A Boss vs. Employee occurred in front of me the other day, spewing out of an office, into an open workspace. Classic. I have not only been here, but I was both the boss and the employee at different times. Brings back so many memories of how much I needed to learn in the early days.

Back to the story. While I was working in a nearby space, I heard a door open with an employee walking out of an office quickly. Followed two steps behind, and holding the door open with authority, I heard, “You should probably get your ears cleaned out!”
The employee never turned around, and I assume that was so they didn’t show their disgust and disappointment in hearing those exact words hurled into the open space.

My mouth dropped as the door slammed.

Yes. I have been in both positions. I had bosses that would scream obscenities across the room at me, while everyone in the office could see the steam rise from my cubicle. When I had the opportunity, I fell into the same routine. Hurling threats 8-hours each day, emailing them after hours, and screaming across the dedicated phone lines if they were in different time zones.

Hey, don’t judge, I thought that was what I supposed to do. I mean, that is how my boss trained me to manage people.

Look, let’s be real. Threat Management doesn’t work. It wasn’t enjoyable when my boss screamed across the room at me, and put their actual leadership skills out in the open, and it’s not fun for anyone. Those quick, over the top, management decisions provide the foundation for employees to lose trust in an organization. And the loss of trust is the number one reason why employees, clients, and partners will disengage with you.

Shape your team, lead them, be real, work together in the same space, the same level, and guide them. Not only will your team thank you, but they will also teach you, and deliver a better product.