A 10-month period is what we had in common. Ten months of misery. Ten months with a new boss focused on fixing us because we were broken.
His toolkit was full of medieval broken management cures and was toted by a sinister unsmiling sidekick. His favorites:
Only I approve purchases. Purchase approval privileges were revoked for all employees at all levels. Invoices for equipment, office supplies, uniforms, etc. piled high in his office. Soon vendors thought we broken because we didn’t pay our bills anymore.
I decide where the money is spent. Friday pizza lunches, gift cards and morning donuts were declared a waste of money and banned. Employees started thinking we were broken, too, because all those fun and sometimes impromptu we’re-glad-you-work-here activities abruptly stopped.
Consult with me before making any decisions. Woe unto the leader who had the temerity to call a shot, even a little one. Customers and clients came to believe we were broken, too, since everyone smiled politely and said “I’ll have to get back to you on that” over and over.
Report, in writing, every thing you, and your team, did last month. A written manuscript, with tens of pages and attachments, detailing qualitative and quantitative activities and results was laboriously prepared and submitted the first of the month. The Fixer must know where all our time was going. Soon, we thought we were broken, too, because where we chose to spend our time was always the wrong choice.
I’ll never forget the day The Fixer was asked to leave. He sat in my office and cried. I cried, too, but for an entirely different reason.
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Jane,
This story’s hard to believe because the guy’s a caricature of “bad boss”. Wow. Cherry
Cherry – those of us who lived through this chuckle (we can do that now) because people do say those stories we tell just can’t be true. They are! My writing professor once zinged me for creating fiction when the assignment was nonfiction – I had written a story about the time budget binders were thrown across a table!
Jane,
You demonstrate the power of storytelling with your terrific article. Your “me” manager really didn’t get it; nor did the person(s) who hired him and endorsed his mission.
Thank you for sharing.
Lawrence -
I’m honored by your kind words. One of the ironic by-products of this 10-month period was that anyone who complained was labeled as “not getting it!”
Thanks for stopping by and sharing!
Jane
What a great post & for those of us who are lucky enough to be leading teams, we should really learn what not to do.
The sad thing is that those that manage in this way, will move on with the same style to some other poor team of people & inflict the same onto them.
Thanks for sharing & reminiding me of how actions can feel to others
B
Beki -
What a leader does is like dropping a pebble into the middle of a pond — the ripples move on and out…and out. The effects can be positive or negative.
I learned much throughout my career from what I call “negative role models!”
Thanks much for sharing,
Jane
OMG, It’s like we lived the same experience with my last CEO! Nice to read it with some distance to the events as it really did do some damage to so many peoples confidence, myself included.
So happy I have discovered your blog, think I will like reading through the archives if they are all as good as this (as @mjcarty says!)
T –
Writing this post about The Fixer put me into a funk. I kept reliving everyone’s descent into self-doubt (mine, too). Many of those wounds took a long time to heal.
Delighted that you’re checking out past posts! Michael is so kind.
Look forward to future sharing,
Jane
This post nearly bought me to tears. I only had three months of similar behaviour, and I too cried at the end…but not because I was sad!!!
Thank you for sharing as I continue on my road to ‘putting it all back together again’
Katie -
Sending thoughts of self-confidence and self-efficacy your way ‘cuz folks like The Fixer sure do suck it out of you.
Sounds like you and I cried for the same reason.
Thanks for sharing,
Jane
This is an wonderfully written story. I related to so much of it. On Hershey/Blanchard’s situational leadership curve this is definintely a D1/S1 situation. What a shame that there are so many people like this out there.
May I never be like that, and may I have people I trust around me who can tell me if I begin to fall into this situation. Thank you so much.
Kate -
Thanks for pointing out the Hershey/Blanchard situational leadership curve – that’s great framing for what happened here: the low competence and support coupled with the high direction.
Perhaps we should call your last paragraph “The Leader’s Prayer”?
Thanks much for sharing,
Jane
Wow, this non-fiction story certainly has a surprise ending in the “crying” scene. Was he that clueless, or that self-absorbed?
Jennifer – great question and the answer is both!
Jane ~ All I have to say is, “sheesh”. It is interesting to note though the number of people who, having read your story have stories of their own. Theory X is apparently alive and if not well, at least well enough to continue to do damage.
Gwyn – My theory is that the bosses of “Theory X Fixers” look the other way as long as biz results remain acceptable.
Jane – I think I’ve met this leader. From other comments I take it he/she gets around a bit, or perhaps there is more than one. Do ya’ think?
You, on the other hand, are rich in wisdom and share it generously.
Bravo on an excellent post, and I have tissues if you ever meet said leader again.
Anne -honored as always by your kind words and wisdom. Here’s the punch line to the story: said Fixer asked me for a recommendation on LinkedIn!
Great post Jane. I’m glad you’re still alive after working with The Fixer. It’s remarkable how often I run across these behaviors in the workplace. It’s almost as if someone wrote a manual that said leaders should work out their personal power and control issues on their employees. I’ve always been a big fan of practicing leadership behaviors that help employees be happy instead of stifling them.
Guy – if more leaders shared your perspective, I’d bet that employee job satisfaction wouldn’t be at its lowest levels in years. The Fixer became, for me, yet another in the long line of negative role models – great teachers of what NOT to do in the workplace. Thanks much for adding to the richness of the discussion!
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Just came across your post – great example of applying fixes at the wrong level. The majority of issues that need fixing are typically generated from the top down. I was in a similar spot myself, but it was an owner, not a manager and instead of for ten months it was something new every 6 months.
Walt – I do hope your bad situation ultimately was resolved. It’s these sorts of situations that lead to low employee engagement. Thanks for sharing!
It’s resolved. No longer there. Engagement seems to be a mystery to many owners and managers, even decent ones. Happy New Year and keep up the good work!
Glad to hear the issue is resolved. From my experience, that kind of environment becomes toxic when it goes on too long.
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