几十年前,许多高强度的工作场所造就了这样的场景:强势的雇主肆无忌惮地大喊大叫,还骚扰员工。性别歧视和种族主义也更为普遍,而且员工往往没有可靠的投诉途径。但时过境迁,现在大多数大公司的人力资源部门都不赞成对员工大喊大叫、贬低或恐吓等老式的霸凌策略。“传统的恃强凌弱型雇主”时代已基本终结。
当然,这并不意味着人力资源部门已经让恃强凌弱型雇主绝迹。职场霸凌仍然存在,而且很普遍——只是不太张扬罢了。那些想要强行行使权力而无需受谴责的雇主们已经转向采取更为隐蔽的策略。
伦敦经济学院(London School of Economics)的劳动经济学家格蕾丝·洛丹通过对500多名员工的采访,发现了当代恃强凌弱型雇主的四种原型。以下是如何判断你可能为哪种类型的雇主工作,以及如何应对的方法。
当代恃强凌弱型雇主
当代恃强凌弱型雇主是传统的反复无常型雇主的延伸,是人力资源时代的升级版。他们不是大喊大叫,而是通过限制目标员工参与工作或晋升来达到骚扰的目的。
洛丹告诉《财富》杂志:“他们很精明,所以不会大发雷霆。他们更冷静,对他们不喜欢的人,他们往往会忽视、孤立和排斥。”
根据洛丹的说法,这可能表现为雇主“忘记”邀请目标员工参加几次会议,或者无视他们提出的请求(谋求新发展机遇)。一些雇主还拒绝处理员工的投诉,从本质上说,他们让受害者无法为工作场所做出贡献,并对他们不理不睬。
如果你发现自己在为当代恃强凌弱型雇主工作,与雇主保持身体上和工作上的距离是关键。受害者应建立雇主无法渗透的保护网,甚至更频繁地移动办公桌或远程办公,以尽量减少与霸凌者的互动。
如果雇主的霸凌行为严重,而且是持续性的,员工可以保留书面记录,记录自己何时被排挤,被恶言相向,或是错过了他们应得的机会。与一次性的隐蔽侵犯行为相比,证明霸凌已成常态,可以让人力资源部门采取更多措施。这也取决于侵犯者是谁:与监督高管相比,人力资源部门更擅长监督中层管理人员,毕竟人力资源部门的设立初衷就是服务高管。
洛丹说:“面对当代恃强凌弱型雇主,你要做的就是尽可能与他们拉开距离,同时也要遵守职场规则。”他指的是按规则行事,记录不公平待遇和自己的成就。“就获得机会、升职、加薪而言,你希望这个过程尽可能透明。”
自我中心主义者
自我中心主义者的特点是自尊心极强,因此他人需要谨言慎行,避开锋芒。最重要的是,这种类型的人讨厌受到威胁,所以他们的员工永远不能锋芒毕露。
洛丹说:“与自我中心主义者一起工作的人不能鹤立鸡群,要帮助他们,并总是让他们出风头,这一点非常重要。自我中心主义者是罪魁祸首:因为他们往往雇佣那些和自己臭味相投的人。”
根据洛丹的说法,自我中心主义者雇佣和提拔与自己不谋而合的人,或者已经是他们的朋友的人,因为他们不想在未来出现分歧时觉得自己很愚蠢,或者暴露自己不了解某些情况。
如果你在为自我中心主义者工作,你必须决定自己想在多大程度上参与他们制定的游戏。如果你选择奉承他们,以他们认可的方式行事,你很可能会得到加薪和晋升,但洛丹不建议这样做。
她说:“如果你面对的是自我中心主义者,除了保持透明之外,你还得考虑一下自己究竟想走多少根钢丝绳。如果你迎合自我中心主义者,如果你让他们自我感觉良好,你可能会在公司里如鱼得水。”
洛丹补充说,自我中心主义者真正想要的是掌声,但要注意不能给他们太多掌声,因为这会导致企业经营不善。与当代恃强凌弱型雇主一样,最好的办法是避而远之,并将自己的行为记录在案。
碌碌无能的管理者
顾名思义,碌碌无能的管理者并不擅长处理工作事宜。他们在完成本职工作方面可能差强人意,但由于他们知道如何玩弄公司政治,因此,能够得到晋升。
洛丹说:“他们往往很擅长在公司内部建立关系,这就是为什么他们往往能够平步青云,而且能够在重组和并购等事件中幸存下来。不是因为他们真正胜任核心任务,而是因为他们在迎合他人方面颇有建树。”
碌碌无能的管理者与自我中心主义者有着共生关系。他们通常找到了如何迎合自我中心主义高管的方法,并被提拔为亲信。但就他们自己而言,他们也是相当善变和自私自利,比自我中心主义者更难以捉摸。
如果你有一位碌碌无能的管理者,重要的是要记住,他们是靠玩政治而不是靠工作业绩在企业中生存下来的。洛丹建议,在与这类型管理者打交道时,要俯首帖耳和保持透明,但要趁早离开。
她说:“如果你发现自己在碌碌无能的管理者手下工作,时间十分紧迫。他们的实际反应是很难预测的。如果他们犯了错误,或者事与愿违,他们很可能会把责任归咎于你。因此,一定要遵守规则,尽可能让加薪晋升等事情的所有细节都保持透明。
过于友善型雇主
过于友善型雇主似乎是大多数员工都求之不得的“麻烦”,但这本身也有问题。对于希望自己事业有成的员工来说,在一个过于友善的雇主手下工作是麻烦重重的,因为这会影响工作效率。这样的雇主太专注于讨人喜欢,以至于缺乏决断力,无法完成任务,也不会给团队带来新机会。
洛丹说:“有些领导者在了解员工,了解他们的社交生活,并通过外部途径支持他们方面游刃有余,但他们并不擅长在内部进行艰难的对话,包括绩效管理等内容。”
他们还回避对业务至关重要的讨论,比如如何实现创新或进行重组。他们希望维持一种过于快乐、轻松的氛围,而这种氛围最终与个人和企业的发展路径背道而驰。
如果你的雇主过分友善,那么与其他类型的雇主相比,他们更容易相处。洛丹建议在公司内部寻找其他机会,甚至直接向雇主提出接触新同事或调到其他团队的请求。因为他们太友善了,他们很可能会同意。
底线
洛丹在接受《财富》杂志采访时表示:“想要飞黄腾达的人,最好避开这五种典型的雇主。”(第五种是传统的恃强凌弱型雇主)。
如果无法完全缓解雇主的不良行为模式带来的影响,员工应该想办法建立严格的工作与生活界限,这样才能控制住毒性蔓延,避免给个人生活带来压力。如果竭尽全力却仍折戟沙场,还可以选择跳槽。
如果雇主对员工的职业生涯构成严重威胁,最好尽早离开,把损失降到最低。对于优柔寡断的人来说,设定严格的改进期限是一个不错的策略。虽然职场动态在过去几十年里发生了变化,但只要你找到了新工作,打包走人始终是一种选择。(财富中文网)
译者:中慧言-王芳
几十年前,许多高强度的工作场所造就了这样的场景:强势的雇主肆无忌惮地大喊大叫,还骚扰员工。性别歧视和种族主义也更为普遍,而且员工往往没有可靠的投诉途径。但时过境迁,现在大多数大公司的人力资源部门都不赞成对员工大喊大叫、贬低或恐吓等老式的霸凌策略。“传统的恃强凌弱型雇主”时代已基本终结。
当然,这并不意味着人力资源部门已经让恃强凌弱型雇主绝迹。职场霸凌仍然存在,而且很普遍——只是不太张扬罢了。那些想要强行行使权力而无需受谴责的雇主们已经转向采取更为隐蔽的策略。
伦敦经济学院(London School of Economics)的劳动经济学家格蕾丝·洛丹通过对500多名员工的采访,发现了当代恃强凌弱型雇主的四种原型。以下是如何判断你可能为哪种类型的雇主工作,以及如何应对的方法。
当代恃强凌弱型雇主
当代恃强凌弱型雇主是传统的反复无常型雇主的延伸,是人力资源时代的升级版。他们不是大喊大叫,而是通过限制目标员工参与工作或晋升来达到骚扰的目的。
洛丹告诉《财富》杂志:“他们很精明,所以不会大发雷霆。他们更冷静,对他们不喜欢的人,他们往往会忽视、孤立和排斥。”
根据洛丹的说法,这可能表现为雇主“忘记”邀请目标员工参加几次会议,或者无视他们提出的请求(谋求新发展机遇)。一些雇主还拒绝处理员工的投诉,从本质上说,他们让受害者无法为工作场所做出贡献,并对他们不理不睬。
如果你发现自己在为当代恃强凌弱型雇主工作,与雇主保持身体上和工作上的距离是关键。受害者应建立雇主无法渗透的保护网,甚至更频繁地移动办公桌或远程办公,以尽量减少与霸凌者的互动。
如果雇主的霸凌行为严重,而且是持续性的,员工可以保留书面记录,记录自己何时被排挤,被恶言相向,或是错过了他们应得的机会。与一次性的隐蔽侵犯行为相比,证明霸凌已成常态,可以让人力资源部门采取更多措施。这也取决于侵犯者是谁:与监督高管相比,人力资源部门更擅长监督中层管理人员,毕竟人力资源部门的设立初衷就是服务高管。
洛丹说:“面对当代恃强凌弱型雇主,你要做的就是尽可能与他们拉开距离,同时也要遵守职场规则。”他指的是按规则行事,记录不公平待遇和自己的成就。“就获得机会、升职、加薪而言,你希望这个过程尽可能透明。”
自我中心主义者
自我中心主义者的特点是自尊心极强,因此他人需要谨言慎行,避开锋芒。最重要的是,这种类型的人讨厌受到威胁,所以他们的员工永远不能锋芒毕露。
洛丹说:“与自我中心主义者一起工作的人不能鹤立鸡群,要帮助他们,并总是让他们出风头,这一点非常重要。自我中心主义者是罪魁祸首:因为他们往往雇佣那些和自己臭味相投的人。”
根据洛丹的说法,自我中心主义者雇佣和提拔与自己不谋而合的人,或者已经是他们的朋友的人,因为他们不想在未来出现分歧时觉得自己很愚蠢,或者暴露自己不了解某些情况。
如果你在为自我中心主义者工作,你必须决定自己想在多大程度上参与他们制定的游戏。如果你选择奉承他们,以他们认可的方式行事,你很可能会得到加薪和晋升,但洛丹不建议这样做。
她说:“如果你面对的是自我中心主义者,除了保持透明之外,你还得考虑一下自己究竟想走多少根钢丝绳。如果你迎合自我中心主义者,如果你让他们自我感觉良好,你可能会在公司里如鱼得水。”
洛丹补充说,自我中心主义者真正想要的是掌声,但要注意不能给他们太多掌声,因为这会导致企业经营不善。与当代恃强凌弱型雇主一样,最好的办法是避而远之,并将自己的行为记录在案。
碌碌无能的管理者
顾名思义,碌碌无能的管理者并不擅长处理工作事宜。他们在完成本职工作方面可能差强人意,但由于他们知道如何玩弄公司政治,因此,能够得到晋升。
洛丹说:“他们往往很擅长在公司内部建立关系,这就是为什么他们往往能够平步青云,而且能够在重组和并购等事件中幸存下来。不是因为他们真正胜任核心任务,而是因为他们在迎合他人方面颇有建树。”
碌碌无能的管理者与自我中心主义者有着共生关系。他们通常找到了如何迎合自我中心主义高管的方法,并被提拔为亲信。但就他们自己而言,他们也是相当善变和自私自利,比自我中心主义者更难以捉摸。
如果你有一位碌碌无能的管理者,重要的是要记住,他们是靠玩政治而不是靠工作业绩在企业中生存下来的。洛丹建议,在与这类型管理者打交道时,要俯首帖耳和保持透明,但要趁早离开。
她说:“如果你发现自己在碌碌无能的管理者手下工作,时间十分紧迫。他们的实际反应是很难预测的。如果他们犯了错误,或者事与愿违,他们很可能会把责任归咎于你。因此,一定要遵守规则,尽可能让加薪晋升等事情的所有细节都保持透明。
过于友善型雇主
过于友善型雇主似乎是大多数员工都求之不得的“麻烦”,但这本身也有问题。对于希望自己事业有成的员工来说,在一个过于友善的雇主手下工作是麻烦重重的,因为这会影响工作效率。这样的雇主太专注于讨人喜欢,以至于缺乏决断力,无法完成任务,也不会给团队带来新机会。
洛丹说:“有些领导者在了解员工,了解他们的社交生活,并通过外部途径支持他们方面游刃有余,但他们并不擅长在内部进行艰难的对话,包括绩效管理等内容。”
他们还回避对业务至关重要的讨论,比如如何实现创新或进行重组。他们希望维持一种过于快乐、轻松的氛围,而这种氛围最终与个人和企业的发展路径背道而驰。
如果你的雇主过分友善,那么与其他类型的雇主相比,他们更容易相处。洛丹建议在公司内部寻找其他机会,甚至直接向雇主提出接触新同事或调到其他团队的请求。因为他们太友善了,他们很可能会同意。
底线
洛丹在接受《财富》杂志采访时表示:“想要飞黄腾达的人,最好避开这五种典型的雇主。”(第五种是传统的恃强凌弱型雇主)。
如果无法完全缓解雇主的不良行为模式带来的影响,员工应该想办法建立严格的工作与生活界限,这样才能控制住毒性蔓延,避免给个人生活带来压力。如果竭尽全力却仍折戟沙场,还可以选择跳槽。
如果雇主对员工的职业生涯构成严重威胁,最好尽早离开,把损失降到最低。对于优柔寡断的人来说,设定严格的改进期限是一个不错的策略。虽然职场动态在过去几十年里发生了变化,但只要你找到了新工作,打包走人始终是一种选择。(财富中文网)
译者:中慧言-王芳
A few decades ago, many high-intensity workplaces fostered environments where militaristic bosses yelling at and harassing their employees went unchecked. Sexism and racism were also more prevalent, and there often were no reliable ways for employees to complain. But times have changed, and now most big firms have HR departments that frown upon old bullying tactics like shouting at, degrading, or intimidating workers. The “traditional bully boss” era is largely over.
Of course that doesn’t mean HR has eradicated bad bosses. Workplace bullying is still alive and well—it’s just flying under the radar. Bosses who want to unfairly exert their power without getting reprimanded have shifted their tactics to less obvious ways.
Grace Lordan, a labor economist at the London School of Economics, has found, by conducting over 500 interviews with workers, four archetypes of these contemporary bad bosses. Here’s how to tell which kind you may work for, and how to handle them.
The modern bully
The modern bully is an extension of the traditional volatile boss, updated for the HR era. Instead of shouting, they harass targeted workers by limiting their ability to participate or advance in the workplace.
“They’re savvy, so they don’t explode,” Lordan tells Fortune. “They’re much more quiet, and the people who they don’t like, they tend to ignore, isolate, and exclude.”
This could take the form of a boss “forgetting” to invite targeted workers to several meetings or ignoring requests for new opportunities, according to Lordan. Some bosses also refuse to field employee complaints, essentially icing their victim out of contributing to the workplace and giving them the silent treatment.
If you find yourself working for the modern bully, creating physical and professional distance from the boss is key. The target should build networks that the boss can’t infiltrate, and even move their desk or work remotely on a more frequent basis to minimize interaction with their bully.
If a boss’s bullying is severe and persistent, an employee can keep a paper trail that documents when they were excluded, spoken badly of, or passed over for opportunities they deserved. HR can do more with proof of a pattern than one-off subtle aggressions. It also depends on who the aggressor is: HR is much better at policing middle managers than top ones, and primarily exists to serve the C-suite.
“When it comes to the modern bully, what you’re trying to do is to get as much distance from them as possible, and also enter into compliance baseball,” Lordan says, referring to playing by the rules and keeping a record of unfair treatment and your own accomplishments. “In getting opportunities, getting promotions, getting pay raises, you want to bring as much transparency to that process as possible.”
The egotist
The egotist is characterized by a huge sense of pride that has to be tiptoed around. Above all, this type hates being threatened, so their employees can’t ever perform better than they do.
“It’s very important that the person who is working with the egotist doesn’t excel, and helps them, and always shines them in a good light,” Lordan says. “The egotist is one of the biggest culprits for hiring people who are basically like themselves.”
Egotists hire and promote people who agree with them, or are already their friends, because they don’t want to feel foolish in any future disagreement or be exposed as not knowing something, according to Lordan.
If you’re working for an egotist, you must decide to what degree you want to play their game. If you choose to flatter them and act in a way they approve of, you’ll likely be rewarded with raises and promotions, but Lordan doesn’t recommend that.
“If you are dealing with an egotist, along with transparency, you want to think about how many tightropes you actually want to walk,” she said. “If you pander to the egotist, if you make them feel good about themselves, you can probably do quite well in the organization.”
What an egotist really wants is applause, but be wary of giving them too much, as it results in a poorly run organization, Lordan added. As with the modern bully, your best bet is to avoid them and keep record of your own actions.
The mediocre manager
As the name implies, the mediocre manager is not very good at their job. They can be terrible at completing basic responsibilities, but they are promoted because they know how to play company politics.
“They tend to be quite good at building relationships within the company itself—that’s why they tend to do well and they can survive things like restructuring and mergers,” Lordan says. “Not because they actually are competent in their core tasks, but because they’re quite competent at pandering to other people.”
Mediocre managers have a symbiotic relationship with egotists. They usually have found how to pander to a high-ranking egotist and got promoted as a crony. But in their own way, they’re also quite volatile and self-serving, and more unpredictable than an egotist.
If you have a mediocre manager, it’s important to remember that they’ve survived within the organization by playing games, not by the merit of their work. Lordan advises being compliant and transparent when dealing with this manager, but to get out sooner rather than later.
“If you find yourself under a mediocre manager, the clock is really ticking,” she said. “It’s very unpredictable about how they’re actually going to react. If they make mistakes, or things don’t go their way, they probably would blame you for it. So be in compliance mode, making every detail regarding things like paid promotions as transparent as possible.”
The overly nice boss
An overly nice boss may seem like a problem most workers are dying to have, but they come with their own problems. For workers wanting to advance in their careers, working under an overly nice boss is problematic because it hinders productivity. This boss is so focused on being liked that they’re unassertive, can’t get things done, and don’t bring in new opportunities for their team.
“Some leaders are incredibly nice with respect to learning about their employees, learning about their social lives, and supporting them externally, but they’re not very good at having those hard conversations inside,” Lordan says. “That includes things like performance management.”
They also shy away from discussions that are essential to the business, such as how to innovate or restructure. They want to maintain an overly happy, chill atmosphere that ultimately is at odds with individual and organizational career growth.
If your boss is nice to a fault, it’s easier to deal with them than the other archetypes. Lordan recommends seeking other opportunities within the organization, and even asking your boss directly for exposure to new colleagues or transfer to another team. Because they’re so nice, they’ll probably say yes.
The bottom line
“Somebody who wants to do well in their career would do well to avoid those five types of archetypes of bosses,” Lordan tells Fortune. (The fifth type is the traditional bully boss).
If it’s not possible to fully mitigate a boss’s pattern of bad behavior, employees should find ways to create strict work-life boundaries, so that the toxicity is contained and doesn’t cause stress in their personal lives. And if all else fails, there’s always the option to switch jobs.
If a boss poses a serious threat to an employee’s career, it’s best to get out sooner to minimize the damage. Setting a hard deadline for improvement is a good strategy for indecisive people. While workplace dynamics have evolved in the past few decades, packing up one’s cubicle and walking out is always an option, as long as you have another job lined up.