Another update from the Jungle…..
Helen sat in her boss’ office stoically waiting for him to wind down from his latest temper tantrum. As she waited, she reflected on the fact that Henry wasn’t such a bad boss when he was in his right mind.
Unfortunately, Henry was frequently not in his right mind. He ran his company as if he was the dictator of a tiny oppressed country, but few of his employees were willing to be oppressed. They complained incessantly to Helen, the HR manager. She was hired because Henry knew he had a problem even if he wouldn’t admit that he caused the problem.
It’s the only company Helen’s ever worked for that required her to sign an employment contract agreeing to stay for at least one year in exchange for a giant bonus. Before the ink dried on her signature, Helen realized it would be difficult to earn that bonus.
She has been trying to fix employee morale. Her first suggestion, a tuition reimbursement plan, caused Henry to erupt like a Yellowstone geyser. Why should he pay for his employees to get educated? He had built the company with hard work (and unacknowledged luck) and his employees should be willing to work as hard as him.
A day later, Henry told Helen that he wanted her to create a program to reimburse tuition because he had big expansion plans and he needed his staff to keep up. But he insisted that employees must agree to stay until they had worked sufficient hours to generate profits equivalent to the reimbursed amount. He wanted to recoup his investment. Henry’s switcheroo left Helen feeling dazed and confused.
That’s how it’s gone for six months. Helen proposes an idea; Henry shoots it down. More often than not, a few days later he adopts her idea after adding his unique twist. Helen feels exhausted trying to manage him while maintaining her own sanity. She is beginning to wonder if the big bonus is worth putting up with Henry’s negative energy field.
What options are available to Helen?
- She can occasionally demonstrate her softball batting skills by wapping Henry with her laptop when he gets too obnoxious.
- She can do as little as possible for the next six months, collect her bonus and then wave goodbye to Henry.
- She can use his contrariness to her advantage, suggesting changes in a way that allows Henry to believe the changes are his idea.
Bullies like Henry refuse to accept any idea unless they are convinced the idea was originally their own. Handling these types of co-workers and supervisors requires emotional maturity and the strength to refuse to be bullied.
If your company is struggling with HR issues, Corporate Compliance Risk Advisor can help you create HR policies that are appropriate for your company’s size and then serve as a resource to your staff as the policies are implemented.
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