Fear in the Workplace: The Bullying Boss
The New York Times > Health > Mental Health & Behavior > Fear in the Workplace: The Bullying Boss
This interesting article in the New York Times, about bullying bosses got me to thinking about my bosses over the years. I vividly recall one boss, Gordon, who was an aggressive and volatile bully. I can still recall watching him publicly dress down an employee; this brutal display of power and lack of respect for another still sticks with me as a vivid and distasteful image–after more than forty years! We worked hard for Gordon out of fear for similar treatment. But I wouldn’t say we were as productive as we could be. We worked to stay out of trouble, not to do well for our customers. There’s a big difference.
I can also recall working for more passive bullies, such as Bob. Bob was smart, had a compassionate streak, but could cut you to ribbons with his words. I think he always meant well, for he sincerely believed in the business we were in. But he could be a terror, too. I recall one time, a few of us played a small practical joke on him; we shifted his desk drawers around while he was away, even moving some to the back of our work area. He didn’t say a word when he discovered it, just went around picking up and putting things together again. He emitted a powerful, though silent anger which stifled any humor we anticipated from our joke. We worked hard to please Bob. He didn’t grant praise often, so his praise was unusual and treasured.
I’ve also worked for benevolent bosses, those who you just knew would be supportive of you no matter what you did. For these bosses, I worked more creatively and fearlessly. I took more chances and stretched much farther because I didn’t fear making a mistake.
The Times article indicates research, surprisingly, found that employees were nearly as productive for bullying bosses as supportive bosses. I find that hard to believe based on my personal experiences.
I’m interested in your experiences with bullying bosses.
Jerry