Inter Personal Conflict: Yelling Bosses, Over Reaching Subordinates and All About Making Superior Subordinate Relationship Work

 

Skills or Tantrum?

Let us call this young executive ‘Jakes’.

Waiting outside his boss’s cabin, Jakes took another look at the small slip of paper. Handwritten, the boss’s diktat said, "Meet me at 1141 hrs". Jakes looked at his watch. It was 11:39. Two more minutes!

Yesterday, Jakes was right on time, but a minute late by the boss’s watch. Few days before, he was a minute early. On both occasions, though the tasks were complete, Jay was admonished for being unprofessional, incompetent and one who couldn’t even keep time. Today, he waited to step in to the boss’s cabin exactly at 1141 hrs. Jakes took no chances today. The file that the boss asked for was well marked and flagged. Jakes was ready.

The boss often boasted of his ‘time and man’ management skills. Once a week everyone in chain got two slips, written in boss’s own calligraphic hand, one with a date and precise time and the other, a carbon copy of the list of tasks he wanted to be briefed on.

In an organisation, where the climb up is slippery and competitive, such slips matter. The boss knew it and leveraged it. Subordinates knew it and suffered it.

Jakes walked into the office exactly at 11:41 hours. The boss had someone with him.

"Are you blind? Can't you see, I have someone with me?”, the boss shouted. Jakes took a long deep breath and replied." I am sorry Sir. It's my time and he will have to leave."

Jakes kept the file on the table and said, “Sir, you wanted me to brief you on this case”. The boss took the file and flung it to the floor.

There was brief moment of silence.

Jakes looked at the file. Collected himself and told the boss, “Please send that file to my office” and walked out.

Isolated Incident?

Similar incidents, in different forms, are common at workplaces across the world. Dysfunctional traits of individuals apart, these are symptoms of interpersonal conflicts between a superior and a subordinate with in an organisational hierarchy.[1] 

Inevitable!

Not all conflicts evolve purely from disputes and disagreements. Organisational hierarchies, even though well defined in terms of authority, responsibility and accountability, do often suffer from interpersonal conflicts. As long as humans staff hierarchies, there are bound to be differences in aspirations, expectations and how situations are perceived by each individual. Conflicts are inevitable.

Although personality disorders play a significant role in defining nature and intensity of interpersonal conflicts, the underlying factor of work-place conflict is invariably an attempt, perceived or real, to breach an individual’s sense of security. How each individual views the ‘other’ as aggravating this debilitating state dictates the nature of interpersonal relationship.

Conflicts among peers is common and is usually referred to as competition! Superior – subordinate relationship should ideally be free of competition. Yet, such conflicts too, are common. 

Burden of Responsibility

The burden of maintaining functionality in interpersonal professional relationship rests with the superior. Superior – subordinate conflicts in a hierarchy mostly comes from professional or personal insecurity of either or both. Incompetence of the subordinate and impatience of the superior offer poor alibi. 

Both an ambitious subordinate, and an insecure boss can precipitate hierarchical conflicts. Learning how to ‘manage’ the boss may well help subordinates and managing subordinates yield well for bosses. 

Encroachment

Many superiors tend to encroach in to subordinates’ delegated sphere of authority. Some demand their prior approval before subordinates arrive at decisions even where authority is formally delegated. “You should have consulted me” is an oft heard comment from such superiors. 

Self-assured with expertise of the path long travelled and tormented by apprehensions, superiors tend to be omnipresent in the garb of guidance and authority. Actually, it’s a ruse to expand one’s own authority, a weapon to counter fear of dwindling influence and a useless attempt to show brilliance. 

Temptation

It is easier iterating things already done than handling new challenges. Many superiors succumb to this temptation and happily forage on subordinates’ turf. Many organisations unwittingly encourage this practice of ‘upward delegation’ and smart subordinates exploit such situations. 

I Know

Try telling a child how to do something! As soon as we start explaining, the child would say, “Yes, I know it.” The child, not bound by niceties, tells us upfront. Imagine the situation where one grownup is telling the other, “You don’t know, I will tell you!” and the one being told can’t easily say ‘no’!

Resentment is the first product. It creates fertile grounds for conflict. Interventions into subordinates’ arena and the impatience associated is more out of superiors’ sense of insecurity and diffidence. More competent a subordinate, more aggravated is the insecurity for an unsure boss and higher the chances of conflict. Subordinate’s incompetence seldom triggers conflicts.

Superior- subordinate conflict is as much a subordinate’s folly as that of the superior. 

Over Reaching

Everybody is in a hurry to grow. Why not?

Inability of subordinates to see and understand the bigger picture, comprehend superiors’ point of view and appreciate the pressures and timelines to which the superior is set, can initiate conflicts. Armed with misplaced self confidence and afflicted with poor long-range vision many a subordinate set out to challenge. 

The inadequately informed end up evaluating
issues from  'nut and bolt' perspectives 
 and invariably fail to see the big picture

Often the adversary of the boss may aid the subordinate in mounting the challenge. Subordinates commit hara-kiri bypassing channels, displaying insubordination and belittling the boss in private or public. Belied trust is an incurable affliction.

When ego, esteem and aspirations work at cross purposes, conflict is the surest outcome. Subordinates are well advised to avoid stepping on superiors’ toes!  

 

Give That’s Due

“Every employee tends to rise to his level of incompetence"[2] notwithstanding, it is important to understand that the man ahead, has earned his position. There is absolutely nothing wrong in according him, the respect and consideration due, even if the subordinate thinks otherwise. His incompetence and inabilities, if any, will invariably be exposed sooner or later. However hard a superior may attempt to hide the subordinates’ abilities, brilliance finds its way to shine through.

Somebody's Picture

Reputation travels faster than individuals. Unfortunately, most of it is hearsay! Managing superiors or subordinates based on hearsay is detrimental to good interpersonal relationships. Preconceived notions are killers. Unassuming or friendly bosses may also be brilliant. They may be friendly because they are sure of themselves. Taking their goodness for granted can actually be detrimental to one's own good.

On the other hand, it is a grave blunder to consider a forthright suggestion from the subordinate, not to one’s liking, as insubordination. Letting the subordinate free may well do good for both the organisation and the boss.

 

Communication the Key

Seemingly Insignificant
and replaceable yet
without leaves trees
 don't exist  long

Despite all good intentions, there is still a fair chance that misunderstandings occur. Communication is the key. Easier said than done, good communication between the parties involved, is the surest way of both preventing and resolving conflicts. Its meaningful communication that keeps various parts of an organisation together, bound and productive.

Communication is yet another ocean, vast and deep to endlessly explore!

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[1] The article is being published in  response to the comment on my vlog https://youtu.be/UHnT24D-Q9g asking me to address conflict between individuals in a hierarchical structure.

 [2] The Peter Principle by  Laurence J. Peter,Raymond Hull

Related Articles

1.    1.Take off That Gloves- Its time to escalate to Resolve : https://jacobshorizon.blogspot.com/2020/12/take-off-that-gloves-its-time-to.html   

2.    Are All Superiors Leaders?: https://jacobshorizon.blogspot.com/2019/07/are-all-superiors-leaders.html

3.    3.Hierarchy Upheavals: https://jacobshorizon.blogspot.com/2020/11/hierarchy-upheavals.html

 4.    4.Peter Principle:

 (a)  https://www.thebalancecareers.com/the-peter-principle-2275684 

 (b) https://corporatefinanceinstitute.com/resources/careers/jobs/peter-principle

5.The Photo of the house under Renovation has been published after getting verbal permission of its owners