How to deal with a toxic manager?

A toxic manager can cause significant damage to the functioning of a team. As a manager or employee, you must take into account this type of behavior, because it is harmful for the company.

Find out in this article what a toxic manager is, how to manage them and how transition management can respond to this problem .

1. The role of a manager

Managing a team is more than managing resources and activities: it’s a complex job that requires specific skills.

The roles of a manager are diverse:

• Generate a climate of trust,
• Motivate employees and train them,
• Achieve the goals set by management…

The manager must be able to supervise a group of people in order to provide them with their know-how in order to implement a mission. For this, he needs certain skills and qualities.

• In communication,
• In management ,
• In organization,
• Listening,
• In diplomacy,
• In crisis management.

The perfect manager must be as involved as its members in the project. He must therefore understand the objectives of the company and those of the employees. He must also create mutual trust so that the team works in the same direction as him.

2. What is a toxic manager?

1) The malicious manager

This type of manager will highlight your mistakes, no matter how small. Its objective is to subtly show your incompetence by highlighting details with no real added value.

2) The idealistic manager

This manager sets unrealistic and unattainable goals. In addition, your exchanges with him are rare given his unavailability. This can create frustration on your job.

3) The dominant manager

This type of manager abuses hierarchical power . He will tend to criticize, even to humiliate in public. This person is self-centered and has no respect for his subordinates. She uses her power to manipulate others into getting what she wants. The toxic manager makes you feel inferior in his words, in his attitude, in his behavior and in his actions. This is a case of managers quite difficult to manage.

4) The lead manager

This type of manager will tend to be more focused on results than on his team. Unfortunately, he does not adapt to the rhythm of his collaborators.

5) The extreme manager

This manager has a rather motivating attitude at the start: very dynamic, very encouraging, very invested, very demanding, very in a hurry. But, in the long term, this temperament can quickly drain employees’ energy.

2. The consequences of a toxic manager

The consequences for the employee

Faced with a toxic manager, the employee prefers to remain silent out of modesty. Unfortunately, this is how most burnouts start.

This has cognitive, emotional, somatic and behavioral consequences.

Cognitive plane

The employee will be exhausted at work and will not perform his tasks properly.

Emotional level

The employee will tend to be more stressed , anxious , irritable , to avoid contact with his colleagues or even to withdraw into himself.

Somatic plane

The employee will experience chronic pain in the back and shoulders. He may also have dizziness and poor sleep.

Behavioral plan

Employees who work for a toxic manager may develop adversarial relationships with others .

The consequences for the team

A toxic manager can do a lot of damage to a team’s morale. They end up feeling unmotivated and discouraged .

Studies have shown that toxic managers reduce employee performance :

• They are less inclined to collaborate with their team,
• They are less satisfied with their work and their remuneration,
• They have below average productivity and are therefore less productive.

For the company

It’s not just the employees who suffer the negative effects of a toxic manager , but the company as well.

You will have fewer customers and less profit. Employees are also more likely to leave their company, which can generate significant turnover.

3. How to react to a toxic manager?

1) Communicate

If, despite your efforts, you are unable to resolve the problem with your manager, the easiest way is to speak to your line manager N+2 or human resources. You can also discuss it with other colleagues, although it can be a difficult experience. Do not stay alone in this situation.

2) Take a step back

It’s also important to keep in mind that most toxic managers aren’t aware of what they’re doing. They are therefore able to learn and change. It is good to take a step back from an emotional point of view. It is easier said than done: this does not mean not taking action to solve this problem.

3) Gather evidence

It may be interesting to note the facts in a personal notebook with the time, date and context. You will put there the gestures and the words made by your toxic manager in a factual way. Also ask your manager for feedback in writing. The objective is to gather the elements in the event of a confrontation with your human resource.

4) Call on an Interim Manager

Faced with this problem, it is possible to call on an interim manager who is an expert in crisis management . Indeed, it can respond to different challenges, including crisis management, over a defined period. In addition, the Transition Manager can be responsible for implementing a new managerial policy.

A good manager is also someone who knows how to give clear and motivating orders, who is able to establish relationships of trust with others, who knows how to listen and communicate effectively. He must also be able to explain his decisions to employees without creating feelings of guilt or weakness. In the event of a crisis in your organization, call on Reactive Executive who will find solutions adapted to your needs and your situation.