How Can We Address a Director's Toxic Influence and Support Our Staff?

Trust Management Manager Director

Situation: The Director is influencing the Manager and presenting decisions to the staff, claiming they are management's choices. For the past year, both teaching and office staff have been enduring an unhealthy environment characterized by shouting and harassment. We in the administration are aware that the Director is acting out of self-interest. The Manager is aligned with management, and we are unsure how to make him understand the situation.

Issues are always faced at their criticality from employee-employee, management-employee, or employee-management relationships in any organization, regardless of sustainable advantage in the current situations. Certainly, you have explained the scenario where the Director influences the Manager's actions. What specific actions are being referred to?

You mentioned that the situation lasted for one year. Why wasn't any action taken during that time? If you were aware that the Manager is a management person, did you still find it challenging to speak out? If not, what alternative solution was considered by you and your colleagues?

It is important to address issues promptly rather than encountering obstacles. Whatever the circumstances may be, you should address your concerns regarding the issue, taking responsibility as an employee of the organization. Remember, if a group of individuals perceives that the Management (Director) is losing their temper, you should assess the situation and communicate effectively with the manager for timely decisions that align with the organization's culture and welfare.

I am yet to understand your problem and evaluate the loss. I feel that a disciplined work culture is missing in your institution. If your director and manager were true professionals, they wouldn't have behaved abnormally. Anger, harassment, and high-pitched communication are not good signs for a healthy organization.

Identify and Address Issues

List all the issues/difficulties you have come across. Evaluate any loss incurred. Define solutions to the existing issues and present them to the manager first, then to your director in a polite manner. If your manager is not considering your ethical/genuine request, and if things don't work out, you may seek help from a labor officer.

Maintain Unity and Professionalism

It is very important that you, as employees, remain united no matter what happens. Under any circumstances, do not lose your temper, and do not make decisions without evaluating the situation and circumstances.

With profound regards

Dear Latha, most of us have worked in a bureaucratic organization at least once. In some organizations, rules come ahead of people, while in other places, it might be people ahead of rules. A strong leader pushing her way to get things done is something almost all of us have experienced, at least once.

Just as it made your life difficult, it did the same for us. We went to work only to count down our numbered days of employment there. No matter how hard it seemed back then, it eventually came to an end. Even if it didn't enlighten us, it made us bitter and toxic until we decided to change how we wanted to feel about it.

You are in a static situation as of now. The leader is not going to change her behavior. The management has hired her for reasons best known to them. Like in your case, you need to deliver as long as you continue to report to her.

There will always be areas for improvement for you. I am sure you have already learned from her. However, if you are being pushed beyond your limits, here is what I would suggest: you have already identified the response she wants from the team. Follow the pattern, adapt when necessary, and deliver where it is required. If she wants things to be done her way, let her control freak nature prevail. It will lessen the burden for your team to brainstorm for efficiency.

Escalating her shortcomings might lead to a backlash. The manager supports her logic and may not completely trust what the team says. This might sound repetitive, but please wait for the manager to realize the gaps. Being prepared to manage a backlash is more important than the escalation itself. Confronting the issue directly remains your last resort.

Wishing you all the best!

I had already presented my views to Ms. Latha. I would like to know more about the faculty standards. We, as employees, are fond of complaining about management because it's a human tendency. Henceforth, I just can't take her words for granted because I strongly hope they haven't done anything wrong for which the Director wants to bring in some changes through his Manager. Either something had happened or something is made to happen for some reason. We must figure out the facts.

At times, management wants to get things through managers as they don't want to be in the limelight. In such a situation, it is the Manager whose image is at stake. This needs to be carefully evaluated before we present our views.

Regards,

Thank you very much, HR Professionals, for the inputs. As I mentioned about the situation, the management is now aware, and they have handed over the matter to an enquiry committee.

The committee did good work by personally asking staff members and getting feedback forms filled by students. However, we are a little worried that if the committee makes a decision based solely on the feedback forms, it might not be effective. This is because students tend to give good remarks to all questions and may ignore the faculties' problems. The manager-director states that staff are demanding a salary increment, and after this committee, no one will intervene.

The reason for approaching Cite HR is that we want a good, simple presentation to help them understand that due to their ego problems, the institution will lose its image/credit.

*(Suppose the director discusses some matter with the VP, and he suggests a better solution. She might think he underestimates her and presents this to the manager in a different way. Since the manager and VP are management personnel, the manager might think the VP wants to control him.)*

Faculties remain silent because they don't want to face the director's harsh language (she holds a high degree but...). One faculty member resigned due to her harassment.

There are no big issues, but small things happen routinely, and no one can work or function peacefully. The Director, Manager, and Vice Principal hold high degrees, which is why we can't suggest anything to them. Despite this, we tried to talk to them, but they think we are supporting or favoring someone.

Regards,

Some of your issues seem to be: everyone wants to engage in shadow boxing without getting hurt rather than solving the issue. This approach will never work; the status quo will remain, and the happiest people will be management, whom you believe to be the root cause of the problem. If you don't have the courage to bite the bullet, then don't be there and accept whatever is given to you. You and everyone should be prepared to face the consequences. I can't say anything more than that.