Reducing the Toxicity In Your Firm

by Lynn Taylor
Founder and CEO, Lynn Taylor Consulting

It’s sometimes difficult to spot a Terrible Office Tyrant™ (TOT), but sooner or later the true saber “rattles” can be seen. The calm captain in charge can turn to pieces before your very eyes. Progress is slow, accounts become stagnant and the most valuable employees begin turning in their notices.

A TOT usually masks her limitations behind a series of excuses, or worse, she blames her staff. Her insecurity is usually very evident and she brags about every little accomplishment as if she had just won the Nobel Peace Prize. She insists on having the largest office, even if that entails taking one of the two conference rooms. For this power-hungry boss, it will be quite a while before her inabilities are revealed, if ever, because she has learned to be very good at deception.

For the unfortunate underlings who have to report to a TOT, life can be quite hairy. They work and work, only for her to take the credit when the Super-TOT arrives. She also requires extensive hours of overtime with little gratitude. Those who make her look good, will occasionally be on her good-side, but forget about it if you fail to deliver.

This is not to say that employees walk on water by any means! There are plenty of baby TOTs being born every minute. But without intervention, this ship is bound to hit an iceberg, because problems that start at the top create a role model. If you have a similar situation in your office, it’s important that you put on your life vest immediately! Start observing employee morale in the office. Do your employees seem happy or do they seem overworked? Do the same people continue to receive the glory while others remain in the shadows? What do the office politics reveal?

The unfortunate result of hiring TOTs at all levels is that usually the best employees leave before you’ve had a chance to correct the problem. If possible, establish a confidential, internal survey for your employees to provide feedback or give awards based on confidential feedback. What do the employees say about their managers? What are they not saying?

It’s vital to have competent, honest people in leadership roles. If things aren’t working out for prolonged periods with a particular manager, and you sense an employee mutiny in your future…it may be time for that “executive decision.”