Help for Abrasive Leaders
As a senior executive or HR leader, have you been losing sleep worrying about a manager who….
- Has an abrasive interpersonal management style
- Over-controls, humiliates, belittles, yells or overreacts
- Triggers distress in the work environment
- Has sometimes been referred to as ‘a bully’
However, you can’t afford to lose this manager because this person is…
- A top performer who delivers great results
- Seems indispensible because of his/her expertise and skills
- Deeply dedicated to the job and the organization’s objectives
And, because of this person’s abrasive interpersonal style, you’ve been forced to deal with….
- Recurring complaints
- High turnover
- Increased sick and stress leaves
- Transfer requests
- Low morale
- Human rights or harassment complaints that have happened – or will happen any day now
- Union upset
- Legal or mediation costs
Leading to….
- Stifled innovation
- Damage to your brand’s reputation
- And… valuable executive resources wasted on dealing with this matter. (Or worrying about it.)
You may have tried any or all of the following to deal with the situation:
- Talked with this manager to help him/her change
- Implemented workarounds or changed his/her role to minimize interface with others
- Offered coaching
- Conducted assessments (360’s, personality inventories etc)
- Spent money on training in areas such as communication and interpersonal skills
But nothing seemed to work.
Or maybe something did work, but only partially.
Faced with this conundrum, you might be thinking that right now, you only have two options, and neither of them is palatable:
Option #1: Fire them. The problem is, this option will involve….
- Departure costs (‘Package’, outplacement services)
- Replacement costs (recruiters, business suffering while replacement gets up to speed)
- Loss of business that will leave with her/him
- Loss of the manager’s considerable – possibly irreplaceable – expertise and talent
- Cost of acquiring new customers vs. retaining existing ones
- Damage to customer and supplier relationships
- Legal costs if s/he sues
Option #2: Put up with the behaviour. Here’s what this option will cost you:
- Lower employee engagement
- Reduced productivity
- Diminished innovation
- Distracting executives through time wasted on non bottom-line activities while dealing with or worrying about the problem
- Employees spending time reacting to the abrasive manager instead of focusing on real work
- Staff who ‘resign and stay’
- Abrasive behaviour becoming contagious, as it is perceived to be sanctioned by the organization
- Current or future human rights complaints
- Harassment litigation
Here’s some good news. There now is another way.
OPTION NO. #3: KEEP THE PERSON – AND HELP THEM CHANGE
You are not helpless, and contrary to common belief, abrasive managers are not hopeless.
Our Boss Whispering® program is designed specifically for abrasive leaders. This program will help the abrasive manager develop non-destructive management strategies and, as a result, restore a productive work environment.
Demonstrable results are evident within the first 8 weeks of launching the program.
Our Boss Whispering® program brings to you a win-win-win solution:
- The abrasive manager changes their interpersonal style and is now able to perform at their true best
- The organization – and you personally – can rest assured that the risks posed by the abrasive behaviour are eradicated. No longer do you have to worry about complaints, litigation, brand reputation and bleeding talent!
- You get to retain one of your best performers
- Everyone in the environment can finally perform at their best, now that they’re no longer subject to an atmosphere saturated with fear and anxiety.
To further assess the risk to your organization, contact us for your Risk Free Assessment
You might feel reluctant to address the situation. If so, your thinking may be affected by three common myths pertaining to high-performing abrasive managers.
Myth No 1: The abrasive style is a crucial component of the person’s success
Myth No 2: Those who complain about the manager’s style should acquire ‘thicker skins’
Myth No 3: You can’t teach an old dog new tricks – the manager can’t change
The reality is that none of these myths are true. In four hundred cases where the Boss Whispering® method was used, abrasive managers have shed the abrasiveness and proceeded to become even more effective leaders than they had previously been.
And the reality is that as an organization, you have a legal ‘duty of care’ responsibility toward your employees and are obliged to provide a safe (and productive) work environment for all people in your employ. In fact, in certain jurisdictions, failure to do so can result in personal liability for the officers of the company.
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