Alison Wem

How to Handle a Toxic Manager

Toxic managers can be challenging and also detrimental to your calmness and well-being. I know this from first hand experience. I was a senior executive successfully delivering a business change programme but I had the meanest manager I had ever experienced. He was a short New Yorker who loved to shout and belittle people. He did not respect that I lived in a different time zone from him and would call me late into my evening. Normally a confident person, my self-esteem and confidence hit rock bottom. It was a very unhappy period in my life.

In some ways I should thank this man as I learnt a lot about myself, how to define and hold my boundaries, lessons in managing myself plus I found out who loved me and helped me through this challenging situation. The best thing I ever did was deliver the programme and then leave. I felt I had met my commitments and then needed to look after my own well-being. It should not be underestimated how long it takes to recover from a toxic manager. I moved into another role with a great manager. However I still found myself very sensitive to certain situations. I had to manage myself carefully not to over-react. Thankfully this eased over time but it surprised me how long it took.

If you find yourself in a similar situation, remember to be kind to yourself.

Here is an article which provides practical advice on how to manage a toxic manager. If you are in this situation, I hope it helps you.

If you have any questions, please drop me a line.

If you relate to this article and need some more help and guidance in your life – get in touch with Alison. Here are her contact details.

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