How to Engage or Elude 'Monster Managers'

Some small businesses can't afford in-house legal counsel or large human resources departments to keep "bad apple" managers under control.

Daunting Data

Sometimes statistics can help tell the story. To wit:

According to a recent Gallup survey on the "State of the American Manager," only 35% of managers are engaged at work!

• “41 percent of U.S. workers said they observed unethical or illegal misconduct on the job.” (Source: Ethics Resource Center’s National Business Ethics Survey). And many aggrieved victims don't speak out due to fear of retaliation. 
• “Globally, only 28 percent of [people] believe that businesses follow ethical practices.” (Source: Edleman Trust Barometer Survey). Or, put another way, 7 out of 10 people think most companies are unethical.
• “Managers are responsible for 60 percent of workplace misconduct.” (Source: Ethics Resource Center). That's a sky high rate of potential monster managers in companies with hundreds or thousands of employees.

But consider this telling statistic which speaks volumes about employer ethics:

• “Only 20 percent of workers reported seeing misconduct in companies where ethical cultures are strong, compared with 88 percent who witnessed wrongdoing in companies with the weakest cultures.” (Source: National Business Ethics Survey).

Laying the Foundation

This is why it's critically important for executive management and leadership to comprehend the true extent of the problem, as well as the negative repercussions, rather than sweeping it under the rug.

In essence, it simply makes good business sense for all employers to make sure their organizations are built on a foundation of strong ethics, as well as professional conduct and personal values.

Effectuating an ethical office environment usually equates with fewer monster managers and a more positive, healthy workplace. This benefits employees and management alike. Yes, a win-win!

But what should YOU do when trying to fend off a monster manager? What are some of the best and worst options?

Following are some suggestions for discussion...

Stay, Flee or Fight

Five ways to engage with, or escape from, monster managers include (but are not limited to) the following:

1) Taking it on the Chin. Playing nice while absorbing the abominable behavior because you need that paycheck. Engage the monster manager by doing what you're told and marching in lockstep.

2) Taking Flight. Elude the monster manager by seeking a transfer to another department within the company or to a different location like a field office. Often times, abused workers can find solace in a new office environment within a large organization.  

3) Hitting the Road.  Escape from monster manager by seeking new employment ASAP, whether or not you remain with the company during the interim. Many employees exposed to monster managers simply leave rather than fight. 

4) Spreading the Word.  Engage the monster manager through passive-aggressive action. An example is starting a water cooler conversation to get the word out about the misconduct. It's possible other victims exist who are suffering in silence. Often times, workers targeted by monster managers don't want to speak out and stand alone. 

5) Fighting Back. Engage the monster manager directly by standing up, speaking out loudly and bravely fighting for your rights. This might include filing an internal complaint with the company's Human Resources Department. It might also involve mediation, arbitration, or private litigation -- if all else fails.

But fighting management abuse also poses serious risks, some of which include being frozen out, demoted, retaliated against or fired. That's why you should only consider fighting back if all other options fail and, as the saying goes, you're "mad as hell and can't take it anymore."

You also might like:

Should Managers Be Feared or Loved? (March  23, 2016 on beBee Producer)

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David B. Grinberg is a proud beBee Brand Ambassador with prior work experience in the White House, U.S. Congress, federal government agencies, national news media and elsewhere. In addition to beBee, you can find David on Twitter, Medium and LinkedIn.