When The SHTF
When the s**t hits the fan within a work environment, it’s quite noticeable. Every employee is affected within and outside of that department. For some, including myself, the new manager that’s come into the work environment has been a breath of fresh air. However, for others, the change has been quite difficult. In terms of the flying monkeys who followed the other two bully managers’ leads, their own bullying behaviors have either had to succumb to the change, or they’ve had to reroute in behaviors altogether.
For the most part, some of the flying monkeys felt that the bully managers were treated unfairly. These flying monkeys basically asserted that the bully managers should have literally been given a slap on the wrist. Because of some of these feelings about the situation, some flying monkeys quit their positions. They likely quit because they knew that this new manager was not going to bend for them. Other flying monkeys who remained within the work environment expressed their angry emotions by becoming even more obstinate towards work than they had been before. Because these flying monkeys were so accustomed to doing whatever they wanted to do, they did even less work which caused others to have to shoulder their loads.
Interestingly, there are others who didn’t like those bully managers at all. These are employees who praise the fact that the bully managers are now gone. Yet, these same employees have caused their own amount of mischief within the work environment. Because the new manager can see and hear these employees’ negative attitudes, these employees have been put in check about correcting themselves. So, they are either doing so quietly or literally throwing verbal temper tantrums about having to change.
I was so glad that the new manager could seemingly see right through these toxic behaviors. As a result, this new manager wasted no time by firing some of the flying monkeys because of their insubordination and lack of good work ethics. Other flying monkeys appeared bereft without toxic leadership to tell them what to do, but eventually they seemed to take notice that they were better off without those bully managers in the workplace. Even still, however, those flying monkeys still show obstinance in the face of this new manager, but because they do not want to lose their jobs, they do all they can to fly underneath the radar.
Furthermore, those managers that have remained employed have either commenced to playing the part of being supportive managers or have taken a step down to become like regular employees. Those that have taken a step down have been very vocal about what they don’t like, but only behind the new manager’s back, while kissing up to the new manager’s face when this manager is present. These are the employees who still bully coworkers behind the scenes. They use unkind remarks, bouts of cruel sarcasm and tactics of sabotage against coworkers, and somehow they manage to get away with it … for now.
Because the former managers who’ve stepped down to become regular employees once held “power” over other coworkers, no one seems to challenge them – not even the current managers. So, these managers-turned employees are still able to speak with a type of subordination that isn’t easily tolerated by regular coworkers. They are still able to wreak havoc upon everyone without this new manager realizing what’s happening, but I discern that it won’t be long before even this circumstance changes. I’ve always noticed that a narcissistic person who is unable to handle their public displays of disgruntled-ness, can’t keep their feelings hidden from those that need to see for very long.
My Thoughts and Opinions
I, for one, would love to see one of those former managers-turned regular employees gone from the site, but at the same time, I know that everyone needs a livelihood. So, I do everything within my power to avoid as much interaction with this particular coworker as much as possible. I am careful to not get in their way, and I only speak when spoken to, and I don’t ask questions if I don’t have to do so.
In fact, there are at least four people within the workplace that I avoid as much interaction with that I possibly can in an effort to have a less frazzled day. Those coworkers are the hiring manager (who now seems almost nonexistent within my work path), the manager-turned regular employer/coworker, a disgruntled coworker with whom I loathed interacting with at all because of the amount of eggshells I must walk over to even ask a simple question because I fear their over-the-top angry explosions, and a coworker who seems to monitor my every move by being so invasive and intrusive with unnecessary, but nosy, questions and unwelcomed, penetrating stares.
I make note of all these behaviors, but I even make note of my own behaviors. I seek to improve as much as I want to see the environment improve around me. So, I do my due diligence by staying in my own lane and minding my own business, but I document anything that affects me because it’s imperative that I remain safe. I know that this corporation mainly cares about the money made, and although there are policies that purport to support employees, the fact that the toxicity lasted with those former bully managers for more than 7 years tells me everything I need to know regarding how toxicity within the environment is handled in terms of individual employees. So, I will work using precautions.
Needless to say, I haven’t yet quit my position. I feel at the moment that there is more for me to learn in terms of toxic workplace dynamics. As opposed to my former career, I am more of a silent outsider within this workplace environment. I’m also more aware than I was within that former career too. As before, I come to work, do my job, and then leave, but I’ve decided to not take any involvement in making friends. That was the major mistake I made within my former workplace. In this new job, I search for coworkers with whom I can form friendly alliances when needful situations of narcissistic abuse arise. I do not search to make friends. I want to keep my work life and personal life completely separate. I still remain kind and true to who I am, but I’ve learned both valuable and painful lessons from the past that I do not wish to repeat.
I am learning that coworkers can be my allies without being my friends. We can unite for common bonds involving work. I don’t need to bond with them for anything else. In fact, I have found that a very small few of my coworkers are a mixture of quiet, introverted and neurodivergent personalities. We have all, in very interconnected ways, united around keeping each other safe by being steadfast in giving smiles and words of encouragement to each other to get through the day or by silently warning each other when a potential bully is on the warpath.
I still focus on not moving into the arena of blindly trusting anyone because these people are coworkers, after all, but I am so glad that the tables of negativity at work have turned over for the better … at least for now.
Stay tuned for more, and thank you for reading.
My Voice Unchained 