So there you go. I learned recently that one of the executive managers (one level from the CEO) who looked over me quite some years ago had recently died at a relatively youthful age.
Apparently there were some serious problems – some said their marriage and career hit the wall as a result of drugs.
I recall that this manager was always hard to predict. One moment brilliant and insightful then the next yelling and complaining or distant and scheming. He would dress people down in front of others. His technique was to confront them by asking questions about information knowing they would not know – public ridiculing. Their behavior intimidated staff making them diffident and fearful. People lost confidence, and the business performance reflected the change to a defensive culture where no one is willing to take responsibility.Strategy and action deteriorated into the politics of fear as staff (in fact senior staff) tried to manoeuver out of the firing line.
Of course, in retrospect, if it was really drugs then that probably explains it. Even so the cost to the business and staff was pretty catastrophic.
While there is more to this story (a liturgy of extraordinary decisions by the manager which simply ended up in broken profits and careers – including yours truly temporarily), the fact remains the manager should heave been removed.
It raises an interesting issue for a large corporation – How do you know if you’ve got a psychopath in your management team? Directors, CEO’s and managers aren’t psychiatrists. In my experience, they are strangely tolerant of poor Executives and generally let problems go on far beyond what they should, with sometimes grave consequences for the business and committed staff.
Similarly, staff are are by nature tolerant, adaptive and will try and survive by ducking and weaving and where necessary (but unfairly) taking an outburst on the chin.
Quite honestly, I don’t know how I feel – my compassion is still diluted with the anger at the managers behaviour – but maybe that should be directed at the company which failed to manage such a risky fellow.
