Personality managers in the office are a joke. They don’t manage based on effort or results. Instead, they manage employees based on how they feel about them. That is to say, do they like you or not? Personality managers can be fun to work around because they often bring humor to the workplace. However, this management style has a dark side that can harm your career and prevent you from achieving your goals. This blog post will discuss the dark sides of personality managers and how to be successful when working for one.
What is a personality manager?
Managing by personality is a management style where managers base their decisions on how they feel about an employee rather than their results or effort. This type of management can be arbitrary, and the manager can easily remove an employee from their inner circle for no reason.
Working for a personality manager can be difficult because they often play favorites. So you won’t get the best assignments or opportunities if you’re not in the inner circle. Additionally, personality managers tend to gossip and spread rumors about employees. As a result, they often create a toxic work environment and make it difficult to trust your boss or the organization.
How do personality hires advance to management?
Personality managers are great at playing office politics. They know how to schmooze with those in charge and make people feel comfortable. As a result, they often rise to power and are given more responsibility in the office. Here are other ways personality hires promote into management.
Likeability
Personality hires are often promoted based on their likeability. They are the ones who make friends quickly and can keep the mood light in the office. As a result, it makes them popular with their colleagues, but it usually does not make them good managers. Some personality managers can be pretty bad bosses. They may be biased against certain people or plain lazy when it comes to doing their job.
They Manage Optics
Personality hires create the perception of teamwork. As a result, they get promoted over more qualified individuals. They are usually friendly and personable and are good at building relationships with others. They appear to work for the team’s benefit when they are only looking out for themselves. Personality managers will often take credit for the work of others or blame others for their own mistakes.
Personality hires appear collaborative, so they advance their careers quickly. They are always the first ones to volunteer for committees and team projects. Unfortunately, they often take on too many tasks, making them less effective in their actual role. However, their personality management skills make them look like they’re putting in the extra effort but often fail to accomplish anything.
Personality hires appear to be someone people want to work with, so they promote to management. They can be friendly and personable, making the workplace more enjoyable. However, personality managers often don’t produce results. Instead, they manage based on their personal biases and preferences. As a result, they can lead to favoritism and nepotism in the workplace.
Personality hires appear fresh and energetic, so they quickly advance their career. They often have new and innovative ideas, which can be a boon to any company. In addition, personality managers tend to be very social and outgoing, making them great ambassadors for the company. But unfortunately, they don’t deliver on their ideas or promises.
The Dark Side of Personality Managers
Personality managers can be dangerous to work for because they often make decisions based on their own personal biases instead of what is best for the company. For example, if a personality manager doesn’t like you, they might not promote you or give you challenging assignments even if you are the most qualified candidate.
Disruptive
Additionally, personality managers can be disruptive to the workplace because of their humor and lack of boundaries. For example, they might say inappropriate things or make jokes that offend others. As a result, they can create a hostile work environment and tension among coworkers.
Exclusion
If a personality manager doesn’t like you, they will likely exclude you from important meetings, office social events, and other advancement opportunities. They might also give you less challenging assignments or even demote you. Working for a personality manager can be extremely frustrating and demoralizing, especially if you are trying to advance your career.
Place Blame
Personality managers are often quick to blame others for their lack of results. For example, they might say that their team members are uncooperative or that other leaders are preventing them from achieving success. Personality managers rarely take responsibility for their actions, which can frustrate their team members.
Character Assassination
Personality managers will often engage in character assassination to get ahead. They spread rumors about other people in the office to make themselves look better. For example, a personality manager might say that another employee is lazy or incompetent, claiming they had to do the work themselves. As a result, they make themselves look like a hard worker and a good leader. This management style is highly damaging to someone’s career, and it can be challenging to recover from these rumors.
Personality Managers Are Poor at Hiring
Personality managers are often quick to hire less qualified people who won’t outshine them. In addition, they will likely hire people who have similar personality traits. As a result, they create a lack of diversity in the office and decrease creativity. Personality managers might also be hesitant to promote talented employees who could outshine them. This can lead to stagnation in the workplace and a lack of growth for qualified employees.
Star of the Show
Personality managers want to be the center of attention at all times. They love being the life of the party and having everyone around them adore them. Unfortunately, this often comes at the expense of others. Personality managers can be bullies and steamroll anyone who gets in their way. They need to be the star of the show and will do whatever it takes to make that happen. As a result, they can be destructive in the workplace, making others feel inferior or uncomfortable.
How to Be Successful When Working for a Personality Manager
If you are unfortunate enough to have a personality manager as your boss, it is important to be aware of their tactics. Stay away from office gossip, and try not to get caught up in their drama. It is also important to record any negative comments they make about you so you can use them later if necessary. Most importantly, don’t let them get the best of you – stay focused on your career goals, and don’t let them stop you from achieving your dreams.
The best way to deal with a personality manager who doesn’t like you is to try to build a relationship with them. Show them that you are friendly and cooperative, and see if you can get them to warm up to you. It won’t be easy, but it is worth trying if you want to further your career. Personality managers often respond better to positive reinforcement, so make an effort to compliment them whenever possible. Try not to focus on the negative, and stay positive even when things are tough.
If you can build a good relationship with a personality manager, they will be more likely to promote you and give you challenging assignments. They might also include you in important meetings and social events. However, it is essential to remember that these relationships are never guaranteed – personality managers can be fickle and change their minds at any time.
It’s crucial to stay focused on your career goals and not let a personality manager stop you from achieving your dreams. If you can manage their personality quirks and stay professional, you can be successful no matter who is in charge.
The most important thing to remember is that personality managers are notoriously bad bosses. They don’t manage based on effort or results, so if you want to get ahead, you must find a way to stand out from the rest of the pack.
