Toxic workplace
August 23, 2023

Most employees join a place of employment in a positive frame of mind: excited, motivated and eager to make a good impression. So why do good employees leave so-called excellent workplaces? Workplaces that offer above average remuneration, and maybe even other perks? 

Sadly, it is over a resolvable issue but one rarely acknowledged by management or addressed. Bad bosses. 82% of those surveyed from various professions during a GoodHire survey showed that they would potentially quit their jobs over a bad boss. 

A toxic workplace is not an inclusive workplace. With companies and organizations vying to be recognised as “inclusive”, the role of a bad boss in a toxic work culture should be recognised and urgently addressed. 

A recent Gallup poll showed that workers around the world are disengaged and stressed. This shows that effective leadership is increasingly important to retain a workforce, as today’s employees are not afraid of burning career bridges and moving on. 

The many types of bad bosses 

You know the types: the micro managers, the poor communicators, those who lack emotional intelligence and the insecure ones. You also get bosses who resort to favoritism. On the other end of the spectrum, you get the bosses who rarely check in. 

When you speak of bad bosses, micro-management is probably the most common gripe. Sadly, many of us have faced this at some point during the course of our careers. Knowing what your employees are engaged in is important. But having the confidence to delegate work and trust in your employee’s abilities without checking on them every minute is also key. Micro-management may make most employees lose confidence in themselves, which will lead to a vicious cycle of disrespect, poor quality of work and loss of creativity. 

Not far behind, are the poor communicators. By not being clear on what is required from an employee, by excluding an employee from discussions they should be a part of, by not giving an opportunity for employees to voice their concerns or seek guidance – these are all ways that poor communication comes into play. 

An office is made up of individuals of various personalities – including the boss. Lack of emotional intelligence and insecurity go hand in hand. This creates the type of boss who is not in control of their emotions and take out their frustrations on his/her team. An insecure boss will often disregard a worthy employee and exclude them from opportunities or discussions where they could contribute their expertise. 

This leads to workplace favoritism, where a few team members will receive preferential treatment over others. Not necessarily for their skills or achievements. 

On the extreme end of the spectrum of bad bosses you get the ones who rarely check in with the team. Whilst trusting your team to do their job is excellent and speaks volumes for mutual respect, it may lead to feelings of neglect and assumptions of disinterest. 

Good bosses are rare

Toxic workplace IMG 1

Whilst good bosses are rare and leave their teams grateful for their leadership, many who are promoted to leadership roles lack the qualities that will make them so.  According to the father of modern management Peter Drucker all business managers must be leaders. Which begs the question, are leaders born or made? 

There are plenty of arguments and decades of research on this.  However, the general consensus is that both are true. Some leaders are born, some leaders are made. Traits such as stress resistance, ability to delegate, being responsible and having a respectful management style can be learnt and thus should be part of training for anyone being promoted to a leadership role. 

How to train yourself to be better? 

  • Consult management books, explore management theories and then choose one that suits you and your team. 
  • Identify your weak points and build on your strengths. Enrolling in a good leadership skills coaching programme will help you achieve this.
  • Find a mentor and be a mentor. Building a long-term relationship with a mentor and by being a mentor yourself to another, you can polish the skills you are learning. 

The journey from boss to leader will not be easy but it will be worth it: your team’s productivity, motivation, and loyalty and most importantly your company’s success will thank you for it. 

(AK)

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