news 45

* "The boss got the job done. There was no question about that. But while getting it done, he allegedly threw a tape dispenser at a contractor who complained about a lack of funds. He is said to have made nasty remarks about her weight and sexual orientation. He is accused of trying to fire people who disagreed with him. A high-up official recently called this boss a "serial abuser" of low-level employees and a "quintessential kiss-up, kick-down sort of guy."

"As many know, the boss being so described is John R. Bolton, the undersecretary of state for arms control, President Bush's nominee for ambassador to the United Nations. Tales of his management style came out of Senate testimony during recent confirmation hearings. Bolton , if one is to believe the testimony, some of which has been denied by his colleagues, is the ultimate Bully-Boss."

*Big Bad Boss Tales: Overbearing Management Styles Are All the Rage. Did We Say Rage? By Amy Joyce, Staff Writer, Washington Post, Sunday, May 29, 2005 ; Page F01

Abuse, sometimes blended with illegal financial activities, has toppled many top executives, including Martha Stewart, Richard M. Scrushy (former HealthSouth CEO), Bernard J. Ebbers's (former CEO of MCI), Joe L. Allbritton (former Chairman of Riggs Bank), and Carly Fiorina (former CEO Hewlett-Packard).

Bully-bosses say they care about their companies. They don't. If good leaders unite employees around a common goal and empower them to bring all they can to achieve this goal, these leaders' score an "F".

These bully-boss' threaten, intimidate and make workers feel they have no power. Publicly intimidating one person makes everyone else cower in the boss's presence. Their scare tactics crush morale, alienating everyone. If the bully-boss ends up in court he or she gets little support from former subordinates and co-workers when it comes time for testimony.

About 90 percent of all workers have dealt with a bully-boss, according to Jane Middelton-Moz, clinical psychologist and co-author of Bullies: From The Playground to the Boardroom. Victims of workplace bullying may soon have recourse in some states against their aggressive bosses. In what is considered the first workplace bully case of its kind, a jury ordered an Indiana surgeon in March to pay a former hospital employee $325,000 in lost wages after a 2001 incident in which the doctor screamed and lunged at the worker.*

Anti-bullying laws exist in Australia , Canada and Great Britain . Hopefully they will be coming soon to your neighborhood. Bullying behavior exists only if the company culture allows it. Rigid hierarchies actually encourage autocratic behavior. Autocratic CEOs encourage similar behavior in middle managers.

Picture you least favorite boss or national figure and check off the boxes that apply.

__ Act submissive and obedient in the face of authority--to those above, and dictatorial and aggressive to those with less authority--those below?

__ Hurt your career if you resist him (let you know it's his way or the highway)?

__ See information that contradicts his position as threatening (rather than informative)?

__ Crave simple answers to complex questions (Well it either is or it isn't. Just say 'yes' or 'no')?

__ Believe that there is one right way to do things (that other people's opinions are "wrong")?

__ Does not seem to understand the way the world is made (sees it only his way)?

__ Believe spiritual forces influence what he does ("I'm following God's will")?

Remember that most people are not natural-born authoritarians. In companies, 90% of authoritarian behavior reflects the organization's culture and the example set by top leaders. Most of us are flexible and can behave in a bullying or bossy way if the culture asks us to. However if the culture becomes more open and the bully-boss does not respond by becoming more open, he or she may have a deep seated need to bully; that is, he may be a full blown authoritarian. A carefully managed culture will not encourage or tolerate these destructive patterns.

There is little you can do about a full blown authoritarian, bully-boss. Until somebody more powerful than they are stops them, they won't stop. Because these bullying authoritarians severely stress employees, they cost companies big dollars, not just by demotivating employees but by sometimes pushing them to the point of collapse, or worse. Reporting autocrats to an empathetic senior manager or to the Human Resources Department usually gets results, but if it doesn't, the whistleblower must be ready for the "get even" reaction from the bully. That may be why most employees don't report bullies. Most employees choose to lay low and move elsewhere when they can.

If you are on the same level as, or above, such a person, your best strategy is to confront them by using their own language--"power". Display your own "power", your own forceful control. Be firm and direct about managing in a more open, participatory manner. Don't yield to or tolerate their aggressive push for control.

I am disappointed that our nation's President would even consider rewarding such antisocial and unproductive behavior.

** Adorno, T., Frankel-Brunswik, E., Levinson, D. and Sanford, R. (1950). The Authoritarian Personality. New York : Harper.

I hope you find the newsletters interesting and useful. If you have comments or questions, please email me barry@meridiangrp.net

If you want new tools to improve your workplace, you will find them in this book. A 187 page toolkit of practical information and examples. For more information on the book, click on the Amazon logo.



	Site Map \| FAQ \| Search A Better Workplace --- Meridian Group's Newsletter, Number 45, 6-15-05
	__________________________________________________________ The Boss Got the Job Done--Wrong Job! Bully-bosses might win the fight, but they always lose the war. * "The boss got the job done. There was no question about that. But while getting it done, he allegedly threw a tape dispenser at a contractor who complained about a lack of funds. He is said to have made nasty remarks about her weight and sexual orientation. He is accused of trying to fire people who disagreed with him. A high-up official recently called this boss a "serial abuser" of low-level employees and a "quintessential kiss-up, kick-down sort of guy." "As many know, the boss being so described is John R. Bolton, the undersecretary of state for arms control, President Bush's nominee for ambassador to the United Nations. Tales of his management style came out of Senate testimony during recent confirmation hearings. Bolton , if one is to believe the testimony, some of which has been denied by his colleagues, is the ultimate Bully-Boss." Big Bad Boss Tales: Overbearing Management Styles Are All the Rage. Did We Say Rage? By Amy Joyce, Staff Writer, Washington Post, Sunday, May 29, 2005 ; Page F01 Abuse, sometimes blended with illegal financial activities, has toppled many top executives, including Martha Stewart, Richard M. Scrushy (former HealthSouth CEO), Bernard J. Ebbers's (former CEO of MCI), Joe L. Allbritton (former Chairman of Riggs Bank), and Carly Fiorina (former CEO Hewlett-Packard). They Don't Really Care for Their Company* Bully-bosses say they care about their companies. They don't. If good leaders unite employees around a common goal and empower them to bring all they can to achieve this goal, these leaders' score an "F". These bully-boss' threaten, intimidate and make workers feel they have no power. Publicly intimidating one person makes everyone else cower in the boss's presence. Their scare tactics crush morale, alienating everyone. If the bully-boss ends up in court he or she gets little support from former subordinates and co-workers when it comes time for testimony. Bully-Bosses are All Too Common About 90 percent of all workers have dealt with a bully-boss, according to Jane Middelton-Moz, clinical psychologist and co-author of Bullies: From The Playground to the Boardroom. Victims of workplace bullying may soon have recourse in some states against their aggressive bosses. In what is considered the first workplace bully case of its kind, a jury ordered an Indiana surgeon in March to pay a former hospital employee $325,000 in lost wages after a 2001 incident in which the doctor screamed and lunged at the worker.* Anti-bullying laws exist in Australia , Canada and Great Britain . Hopefully they will be coming soon to your neighborhood. Bullying behavior exists only if the company culture allows it. Rigid hierarchies actually encourage autocratic behavior. Autocratic CEOs encourage similar behavior in middle managers. The Bully Boss (Authoritarian) Check List** Picture you least favorite boss or national figure and check off the boxes that apply. Does he, or she: Power/Authority __ Act submissive and obedient in the face of authority--to those above, and dictatorial and aggressive to those with less authority--those below? __ Enjoy exploiting, dominating and controlling others? __ Like to "get even" with those he thinks crossed him? __ Hurt your career if you resist him (let you know it's his way or the highway)? __ Believe might makes right (and his view has to dominate)? __ Belittle subordinates or others "weaker" than they are? __ See winning as not just the main thing, but the only thing? Control/Rigidity __ Withhold information and try to control outcomes? __ Stifle open discussions, pushing for simple, hasty decisions? __ See information that contradicts his position as threatening (rather than informative)? __ Ask that reports exclude information that does not support his position? __ See a problem as something to control (not just to solve)? __ Not understand win-win solutions (only win-lose, and he has to win)? __ Seem threatened by democratic, participatory organizations? Conformity/Prejudice __ Show prejudice towards people or groups that are not conventional? __ Like predictable settings where he can exercise control over "deviants? __ Crave simple answers to complex questions (Well it either is or it isn't. Just say 'yes' or 'no')? __ Believe that there is one right way to do things (that other people's opinions are "wrong")? __ Does not seem to understand the way the world is made (sees it only his way)? __ Seem intolerant of flexible, risk-taking, open cultures? And on a more exotic or personal level: __ Not admit to personal weaknesses (seems exaggeratedly strong or tough)? __ Does not have close friends (cannot really like anybody)? __ Occasionally break into violence or inappropriate anger? __ Believe there is a lot of sexual "hanky-panky" going on (in the workplace)? __ Believe spiritual forces influence what he does ("I'm following God's will")? __ Seem often tired, tense, and humorless (rarely laughs at himself)? Your Options for Action Remember that most people are not natural-born authoritarians. In companies, 90% of authoritarian behavior reflects the organization's culture and the example set by top leaders. Most of us are flexible and can behave in a bullying or bossy way if the culture asks us to. However if the culture becomes more open and the bully-boss does not respond by becoming more open, he or she may have a deep seated need to bully; that is, he may be a full blown authoritarian. A carefully managed culture will not encourage or tolerate these destructive patterns. There is little you can do about a full blown authoritarian, bully-boss. Until somebody more powerful than they are stops them, they won't stop. Because these bullying authoritarians severely stress employees, they cost companies big dollars, not just by demotivating employees but by sometimes pushing them to the point of collapse, or worse. Reporting autocrats to an empathetic senior manager or to the Human Resources Department usually gets results, but if it doesn't, the whistleblower must be ready for the "get even" reaction from the bully. That may be why most employees don't report bullies. Most employees choose to lay low and move elsewhere when they can. If you are on the same level as, or above, such a person, your best strategy is to confront them by using their own language--"power". Display your own "power", your own forceful control. Be firm and direct about managing in a more open, participatory manner. Don't yield to or tolerate their aggressive push for control. I am disappointed that our nation's President would even consider rewarding such antisocial and unproductive behavior. Adorno, T., Frankel-Brunswik, E., Levinson, D. and Sanford, R. (1950). The Authoritarian Personality**. New York : Harper. Barry Phegan I hope you find the newsletters interesting and useful. If you have comments or questions, please email me barry@meridiangrp.net If you want new tools to improve your workplace, you will find them in this book. A 187 page toolkit of practical information and examples. For more information on the book, click on the Amazon logo. .



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