only wants to reap praise.
For him, if his team succeeds, it is because he is above all a good manager. He doesn't care about the efforts of his colleagues and is not able to encourage his team or congratulate them.
Nevertheless, as we said earlier, if it turns out that his team is failing, he will try to clear his name and will not hesitate to criticize you in front of you or his superiors in relation to this failure. He doesn't have the slightest notion of teamwork and teamwork.
3. He constantly harasses his team!
It's a safe bet that if the toxic manager had done another job, it would probably have been a spy.
Indeed, the toxic manager will not hesitate to monitor you in all possible ways and in an abusive way. All means are good to put pressure on you: constant emails, calls, SMS, permanent notifications on the collaborative work software...
He wants you to understand that he's constantly behind your back, ready to see if you're doing your job well. By proceeding in this way, he is clearly in the most absolute moral harassment .
If your manager harasses you in this way, don't bother to reply to all his messages and especially don't check your email box on Sunday evening. He will surely have sent you a very anxiety-provoking message to start the beginning of the week in style.
4. He shows favoritism.
This strategy of the toxic manager could be summed up by the expression "divide and rule".
Indeed, the toxic manager pits one against the other and seeks to instill unhealthy competition between the members of his team. He will highlight the faults of each one in public and use them as a divisive element in his team.
He is looking to destabilize his team and push them to better results... by humiliating them!
You must be careful because these repeated unhealthy acts can lead to a loss of self-esteem, burnout or even depression. In addition, it is necessary
maintain normal relationships with your other colleagues and not fall into the game of toxic manager.
5. He's aggressive and threatening.
Finally, the toxic manager is a real aggressive passive in potential. He does not hesitate to put a touch of aggressiveness and threat in his sentences in a subtle way or not at all.
He tries to make you understand that your professional future is in his hands and that he could fire you in a snap of his fingers. The toxic manager shows a certain sadism because he likes to think that people fear him, this allows him to boost his self-confidence.
Be aware that practices of this kind can be denounced because it is also moral harassment. Don't let yourself be talked about like that and be prepared to confront him if he goes too far. Don't hesitate to record his threats to have evidence against him.
A toxic manager is never easy to manage. It is all the more difficult to manage because it is your line manager and there is always this fear of being reprimanded or even fired.
However, just because he is your superior does not mean that everything is allowed to him. It is important not to let your personality destroy you. If this toxic manager is too much to bear, you have several options: resign to get out of this downward spiral and to maintain your sanity.
Or, and if this type of management starts to have a lasting effect on your health and that of your colleagues, take legal action against him. However, be smart enough to collect evidence of his behavior to prove your claims and ensure that he is punished.
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