Bullying By The Boss Is Common But Hard To Fix

by Catherine MatticeJun 16, 2012

Not every manager can act like the Undercover Boss reality show, Coby Brooks. Here is a lesson that we can all learn.

The Hooters restaurant chain likes to play up its “delightfully tacky, yet unrefined” slogan. But what more than 15 million TV viewers saw on Feb. 14 went beyond unrefined.

A Hooters franchise manager insisted that servers clasp their hands behind their backs and gobble up a serving of cooked beans face-first. Whoever cleaned her plate the quickest would get to leave early.

That scene was shown on the CBS reality show Undercover Boss. Later in the episode, Coby Brooks — the Hooters CEO who went undercover to evaluate workers — reprimands the manager for being inappropriate.

Incivility, bullying, and harassment occur because the culture allows them to. Before starting inclusivity initiatives, you’ve got to stop bad behavior. Take this assessment to determine if your workplace fosters a positive culture.

About Catherine Mattice

Catherine Mattice, MA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP is President of consulting and training firm, Civility Partners, and has been successfully providing programs in workplace bullying and building positive workplaces since 2007. Her clients include Fortune 500’s, the military, several universities and hospitals, government agencies, small businesses and nonprofits. She has published in a variety of trade magazines and has appeared several times on NPR, FOX, NBC, and ABC as an expert, as well as in USA Today, Inc Magazine, Huffington Post, Entrepreneur Magazine, and more. Catherine is Past-President of the Association for Talent Development (ATD), San Diego Chapter and teaches at National University. In his book foreword, Ken Blanchard called her book, BACK OFF! Your Kick-Ass Guide to Ending Bullying at Work, “the most comprehensive and valuable handbook on the topic.” She recently released a second book entitled, SEEKING CIVILITY: How Leaders, Managers and HR Can Create a Workplace Free of Bullying.

3 Stories That Prove Positive Culture Change is Possible

by Catherine Mattice | December 18, 2024 | Civil & Healthy Workplaces | 0 Comments

When SHRM launched their #CivilityAtWork initiative, it felt like a rallying cry for everything we believe in and have been fighting for these last 15 years. Respectful, thriving workplaces are the dream we all share, but let’s be real—getting there isn’t always easy....

A Look Back and Look Forward: Where Are You Headed with Culture?

by Catherine Mattice | December 11, 2024 | Corporate Culture & Employee Engagement | 0 Comments

Culture can make or break a workplace. If that sounds dramatic, but consider this: 94% of executives and 88% of employees believe a strong workplace culture is critical to business success, yet 69% of employees say their organizations lack a culture where feedback is...

Celebrate the Season Without Dividing Your Team: Inclusive Holiday Tips

by Catherine Mattice | December 4, 2024 | DEI | 0 Comments

The holiday season may be billed as the most wonderful time of the year, but it’s often a minefield of conflicts waiting to happen. Holidays are deeply personal, sparking joy and nostalgia for some while leaving others feeling excluded or stressed. With 44% of...

3 Ways to Manage Post-Election Stress at Work and Home This Holiday Season

by Catherine Mattice | November 27, 2024 | Civil & Healthy Workplaces | 0 Comments

Elections are more than debates and opinions—they’re emotional whirlwinds that don’t end when the polls close. This year, presidential election stress is breaking records, with reported levels higher than in both 2020 and 2016. And the fallout lingers. A University of...

Post-Election Chaos: 3 Ways to Keep Psychological Safety Intact

by Catherine Mattice | November 20, 2024 | Civil & Healthy Workplaces | 0 Comments

According to a survey by the American Psychological Association, nearly 70% of Americans view political discourse as a significant source of stress, and workplaces are no exception. In fact, SHRM reports that political and social tensions have driven workplace...

Your CEO thinks HR is operational, not strategic?

by Catherine Mattice | November 14, 2024 | Leadership | 0 Comments

Do these comments resonate with you? Owners don’t understand that we’re not just paperwork. HR is a punching bag expected to resolve everyone’s mess. There’s no HR budget, no support, and a team of 2 for 300+ employees. Even after a workforce survey, leadership still...

Free Webinar: Unlock Your Managers’ Leadership Potential

by Catherine Mattice | October 30, 2024 | Leadership | 0 Comments

Being good at your job doesn’t make you good at managing people. You know this. You also know the outcome when an individual contributor moves to a manager role without receiving the right training – a struggling team, unclear expectations, conflict, disengaged...

5 Tools for Pitching Culture Change to Leadership

by Jennifer Areola | October 16, 2024 | Corporate Culture & Employee Engagement | 0 Comments

You already know that a strong culture leads to engaged employees, lower turnover, and a healthier bottom line, but convincing leadership? That’s a different story. It's exhausting pushing for changes that are dismissed as “soft skills” or shot down because they don't...

Why leadership’s ‘Hands-Off’ approach to culture is costing you more than you think

by Jennifer Areola | October 9, 2024 | Leadership | 0 Comments

Picture this: you’re actively working to foster a positive workplace culture, but managers and leaders are adopting a 'hands-off' approach. At first, it seems harmless, even convenient—but beneath the surface, it's quietly wreaking havoc. Top talent? They're slipping...

Elections and Leadership: 3 Ways Your Reaction Can Impact Your Team

by Jennifer Areola | October 2, 2024 | Leadership | 0 Comments

Election season tends to bring division and tension, and it’s hard to avoid. Even if you’ve reminded your team to steer clear of political conversations at work, it’s likely that the topic will still pop up here and there. The truth is, having employees with different...