Coping with Toxic Managers, Subordinates…and Other Difficult People

Part IV. Rigid Managers

You Will Do It My Way

Many managers are rigid. They insist on doing things their way to such a degree that we wonder if they are allergic to compromise and change. They are resistant to learning new ways of doing things and are major obstacles to organizational change and improvement efforts. Working with them can be very frustrating as we see resources wasted on outmoded, inefficient methods. They are the last people you want around if you want to cut through red tape and get things done quickly or in a new way. Rigid managers also tend to be unresponsive to others' wishes and needs. When dealing with subordinates and peers, they tend to micromanage, giving excessive directions on the details of how to carry out a ...