The toxic boss is one of the worst ills that can befall the workplace. Like a parent pressing over an unhappy home, he or she excells at making employees miserable

Adrian Furnham

The workplace, like the home, can become psychologically toxic if dysfunctional people are in charge. Studies have shown that parents in dysfunctional families have “toxic” characteristics, including moodiness, egocentricity and selfishness, that stifle a child’s development and create an unhappy atmosphere. The same can happen at work.

A dysfunctional – or toxic – manager can, often in a short period of time, create distrust and disaffection in the office. Worse, he or she may act as a model of dysfunctionality to young staff who learn to regard such behaviour as normal.To many people, especially the young, managers act in loco parentis. They can have considerable influence over the health, happiness and future of their staff. They can create an environment that allows employees to give of their best. They can stretch staff by setting achievable but challenging goals and they can offer support and guidance. But some managers create a working environment that poisons people’s lives.

Manfred Kets de Vries, professor of management and leadership at Insead school of management in Fonteinebleau, France, has observed that entire organisations can become toxic because dysfunctional senior managers have imposed their character on the company. It is as though they are spreading a disease that brings chaos in its wake.

Management consultants who have had to deal with dysfunctional managers often talk about practices that are little short of startling. Such managers create unhappiness and reduce productivity and morale, and they can also, over time, be the cause of extreme stress and even nervous breakdowns in staff.

The toxic boss, like a deliquent child, may have come from a dysfunctional home or have been socialised in a dysfunctional organisation. Antisocial people have often had a miserable upbringing that they perpetuate in the workplace and at home.

So what are the symptoms of a toxic manager? The following characteristics are typical:

· Inconsistency and unpredictability are the hallmarks of dysfunctional managers. No one can ever be sure what they will do or say next. An important function of a parent or manager is to create a sense of security in an insecure world, not the opposite. Dysfunctional managers often go beyond inconsistency, giving contradictory messages that are difficult for staff to interpret.

· Dysfunctional managers fly off the handle easily and show little emotional sensitivity. They can be moody, especially when stressed themselves, and can harbour grudges for long periods of time. Jokes will usually backfire, unless, of course, it is the manager himself who is making them.

· Hedonism and self-indulgence are common characteristics. Dysfunctional managers are often fond of a round of golf on a Friday afternoon, expensive lunches and smart office furniture. These indulgences can induce feelings of irritation or envy among staff – but if a manager’s pleasures are addictive, such as alcohol or drug misuse, they can be highly damaging to a company.

· Lack of long-term planning is common. The dysfunctional parent or manager lives every day as it comes. Not surprisingly, he or she suffers serious setbacks when unexpected things happen.

· Dysfunctional managers are often distiguished by their restlessness and short attention span. In extreme cases, they appear to seek out excitement and thrills. Some will ever look for situations that are commercially or physically dangerous for the sake of stimulation.

· Inability to learn from thei mistakes is common among toxic bosses. They also show a deep distrust of any kind of learning or self-improvement. They often feel that they know best and will brook no arguments from staff who may challenge them.

· The skill-based seminar is not for dysfunctional managers. Few show any interest in attaining new skills. They trust to experience, luck or gut feeling. They are often loath to invest in training for their staff. Worse still, they do not value staff who try to acquire extra skills.

· The typical dysfunctional manager is the exact opposite of the stereotype of a reserved and controlled Enlishman. Such people show poor emotional control, letting their feelings out in inappropriate ways. They may shout and weep, sulk and gush and show little embarassment at doing so. This tendency is more likely to be caused by a personality trait than to be the result of encouragement by new-age therapists.

· Perpetual low-grade physical illness is another sign of dysfunctional bosses. They get more coughs, colds and chills than other staff. They are not health-conscious and will often take more time off than is normal for sickness.

The cure for dysfunctional managers is often not worth the effort. Some might argue that they would benefit from councelling; their staff would probably argue that they really need cancelling.

The Times

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