BOSSING IT
Toxic boss intimidates my colleagues – how can I protect my team and avoid confrontation
Creating change takes time and perseverance, so be resilient
Apprentice star and West Ham United vice-chair Karren Brady answers your careers questions.
Here Karren gives advice to a reader who is struggling to confront their toxic boss.
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Q: I work in a law firm and manage four members of staff.
My own boss is a director and very toxic, and has made my colleagues upset on various occasions.
Even the other directors are scared of confronting her.
She’s not directly horrible to me, as I’ve developed a good working relationship with her.
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But how can I protect my team and colleagues when the other directors dare not call her out on anything?
And what can I do about the toxic environment she has created?
Rachel, via email
A: I can appreciate the difficulty of the situation when the person behaving this way is senior to you, but as a manager, you need to protect your team and create a healthier work environment.
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Tell your team members you’re aware of the situation and that you’re there to support them.
Encourage open communication and provide a safe space for them to come to you with specific examples of this toxic behaviour.
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If you feel comfortable to do so, address your concerns directly with your boss.
Explain that while you enjoy your working relationship with her, some team members are struggling with her management style.
Be respectful, focus on specific incidents and their impact, rather than making general accusations, and avoid personal comments.
If it continues and more senior colleagues are also concerned, build alliances with them and escalate it to your boss’s boss or HR, as you may be able to address the issue more effectively collectively.
While this is ongoing, focus on building a positive work culture.
Creating change takes time and perseverance, so be resilient and keep advocating for yourself and your team
- Got a careers question for Karren? Email [email protected].
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