My former boss (owner of a small business) showed both the traits you talk about, and is a large part of why I decided to leave that position and go elsewhere.
My former boss would be relatively fine for the most parts, until something went wrong and then he would explode (sometimes not outwardly. Sometimes it was in his mood, his demeanor, his speech etc). Similarly, he was always making comments about how he fired this person for this and that person for that... didn't exactly make you feel too secure in your job, having a feeling over you all the time that "if I do make an honest mistake" that I would be fired over it...
Not the IDEAL working arrangement...
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A subject very close to home for me. My husband told his bosses yesterday that he was finished in his job. One day they tell him he is the lynchpin of the company, the next they're shouting at him for not doing this or that and this is when they have not passed on the needed information. This is a problem with having two bosses (they're brothers btw), the left hand didn't know what the right was doing and when he would tell whichever one of them was having a go at him at any particular time, their answer was, "I'm the boss, do what I say, not him"!
He told them it was now affecting his home life & he's not prepared to put up with that. We've lived this kind of life for the past year & I can safely say, it's the first time in 25 years I've actually contemplated asking him to leave. His moods were always explosive when he would come home, even during the day when he would ring, I didn't want to speak to him as all I heard was anger and more anger, I'm glad he's seen how it is affecting us all at last.
Bosses that have no idea how to treat their staff will end up with an empty work force, but.................they can't see it.
He told them it was now affecting his home life & he's not prepared to put up with that. We've lived this kind of life for the past year & I can safely say, it's the first time in 25 years I've actually contemplated asking him to leave. His moods were always explosive when he would come home, even during the day when he would ring, I didn't want to speak to him as all I heard was anger and more anger, I'm glad he's seen how it is affecting us all at last.
Bosses that have no idea how to treat their staff will end up with an empty work force, but.................they can't see it.
Sounds like we had very similar bosses... (Mine were a husband and wife team that owned ran their own business).
If the wife came and asked me to do something and I would let her know that yes I could do it, but it was lower on the priority list than other items, she would then go to the husband who would come out and "re-organise" priorities !!!
Towards the end of the 10 months I was working there, it was the first time that I can honestly say that I just did not want to turn up to work to do my job. This went on for a number of weeks, (not wanting to just throw things in...) but I came to realise that things were not going to change and that for my own benefit, I was the one who HAD to make the change...
I am now working for a new employer than is nothing like the old one at all and so far loving every minute of it !!
If the wife came and asked me to do something and I would let her know that yes I could do it, but it was lower on the priority list than other items, she would then go to the husband who would come out and "re-organise" priorities !!!
Towards the end of the 10 months I was working there, it was the first time that I can honestly say that I just did not want to turn up to work to do my job. This went on for a number of weeks, (not wanting to just throw things in...) but I came to realise that things were not going to change and that for my own benefit, I was the one who HAD to make the change...
I am now working for a new employer than is nothing like the old one at all and so far loving every minute of it !!
..work-related problems, are an inherent lack of respect, and a top-heavy approach to "underlings". I have worked for many businesses in South Africa(many of them BPO's, working with the European market) and what I experienced in the workplace was that " I-cant-do-anything-wrong-because-I-am-in-a-leadership-position" kind of attitude. The basic tenet of this philosophy is that sub-ordinates are inherently less important than I as a Team Leader, manager etc etc. "I know better" is a chant I often hear. This kind of attitude results in many resignations of really GOOD professionals leaving. I work for a technical BPO now, and the younger people are brilliant at getting technical concepts. When leadership positions become available, these youngsters are given the positions, based on their technical brilliance. However, their people skills, stink! This creates in turn, de-motivated employees, and serves to hasten the departure of well-rounded employees. I refuse to be de-motivated.
..of what has been said before, is merely this. The Top-heavy approach, where, if you find yourself in a leadership position, then it is assumed that you are automatically cleverer, ,more professional, better than your "underlings". Bulldust!
And what solved it? These causes are most interesting.....
Abnormal or extreme employee behaviours often have their root causes elsewhere.
1. Health problems for self or a close family member.
2. Midlife crisis.
3. Sensitive personal problems that the employee is unable or unwilling to openly discuss.
4. A management promise (verbal or written) not fulfilled.
5. Poor knowledge or training on stress management.
A coach should see if he can extract such information before taking any action.
1. Health problems for self or a close family member.
2. Midlife crisis.
3. Sensitive personal problems that the employee is unable or unwilling to openly discuss.
4. A management promise (verbal or written) not fulfilled.
5. Poor knowledge or training on stress management.
A coach should see if he can extract such information before taking any action.
I agree. 1 to 5 are typical causes.
Maybe we can differentiate between immediate and root causes. Whatever we call it, these can happen when the following come together :
A) prolonged exposure to items 1 to 5 (stress) especially in a B) very corporate (stiff upper lip) type environment that is at same time very C) performance driven .
Ultimately this affects your psychology / hormonal / neurotransmitter chemical balance in your body which in turn result in behavioural change.
It looks to me that the individual is exhibiting a mild anxiety-psychosis disorder.
We all think that we are grown up once we pass college or some stage in life. In reality, our emotional and physical makeup continues to change in response to age and external forces. Even mountains are not permananet and change with the stresses of weather and time !
Probably a visit to a psychologist would have helped this VP just as much, or maybe the career coach knew about this aspect.
Maybe we can differentiate between immediate and root causes. Whatever we call it, these can happen when the following come together :
A) prolonged exposure to items 1 to 5 (stress) especially in a B) very corporate (stiff upper lip) type environment that is at same time very C) performance driven .
Ultimately this affects your psychology / hormonal / neurotransmitter chemical balance in your body which in turn result in behavioural change.
It looks to me that the individual is exhibiting a mild anxiety-psychosis disorder.
We all think that we are grown up once we pass college or some stage in life. In reality, our emotional and physical makeup continues to change in response to age and external forces. Even mountains are not permananet and change with the stresses of weather and time !
Probably a visit to a psychologist would have helped this VP just as much, or maybe the career coach knew about this aspect.
I can't make a strong decision from this small excerpt, but this looks to me like piper horse!
Sorry, John McKee and regret for the guy you have wrote about.
Sorry, John McKee and regret for the guy you have wrote about.
I beleive that we are all capable of losing perspective on ourselves and our behaviours. All of us. Sometimes, as another poster pointed out, it's a major life event that's brought out some unflattering qualities, sometimes it's fear...there is no "job security" these days, just as there is precious little loyalty...unrealistic expectations, mounting workloads, family issues, etc. Any of these, let alone combinations of them, can be the cause of an individual exhibiting behaviours that are not typical to them. The nosedive in performance is telling as well.
If an individual is valued by the organization they are with, it's worth the investment in time and resources to try and help that person recognize and modify their behaviours. If it's personal, you can't fix it. If it's work-related you may or may not be able to fix it. But you can help that indivdual recognize the destructive behaviours, the triggers for them, and help them learn how to manage/modify them.
I don't hink these things are either obvious or overstated...but I do think that it's important to discuss. For management, it's important that ongoing training and self-evaluation be part of our lives.
If an individual is valued by the organization they are with, it's worth the investment in time and resources to try and help that person recognize and modify their behaviours. If it's personal, you can't fix it. If it's work-related you may or may not be able to fix it. But you can help that indivdual recognize the destructive behaviours, the triggers for them, and help them learn how to manage/modify them.
I don't hink these things are either obvious or overstated...but I do think that it's important to discuss. For management, it's important that ongoing training and self-evaluation be part of our lives.
One of the duties of a boss is to know their people. It's perfectly OK to ask during a one-on-one "how's things at home?" If there's a problem and there's a good open boss-subordinate relationship, that employee will likely speak his mind. If you sense there's a larger issue looming in this person's life, most employers have an Employee Assistance Program - refer the employee to the program - assure him there's no penalty for doing so, that it's very confidential - and in fact most programs are arranged so that the employer only knows how many employees used it, but not who.
On the other hand, if your management style is that you prefer not to deal with personal/personnel issues, or that you tend to sweep little things under the carpet all the time - sooner or later it will catch up to you and sooner or later you're dealing with a major issue that may require you make some very difficult decisions.
Once we had someone working here - turned out she had a drug problem. The problem was ignored, positive drug tests were swept under the carpet. The person's supervisor preferred not to deal with personal issues with employees. Next thing you know, this employee is in the hospital with a gunshot wound over a drug deal gone bad. Her issues were not a guarded secret - but her boss decided not to deal with it and let it slide over the years.
I think as managers, we all have an obligation to ensure that our employees are happy and satisfied - both at work and at home. While there's little we can do to improve their home lives, the very least we can do is to open our doors, communicate regularly with our employees, and if we sense something's not right - to make sure they get the help they need. Many people don't cry out for help on their own - but you'd be surprised how willing they are to talk about it if someone merely asks "how are things today?"
On the other hand, if your management style is that you prefer not to deal with personal/personnel issues, or that you tend to sweep little things under the carpet all the time - sooner or later it will catch up to you and sooner or later you're dealing with a major issue that may require you make some very difficult decisions.
Once we had someone working here - turned out she had a drug problem. The problem was ignored, positive drug tests were swept under the carpet. The person's supervisor preferred not to deal with personal issues with employees. Next thing you know, this employee is in the hospital with a gunshot wound over a drug deal gone bad. Her issues were not a guarded secret - but her boss decided not to deal with it and let it slide over the years.
I think as managers, we all have an obligation to ensure that our employees are happy and satisfied - both at work and at home. While there's little we can do to improve their home lives, the very least we can do is to open our doors, communicate regularly with our employees, and if we sense something's not right - to make sure they get the help they need. Many people don't cry out for help on their own - but you'd be surprised how willing they are to talk about it if someone merely asks "how are things today?"
what would you say if the "biggest impediment to success" was the CEO himself? when does a co-worker speak up - or does he/she?
I have a boss who is very, very good at what he does. Problem is, he is a perfectionist and has one heck of a temper! He's very frugal with his trust. He has a hard time delegating anything of any size, or much consequnce, because he feels he's the only one that can do it "right". Which "right" is his way only. He gets so angry, when one or more of our staff "messes up" that I've seen him slam his fist down on a calculator and smash it, throw a desk clock across the room, and tear off the front of his desk drawer, all in one fit of rage! His hand was swollen and sore for days! and I've seen this behavior many times over the years I've worked with him. Our staff often feels like they have to walk on eggshells around him. But, he does care a great deal about our company and takes great ownership. Like I said, he's very good at what he does, and gets results, so upper management just ignores his temper and fits of rage. None of the staff will complain about his temper because he is to well liked by upper management and they fear reprisal. Anyone in a similar situation?
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