15 Signs Of Bosses Who Lie And Manipulate In The Workplace
15 Signs Of Bosses Who Lie And Manipulate In The Workplace. It might be hard to forge a positive relationship with our manager if they’re standoffish and try to manipulate us for their own benefit. Manipulation is all about power and control. Its central theme is to take advantage of others.
A manipulative boss creates a great deal of suffering for those reporting to him or her. In this article, we’ll sharing with you some 15 recognizable signs of manipulation and how to deal with a manipulative boss in a constructive way. Kamerpower.com
What Are The Signs Of Bosses Who Lie And Manipulate?
A manipulative boss will exhibit certain behaviors that you can evaluate, along with some of your suspicions. The signs of a manipulative boss and lier are as follows:
1. Unfair Treatment.
Unfair treatment is at the core of every manipulative person’s heart. They do what benefits them and nothing more. Thus, your boss may ask you to fill in for other people and come in on your days off, but you won’t get the same favor if you have to make it to an important meeting one day. Which means, he is treating you differently than others.
2. Goal-Post Moving.
Moving the goal post is an old-time tactic manipulators use. It occurs when they set goals for their workers to strive for and continuously raise the bar when they get close to them.
3. Bullying and Intimidation.
You’re most likely under the rulership of a manipulative person if you and your coworkers are subjected to abuse, such as bullying and intimidation. A manipulator will do her best to keep you on pins and needles, wondering if you’ll still have a job tomorrow. This individual will use sales goals, metrics, and other requirements to cause stress and fear throughout the organization.
4. Not Practicing What They Preach.
Manipulative bosses have a habit of not practicing what they preach and being inconsistent with disciplinary actions. For example, your boss might tell you it’s okay to do something against company policy one day and then reprimand you for not doing it the next. He will also pick and choose who to discipline and who not to for the same violation.
5. Serves you the silent treatment.
A crafty boss maintains psychological dominance by using the silent treatment. They intentionally ignore your text messages, emails, calls, etc. This is frustrating in a situation where you report directly to them and want to discuss job challenges, progress plans, team needs, etc.
6. Narrative Changing.
Narrative changing is a cousin to the gaslighting process. Manipulative bosses like to change events to save their jobs and throw their workers under the bus. Thus, a manipulative boss might lie on a performance review, incident report, or disciplinary action to make a worker look bad to the higher-ups.
7. Gaslighting
Gaslighting is one of the most vastly used tactics of manipulative people. This method of psychological warfare is used to challenge the target’s sense of reality. Thus, a gaslighting boss will deny doing anything cruel, damaging, or underhanded and try to convince the victims that they “have it all wrong.” Nothing ever happens the way a manipulation victim says it did. Instead, the gaslighter accuses the victim of having a bad memory or mental disorder.
8. Raised voice and display of negative emotions.
To further entrench their psychological superiority, an aggressive manager may raise their voice during discussions. The belief is simple — if they project their voice loudly and show negative emotions, you may be forced to do what they want.
9. Sarcastic comments to make you feel inferior
A mean boss may also make sarcastic comments about your appearance, qualifications, or even something as silly as your older iPhone model, in the presence of other employees, to make you look or feel bad. They may also ridicule and always find fault with you to maintain a strong hold on you and your emotions.
10. They meddle in your personal life.
Good managers will always respect your life and time outside of work. However, any type of boss who wants to be in full control won’t shy away from dominating your private space as well. You might find that they ask you who you’d been speaking to as you hang up the phone or give you unsolicited advice about your partner and friends.
11. Interfering
Manipulative bosses tend to interfere with everything from work tasks to personal life. For example, this type of individual will jump in as you’re trying to help a customer or close a deal to outshine you or make you look bad.
12. They micromanage you.
Micromanagement has become somewhat of a famous word in the world of work to describe practices of poor management. If you notice your manager asks to double-check every single email before you hit ‘Send’ or proofread your presentation before your client meeting, that’s a classic sign of a micromanager.
13. They use intimidation.
Many companies nowadays would have a handbook of employee rights, listing anything from parental leave to your rights against harassment and discrimination in the workplace. Unfortunately, this doesn’t stop manipulative bosses from being disrespectful or intimidating towards their employees. If you’ve noticed that your boss likes to raise their voice when they’re unhappy with your work or if they use threats to ‘encourage’ you to do better, then they’re trying to control you by instilling fear.
14. They take credit for your work.
Chances are, if your boss is being manipulative with you, they’re doing the same to others as well. Manipulative personalities try to turn any situation to their favour, even if that sometimes means taking credit for other people’s work. You might discuss a solution with your manager and come up with an ingenious idea to solve a problem, only to see an email later from your boss sent to the CEO and the rest of the team, outlining how they have thought of a new course of action.
15. They undermine your confidence.
Manipulation can often creep up on you in the form of a seemingly innocent joke about your personality, the way you speak or the way you look. If you notice that this behaviour is the rule rather than the exception, you need to act before it has any major impact on your work and mental state. Take notice of how your manager talks to you and those around you and think about how that makes you feel.
How Do You Deal With A Lying Manipulative Boss?
When it comes to dealing with a manipulative boss it is best to stay calm and work out a plan of action.
1. Be Professional.
Dealing with boss manipulation requires a professional demeanor. Approach your boss with respect and an open mind. Remember, being professional doesn’t mean being robotic. Be empathetic and understanding, but draw a line when your boss crosses ethical boundaries. Maintaining your professionalism will help you avoid being drawn into any drama.
2. Consult Human Resources.
If dealing with the situation yourself has not yielded the results you were hoping for, get outside help. Human resources can mediate the situation and offer a neutral perspective. It’s important to have the HR department document every conversation and action steps taken to avoid further escalation.
3. Set Boundaries.
One of the most important ways to deal with boss manipulation is to establish clear boundaries. Communication of expectations is vital in setting healthy professional boundaries. You should be able to set and enforce boundaries without feeling guilty. For example, if your boss tells you to “forget about” a particular protocol that you know is important, calmly explain that you cannot do that because it violates company policy.
4. Seek Additional Support.
When you are dealing with manipulation, it’s easy to become isolated, as you feel like no one understands your experience. Seeking support (from a mentor, friend, or advisor) can help you regain perspective and provide you with practical advice on how to deal with the situation.
5. Documentation Is Key.
Another way to deal with manipulative bosses who lie and manipulate is to make sure you document everything that is said and done. Taking detailed notes of what your boss says and does will help you to have evidence if your boss denies his or her actions. Documenting everything not only serves as your reference but also acts as a safeguard against signs of manipulation behavior that might be directed at you.
Step by step Summary on how to take action against a manipulative boss
- Stay Professional: It is important to remain professional and maintain a respectful attitude. Do not let your emotions get the best of you.
- Set Boundaries: It is important to set boundaries with your boss to ensure they respect your space. Be clear with what you are and are not willing to do, and do not be afraid to say no if needed.
- Document Everything: Keep a record of events, conversations, and emails that may be relevant. This will help you if you need to take further action.
- Speak Up: If you feel like your boss is manipulating you, it is important to speak up. Explain your feelings and explain why you think your boss is being manipulative.
- Seek Support: Seek support from colleagues, friends, and family. It may help to talk to someone who can provide an outside perspective.
- Look For Another Job: If the situation becomes too unbearable, consider finding another job. Make sure you have another job lined up before you resign.
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