The Boss and You: A Survival Guide
Working For a Toxic Boss
Do you report to a "toxic" boss? If so, you're not alone. Bad bosses seem to be as common in corporate America as coffee mugs and pricey suits. According to research from Florida State University, roughly a third of 700 workers surveyed said 1) they'd received the "silent treatment" from their bosses in the past year; 2) their bosses did not give them the appropriate credit when such credit was due; and 3) their bosses made a promise that they later broke.
If you've got a hatchet man on your hands—or suspect that your reports think you're a lousy leader—we've got advice on how to deal with a shady supervisor from management consultants and current and former CIOs.
Bookmark this page so that you always have these resources handy.
Ask the Source Q&A, CIO.com
With David Van De Voort
In the summer of 2002, David Van De Voort, then-principal consultant and leader of the IT workforce effectiveness group at William M. Mercer, answered CIO.com visitors' questions about dealing with a difficult boss. He offers his prescriptions for leapfrogging your manager and taking your issues directly to his superior.
Feature article, CIO magazine
By Patricia Wallington
Some leaders are so bad, they can poison a company. Here's how to spot them, and what to do if you find yourself working under one.
"What It's Like..." column, CIO magazine
By Luther Garcia
When Luther Garcia first interviewed with lastminute.com CEO Brent Hoberman for the online travel site's global head of e-commerce post, Hoberman checked his e-mail during their conversation. Garcia suspected from the start that the energetic man would never slow down, and he spoke with CIO about how he deals with a CEO that many might dub "difficult."
Online feature, CIO.com
By Stewart Deck
Leveling with your boss on the size of your workload can be tough—especially if the two of you don't get along so well. To help you effectively broach the subject of your massive to-do list, heed this advice from executive coaches and leadership gurus.
You're the Boss blog, CIO.com
By Esther Schindler
In this blog post, CIO.com Senior Online Editor Esther Schindler asks readers to weigh in on the following ethical dilemma: What do you do when the CEO comes into your office, shuts your door and whispers, "If you tell anybody what I'm about to tell you, you're fired." Let her know how you'd react and compare your response with your peers'.
Feature article, CIO magazine
By Polly Schneider
Your best people are flying out the door left and right. Go ahead and blame it on others, but it could be that you're the problem.
Leadership column, CIO.com
By Edward Prewitt
There's one surefire way to avoid being a bad boss, and you learned it long ago. If you need to think about it, you also need to read this article.
Trendline article, CIO magazine
By Robert McMillan
No matter how bad you think your leader is, it behooves you to refrain from spying on his e-mail with the hopes of blackmailing him into changing or getting him fired—at least if you wish to keep your job and not have to dole out a $250,000 fine. This news story about a former U.S. government security auditor who was sentenced to 10 months in prison and home confinement after admitting to snooping on his supervisor's computer serves as a cautionary tale for employees of toxic bosses.
