HOW TO RECOGNIZE HARASSMENT FROM YOUR BOSS? How do you know if your boss is irrationally difficult?
Dysfunctional is like Dilbert’s boss. Toxic is like Ebenezer Scrooge.
The first is largely due to poor leadership in their work and there is no malice in their actions. Sometimes they are just ignorant executives. But the second is much more dangerous. They are the toxic bosses who like to cause harm and stress. These signs are a surefire way to tell if your boss is more toxic or dysfunctional.
They leave you exhausted
Want to know the biggest sign your boss is toxic?
According to a study by Binghamton University, bad bosses tend to be dysfunctional or toxic, and spend a lot of time gambling in internet casinos. In other words, they make you feel weak, mentally and physically drained, and completely worthless. You almost feel less human. According to Robert Sutton, professor of organizational behavior at Stanford University, a toxic person at work is “someone who leaves you feeling humiliated, low on energy and disrespected.”
A toxic boss doesn’t care about your feelings. They put you down, yell at you, become abusive, and might even threaten you. They can also be passive-aggressive, which can make you doubt yourself. This is a delicate question to manage because reacting can often make you seem “touching” or “sensitive”. You haven’t done anything to deserve it either. You are not behind on your work or on inferior projects. They are just people without interpersonal skills.
They micromanage everything
You know you’re perfectly capable of doing your job independently, but your boss’ behavior doesn’t reflect that. They are absolutely suspicious of you and everything you do. You can’t go 10 minutes without checking in on your progress, and every decision, email broadcast, and group meeting must go before your boss to be blessed and approved. It really slows down your progress. And, progress at work is one of the keys to happiness in life.
So when your pace is as slow as a snail because of all the micromanagement, it depresses you mentally and emotionally. If you’re going through this now, here’s the secret to dealing with control freak bosses. Micromanaging is tedious and stressful, and the pressure of being managed this way can lead to the health issues we’ve already discussed.
They are humiliating
Some toxic bosses can be cruel and disrespectful. They yell at you and put you down. Almost everything they say is designed to hurt and humiliate. Maybe they also give you jobs that no one else wants to do. Or maybe they talk about your co-workers when they’re not around and you can be sure they do the same to you when your back is turned. It creates a drama-filled workplace where navigating office politics becomes your second job.
And don’t even think about having a different opinion of them because in their eyes, they are never wrong. In a nutshell, they make you feel inferior or completely worthless, not only as an employee but also as a person.
They never compliment, only criticize
When was the last time your boss said something positive about your job? With a toxic boss, you’ll rack your brains to find anything recent, even remotely.
However, they are quick to call you at the slightest mistake (even if it’s not your fault) but there are only crickets when a compliment is in order. It’s like that last Powerpoint you worked hard on to make everything perfect. You’ve put in extra hours in the evenings and maybe weekends to achieve this. There was nothing abnormal, no missing data, all content was perfect, formatting was clean and error free and yet they will point out that the script or message is not flowing properly as if it was your mistake.
The frustrating part? They are the ones who invented the logic of the story to begin with! Their reviews can also cross the line by being personal and offensive. It’s like they can’t offer any criticism without being an absolute moron.
They only think of themselves
Given the choice of doing what’s best for the company, supporting the team, or helping others in general, a toxic boss is more likely to overlook one of these options and find the means of promoting his own image, his ego and his political position within the company company.
When there is a cross-departmental project with multiple stakeholders, they will do whatever they can to advance at the expense of others. For them, it’s a zero-sum game. Throwing others “under the bus” while striving for more limelight is one of their trademark tactics to position themselves as a corporate hero in the eyes of senior management.