Many people have to deal with a toxic boss at one point or another in their career.

Some mistreat staff, many make mistakes which they then try to fob off onto others.

It can reach a point that the level of toxicity is just too trying. Here are eight of them.

1. The scatterbrain

The scatterbrain is passionate and constantly shares new ideas but never follows through. Their constant “innovations” can make it difficult for employees to prioritise.

At their worst, the Scatterbrain can be inefficient, disruptive, make hasty decisions, be easily distracted and unfocused.

How to handle them:

• Ask them to sort, prioritise and give deadlines for each project.
• Ask how these new ideas can help the team to achieve their goals.
• Be transparent and honest about the time you need to produce quality work.
• Make suggestions on how to improve processes and increase productivity.
• Stay organised and provide a weekly plan to your boss to ensure that both of you are on the same page.

2. The Lone Wolf

The Lone Wolf excels in improving the bottom line but does not enjoy working with others. They create an “every man for himself” environment.

Success is not valued as a team effort – the Lone Wolf measures individual productivity, creating an overly competitive work environment.

The Lone Wolf often refuses help, remains aloof, has too high expectations, gives direction poorly and is uninvolved.

How to handle them:

• Promote teamwork.
• Take the initiative in group discussions.
• Propose team goals and individual goals.
• Discuss quarterly plans and get written approval from management.
• Confirm project expectations and directions in writing.

3. The Loudmouth

As the name suggests, their motto is “Do as I say, not as I do.” The Loudmouth sets a terrible example while holding employees to ridiculously high standards and are quick to criticise.

This creates a lack of motivation, respect and trust among workers.

The worst traits of the Loudmouth include making excuses, being hypocritical, deceptive, arrogant and disingenuous.

How to handle them:

• Make physical cues about how busy you are and shift your focus to important matters.
• Lead the conversation to other team members’ areas of expertise.
• Write detailed agendas with a time frame for each duty so meetings don’t prolong.
• Establish a workflow with each team member responsible for specific duties.
• Discuss standard company policies and procedures with team members.

4. The Airhead

The Airhead is unprepared and forgetful. They rely on the team to get things sorted and make little or no effort to improve their skills or lead, leaving the team frustrated, resentful and overworked.

At their worst Airheads can be apathetic, forgetful, lazy, incompetent and disorganised.

How to handle them:

• Say no if you don’t have time to take over extra work or responsibilities.
• Simplify meetings and reports, make them concise and direct.
• Keep time in your schedule for emergencies and last-minute work.
• Assess their strengths and find ways to work with them.
• Plan ahead for calendar events such as meetings and deadlines.

5. The Two-Faced

They can be nice at first, but sooner or later you will realise how passive-aggressive the Two-Faced can be.

Their fear of confrontation leads to miscommunication and an unfriendly work environment.

At their worst, the Two-Faced can be sarcastic, hostile, resentful, devious and poor communicators.

How to handle them:

• Use humour to diffuse tense situations and acknowledge the passive aggressive act.
• Point out the root of the problem instead of using passive aggressive action.
• Speak confidently and constructively.
• Organise group meetings so everyone can express their opinions.
• Ask for feedback about your work performance.

6. The dictator

The Dictator controls the office with an iron fist. They believe they are the only ones who know best and do not always welcome suggestions or collaboration.

They drive away valuable employees due to their closed-mindedness and their opinionated nature stifles innovation.

At their worst, dictators are closed-minded, argumentative, overly vocal, poor listeners and condescending.

How to handle them:

• Stick to the schedule so they have limited opportunity to talk.
• Remain level-headed and patient during discussions.
• Talk about issues in private instead of in the group meeting.
• Fact-check and present the facts in a humble way.
• Ask directed questions to guide the conversation.

7. The micromanager

The Micromanager is a hard worker but struggles with control issues.

They push employees to work on non-essential tasks and disrupt their daily activities, reducing productivity and disrupting workflow.

Micromanagers can be overly critical, fail to delegate, have trust issues, be short-sighted and controlling.

How to handle them:

• Ask questions that make them look at the bigger picture.
• Outline every team member’s responsibilities before starting work on a project.
• Provide suggestions on how to improve the work process.
• Gain their trust by exercising good understanding and achieving project goals.
• Stay proactive and provide project updates before they ask.

8. The Drama Queen

The Drama Queen can be moody and flighty due to their emotional inconsistency, which makes them hard to gauge.

They explode when things go wrong and can be over-enthusiastic, leaving employees confused and stressed.

Drama Queens are impulsive, self-destructive, stubborn, unpredictable and exaggerate.

How to handle them:

• Establish good rapport by providing quality work.
• Seek direction and clarity in writing.
• Focus on the positive instead of the negative.
• Ignore their attention-grabbing antics.
• Ensure discussions are strictly limited to work matters.

This article first appeared in jobstore.com

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