Does your working team suffer from disharmony? The manager continually creates tension, but never appreciates good points? It is important to learn to distinguish when things are just about right and when the working environment is becoming toxic under someone's management. The About Management website has prepared a helpful guide on how to deal with such people before they affect working results.
Bad leadership is reflected negatively in the productivity of the company and in increasing costs. The environment in a large company infested by a toxic boss disrupts relationships very badly and saps all the employees’ energy to work. A small company may eventually disintegrate, irrespective of previous procedures and results.
How to detect toxicity in management?
You can notice the first signals from the employees themselves. So, try as much as possible to keep in touch with them and perceive all the possible signs of dissatisfaction with management. Do your employees confer with you or, on the contrary, are they afraid to say something? Their fear may be caused precisely by an incompetent person in a managerial position.
If you do not have enough information, talk also with current or even former clients. Do not ask directly about a particular person, but note supplementary comments on questions concerning the strengths of management.
Toxicity from management is also reflected in the personnel issue. Explore overhead costs too. Is it suspicious to you that people within the same team are leaving in too short a period? Why does one department have higher costs for overtime than others? How is it possible that employees in the same team were too often sick or took a longer holiday than in another department? These questions must be answered.
Can it be treated?
Even a toxic manager has to be good at something; otherwise, he or she would not have obtained this position. It is up to you to assess the contribution of the individual concerned and, on the other hand, the cost to your company. If productivity has increased by 10% above the average for a given time, this is a different situation than when staffing costs are up by 5%. Do the calculations.
The decision what to do with such a manager depends on the circumstances. Coaching or advanced management training can help. Alternatively, you may consider a transfer to a position with less responsibility for the team. Check also if the goals are not achievable for the manager, who as a result stresses his or her subordinates.
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