How to deal with a toxic manager

Rage applying - in which a disgruntled employee applies for multiple jobs at once "out of spite" - is on the rise, according to recent research by Robert Walters. Of all the rage applyers, nearly half (47%) say that a toxic work culture is their primary motive.  

Toxic leadership can have very pernicious effects on your mental well-being and job satisfaction. It creates negativity that quickly spreads throughout the team and saps motivation and commitment. Understandable, then, that you would look for a way to escape this unhealthy situation. However, there are some things you can do to better deal with a toxic manager, so you don't have to change jobs right away. Robert Walters lists 5 tips. 

1. Maintain your work ethic 

Make sure you do not get carried away by the toxic behavior of your manager. Maintain your professionalism at all times and do not let the atmosphere influence your work ethic. It is important that you do not lose pride in your work.

2. Show understanding 

Not an easy task, but try not to take your manager's behavior personally. Maybe there are private problems, or your boss is under fire from upper management. It doesn't speak well of the toxic behavior, of course, but you will be able to deal with it easily if you realize that the cause is not yours.

3. Don't bottle up your frustrations 

Request a meeting with your supervisor and share what's on your mind. Discuss the problems from your point of view, so your boss gains insight into how you are experiencing the situation. When doing this, try to remain calm and keep your anger or frustrations under control. That way your message will come across more clearly.  

Don't dare speak to your manager directly? Then request a confidential conversation with HR, or air your heart out to a close colleague. It can help to hear the vision of an outsider. In doing so, be careful that it does not turn into gossip, because that too is toxic behavior.

4. Document inappropriate behavior 

Of course, there is never a guarantee of improvement. Sometimes such situations only evolve from bad to worse. In that case, HR will intervene and evidence of your manager's toxic behavior will come in handy.

Keep unacceptable emails or messages and document inappropriate statements or behaviors.

5. Think about your well-being 

A toxic work situation can demand a lot of energy and weigh you down mentally. When your negative feelings take over at work, you easily take them home as well. Thus, it becomes difficult to recharge your batteries and your motivation and commitment start to suffer. Despite your efforts to address the problems, do you feel little initiative from your employer to improve the situation? Then a new job may still be the best solution for you. Certainly don't apply for a job at random, but take plenty of time for your search. Find out what the corporate culture is at your potential new employer, and during the job interview feel free to take a pulse on their approach to toxic behavior in the workplace.

Want to know more?

Check out our other career tips or contact one of our offices. Download our digital Salary Survey tool for free and compare your salary with that of similar profiles in your field.