DILEMMA OF THE MONTH
Why Are My Bosses Siding With a Toxic Employee ?
BY Suzanne Lucas
ILLUSTRATION : JOHN CHASE
I have one very difficult , challenging and toxic direct report . He goes behind my back and attempts to undermine me — and it appears to be working . My manager and director seem to be supporting my toxic employee . After a meeting where my employee took center stage and spoke for two hours , demeaning me and blaming errors on me , I spoke with my director . The director said , “ Don ’ t feel bad that you have been asking for the same things and we turned you down and gave them to him ; he ’ s just better at selling his ideas than you are .” This person will destroy my career if this goes on . He ’ s already divided my department with half the people looking to him for guidance . How on earth do I fix this with no support ?
My first question : What have you already tried with the toxic employee ? Presuming you have disciplinary power over him , have you sat down and made it very clear that his behavior has to change ? Have you put him on a performance improvement plan ? Have you followed through with consequences ?
If the answer to any of this is no , this is where you start . The support he gets from your manager and director may make him think he ’ s not doing anything wrong . Sometimes a little correction is all you need .
But if that is not the case , then I have a second question : Why do you think your
22 comstocksmag . com | February 2022