In order to achieve the desired result, we all use manipulative techniques to one degree or another. Sometimes we just don't realize it ourselves. For someone, the ability to indirectly control the behavior of another person is given by nature.

Others take a long time to learn. As for the manager, he just needs to know how to influence his subordinates. Otherwise, there will be no well-coordinated team and good result, there will be a violation of subordination.

However, not all employees want to remain in this game only in the role of a manager. people with good analytical skills and developed intelligence and cunning themselves can easily manipulate the boss.

And they can do it so masterfully that the boss will not suspect anything. If you are in charge of a department or even whole organization you need employees to follow your decisions and respect you. Therefore, you should not become a victim of manipulators. So let's see how subordinates can influence their leader. Maybe someone is already manipulating you?

How can subordinates manipulate you?

It would seem that you are the leader, and you should have more levers of influence on subordinates. Yes, it's all true. But only an experienced manipulator will bypass the established hierarchy and act on the sly, playing on your feelings and weaknesses. And weaknesses, no matter how you hide them, will still make themselves felt, and selfish subordinates can take advantage of this. Let's analyze specific situations.

1. Elimination of a competitor. Let's say one of your subordinates has been stuck in one place and wants to be promoted. But here's the problem: you have another person in mind. What will the manipulator do in this case? Will try to discredit a colleague in your eyes. Most often, compromising information will be submitted in the form of complaints and comments about the work of an employee.

Do not rush to follow the principle of "whistle first," perhaps they are trying to convey to you the problems that really take place. So pretending you didn't hear anything is just stupid. But, at the same time, be very wary of the visits of a subordinate who now and then comes to complain about a colleague with the words “This is some kind of nightmare!”, “Impossible to work,” and so on.

Especially if these visits are in recent times very much become more frequent and are accompanied by very emotional comments. Often the escalation of the situation occurs on empty place, and the caller is simply trying to give you the impression of panic and confusion in order to quickly remove the objectionable colleague.

Often, a person who wants to turn the situation in his favor seeks to dedicate the manager to the situation as early as possible, before he has the opportunity to familiarize himself with other versions of what happened. Therefore, if such processes are observed, try to obtain information from other sources.

At the same time, it is desirable to listen to the opinion of those who are not bosom friends of your voluntary informant. After all, if you want to persuade colleagues, this is a trifling matter for a manipulator.

3. Under you "dig". You are the leader, and, naturally, among your subordinates there may well be people who envy your dominant position in the team. Therefore, first of all, be careful in words and actions. You can collect compromising evidence. Of course, it is desirable that you be pure and innocent, like the lamb of God.

But if this is not the case, do not talk about it and try to control yourself. After all, compromising information is an excellent tool in the hands of a manipulator. As a leader, you must be the undisputed authority for the entire team. Both your professional and personal qualities are important. Therefore, if you allow the intriguer to spoil your image, in the future you will see that relations with subordinates have become worse, you are not trusted.

Naturally, feeling alienated and stressed will not add efficiency. joint work team. However, perhaps the manipulator does not have a goal to publicize your sins. Small indulgences and benefits in exchange for silence will be quite useful to him. But there are those who are more determined and militant. In this case, the manipulator will transfer the information received to other employees in order to create a coalition against you. Perhaps he is very interested in your position.

4. Ingratiate yourself. Take a closer look: are there any people among your subordinates who persistently stuff themselves into your friends? Or perhaps one of them is your former classmate, acquaintance or old friend? If so, then beware. There is a chance that your friend will try to take advantage of a personal acquaintance with you.

For example, he will come in and start talking in a friendly way about how difficult it is for him to come to work so early: after all, you still need to take the children to kindergarten and stand in a traffic jam. Or talk about how hard it is for him to support his family. There is not enough salary. If these things happen all the time, know that they are trying to play on your friendly feelings. Your friend-subordinate clearly intends to get more profitable terms jobs or pay raises.

By the way, this behavior is typical for those who are your good friend, and for those people with whom you have a very casual acquaintance. Maybe unconsciously, but almost everyone has a desire to take advantage of the fact that they are on a short footing with their boss. It’s just that decency stops someone, and someone, without any thought about the moral side of the issue, intends to squeeze out of the situation maximum benefit.

The way out of the situation can be a conversation with a person. It is necessary to explain to him that at work he is, first of all, your subordinate, and not a friend. Therefore, there will be no benefits and privileges. If friendships at work don't stop, try to arrange for the employee to be placed under the supervision of another person. For one thing, think about it: is it necessary to continue communicating with a person who is trying to use your personal affection for official purposes?

5. Flirt at work. In this case, the manipulator has the same goal as the friend-subordinate from the previous paragraph. He is trying to form a personal sympathy in you, thanks to which he is going to control your behavior. Therefore, it is best to keep your distance while in the company of employees. In your life, for sure, there are enough problems already. So why confuse work and personal life into one ball?

If your indifference and coldness did not convince the manipulator of your impregnability, and an employee of the opposite sex nevertheless unequivocally gives you signs of attention, immediately dot all the "i". Talk to a subordinate or subordinate. Explain that it will not be possible to make a career "through the bed".

If you still could not resist the temptation, get ready: now they will try to turn you around like a puppet. In addition, sooner or later they will find out about your “hazing” relationships, and then your clean reputation will end.

6. Flattery and appeasement. Did they give you gifts for no reason? This is cause for concern. Most likely, they are trying to arouse sympathy and gratitude in you, which can then be used for their own purposes. In order not to feel obligated, it is better not to accept the gifts that are presented to you without a special reason. Naturally, collective congratulations or gifts for birthdays and other well-known holidays do not belong to this category.

7. An employee is trying to "bargain" with you. This is a very common manipulation. At the same time, the employee begins to set the conditions for the boss under which he will take up this or that job, refers to unfavourable conditions and a lack of resources that could prevent him from completing his task.

Behave In a similar way a beginner obviously cannot, because it is important for him to earn authority and a good reputation, and also simply to stay in his position. So "bargaining" with you, most likely, will be the person who has been in the company for a long time, who has a great responsibility. Having spent a lot of time and effort on the development of the company, he feels the right to express his claims.

In some cases, it is really worth listening to the words of an experienced and knowing person and weigh them properly. Perhaps, indeed, he points out the objective shortcomings of the work process and suggests improving the situation. But it happens that the “old-timer” of the company simply puts pressure on the boss with his authority. He may have two motives.

The first is the desire to acquire privileges, taking advantage of one's exclusive position and indispensability. Second - implementation own ambitions, the desire to lead, to intervene in the work process. Most often, the manipulator tries to influence your decision with his whims. Often an employee puts forward the following threats: “I’ll quit, and see what happens ...”, “Yes, without me everything will fall apart”, “Yes, where else can you find someone like me?”

In this case, analyze: is the employee really so indispensable? Will the company really have a hard time without it? Is it really not possible to delegate his duties to other employees? If you answered “no”, then it makes sense to think about breaking up with the blackmailer.

8. Constant mention of the former boss. Have you noticed that recently your employees very often began to remember in your presence " old days when they were led by your predecessor? At the same time, employees talk about how he would act in this or that situation, how would he negotiate or how would he conduct personnel policy? Know that they are trying to manipulate you.

The feeling that you are being compared to someone is sometimes unbearable, especially when the comparison is not in your favor. With their remarks, employees try to influence your decisions, indicating the scenario they want. Do not succumb to provocations, do not follow the path outlined by other people. work out own style guides. Over time, workers will have to come to terms with this.

How to stop the manipulator?

In response to attempts to control you, you can take some action. To begin with, it is worth considering how you will behave with the manipulator.

If you know that you will have a conversation with this employee, try to predict how the conversation will go, what arguments the person can bring. Try to prepare answers to possible objections.

Before the meeting, plan ahead for the conversation. At the same time, include in it items that you can refuse. But at the same time, there should be positions that you will not give up under any circumstances. - Before difficult conversation try to let go of the emotions. After all, too violent a reaction can negatively affect the outcome of the meeting.

Deceive the expectation of the manipulator. Do not react to his tricks, smooth sharp corners. When the employee realizes that his tricks do not work, he will change tactics or even give up intentions to manipulate you.

If the interlocutor drives you into a corner, forcing you to make difficult choices, it is important to avoid a direct answer. Take time to think, collect all the necessary information, analyze all the arguments and counterarguments and make an informed decision.

Does the manipulator keep trying to influence you? Then a hard rebuff can have a sobering effect on him.

If you decide to find out what exactly an employee is trying to influence you, play along with him, pretend that you have succumbed to his tricks. Continue the conversation until you know the manipulator's intent.

Manipulate in response. You may be able to put a presumptuous subordinate in his place.

Open up to the manipulator. Say that you have "seen through" him, and are not going to fulfill his requirements. This will lower him to the ground and wean him from future attempts to intrigue.

More about the nature and types of manipulations:

The ability to recognize and stop manipulation will allow you to become an authoritative leader who does not follow the lead of the team and takes responsibility independent solutions. Just don't get paranoid. Maniacal suspicion will not add to your popularity with employees.

Burning out at work and working for the good of the company’s idea is certainly good - this characterizes you as a responsible and devoted person, however, health, rest and emotional charge are much more important than frank manipulations of the boss.

The art of anti-manipulation - opposition to labor slavery

Only you can be responsible for your life. If in childhood parents taught that one must constantly obey their rules (veiled as "advice"), then all his life, being no longer a child, a person lives, guided by the directions of other people. Moreover, manipulations can be both covert and overt.

The manipulator, as a rule, forces his subordinate to do as he (the boss) wants. How does the manipulation take place? The manipulator is often psychologically stronger than his subordinate, whom he managed to hook, so he, finding weak spots his victim, begins to control her. Such weaknesses can be as beliefs based on ideological loyalty to the firm, or fear of dismissal, demotion, pay cuts or bonuses.

What does the manipulator evoke?

As a rule, the boss manipulates subordinates so that they do overtime work, take tasks home, work on weekends without pay. A small salary and lack of fair payments is also a skillful manipulation.

As a manipulation, there may be overstated demands or constant indignation at orders already completed. For example, you were entrusted with some task. You, having successfully completed it, receive frank criticism addressed to you. Yes, there are times when it can be deserved, however, the boss should present it in a constructive way, no matter what. But in other variations, the boss simply manipulates you, hooking an ever-working bee on the bait. You will burn without a trace, so we provided right ways How not to be manipulated by your boss.

How not to be manipulated by your boss?

The first assistant, how not to succumb to the boss’s manipulations, will be reflection: sit down and think over every moment of communication at work. Do you feel that you are openly exploited? Now decide that you will not give in to this anymore. How to do it?

Clearly define the scope of your work and your functions. The manipulator will work hard to push you beyond your limits, but you should never let him do this. How to say no to a manipulative boss? AT polite manner the person needs to be made clear that such functions are not included in your duties. Sometimes a phrase that begins with a firm but polite "no" decides the further outcome of the conversation. "No, these functions are not part of my duties." "No, do it without additional fee I won't."

Sometimes the manipulator tries to resort to collective humiliation, pulling you out for the general consideration of the group. Also, do not fall for this kind of provocation. Be prepared to stand up for yourself.

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A quarter of a century ago John Gabarro and John Kotter submitted new concept relationship between leader and subordinate. The authors came to the conclusion that this interaction is based on mutual dependence. The leader needs the support of reliable and honest subordinates. And managers can’t do without the help of superiors in establishing contacts with colleagues, setting priorities and gaining access to critical resources. If your relationship with your boss is not going well, try to change it. By doing this, you will benefit not only yourself, but also others.

John Gabarro - professor, member of the Foundation UPS , teacher of the theory of personnel management in Harvard School business. John Kotter - Program Professor Konosuke Matsushita taught leadership theory at Harvard Business School.

The expression "manage the boss" will seem strange or suspicious to many: it is believed that if subordinates try to influence the authorities, it is only by pursuing personal or political goals. But we do not mean manipulation, but conscious work with leadership in order to achieve best results. Judging by numerous studies, those managers who work best are those who build relationships not only with subordinates, but also with seniors. However, many of their talented and energetic colleagues ignore this the most important aspect management and try to avoid bosses.

Instructive story Frank Gibbons dissuade anyone who doubts the need to develop relationships with management. Frank was known in his industry as a genius in production, and in 1973 he deservedly took the post of vice president of production for one of the largest companies in the industry. But he did not know how to manage people, so the president of the company picked up subordinates for him who knew how to build relationships with management.

One of Gibbons' subordinates was Philippe Bonvie, with a reputation as a person who knows how to work with superiors. However, the president did not take into account that for his dizzying career Bonvie was lucky only for "good" bosses. Bonvie stayed with Gibbons for just over a year: he was fired, and the company suffered losses for the first time in seven years. The reason is clear: while the company was developing a major new product, Gibbons and Bonvie were constantly at odds. For example, according to Bonvie, Gibbons personally approved his proposal to produce a new product on new equipment, and Gibbons completely denies this, since the production of a new product is too important to create additional risks. As a result, the new plant did not produce at the volume that the sales department required, and costs exceeded the level planned by management.

We can say that the problem arose due to Gibbons' inability to manage subordinates. But another statement will be no less true - the reason lies in Bonvi's inability to manage his boss, because Gibbons did not have such disagreements with other employees.

Wrong view of the relationship with the management

Stories like this one are often seen as the result of a hostile relationship. Indeed, colleagues have psychological incompatibility, but personal conflict often turns out to be only part of the problem. Some subordinates believe that the boss does not depend on them, they do not notice that for successful work he needs their help, confidence in their reliability and honesty. Others are sure that they depend little on their superiors. They think that they can do just fine without the help of a leader. For some reason, many subordinates are sure that their leader himself knows how to help them.

In the light of the foregoing, we believe that for effective management relationships, each of us needs:

• understand yourself and your boss - his and his strengths and weaknesses, features of work style and interests;
• on the basis of this understanding, maintain normal working relationships that do not conflict with the style of work, expectations and interests of each of you.

Understand the boss

To establish a normal relationship with your boss, try to understand him and appreciate the conditions in which he works. Each subordinate should ask himself a few questions about his boss. What are its goals? What are the requirements of senior management and colleagues? What are its strengths and weaknesses? What is his working style? How does he prefer to receive information? Without knowing this, the subordinate will not be able to manage relations with the leader, which will inevitably affect the work.

One day, we were approached by a marketer who had been promoted to vice president of a struggling financial company recently acquired by a major corporation. The task was formulated for him as follows: to solve the problems of marketing and sales. The president initially gave the vice president carte blanche. The vice president changed product prices and planned more production to increase market share.

After profits declined and financial performance did not improve, the president began to put more pressure on the new deputy, but he stood his ground. When profits were still low at the end of two quarters, the president took over and, regardless of production volume, set tight margins. Unfortunately, the pricing scheme proposed by the president was also unsuccessful, and both were fired by the fourth quarter.

The vice president thought that the head of the company wanted to increase sales, but the president had another goal - to make the business profitable as quickly as possible. The vice president was also unaware that his boss was personally interested in this, since it was he who advocated the purchase of the company and his reputation depended on the success of the case. The vice president made three major mistakes: satisfied with the information he was given; began to deal with issues on which he had insufficient information; did not try to find out for himself the goals of the president. As a result, his actions began to contradict the interests of the head of the company.

Managers who manage to work harmoniously with their bosses try to understand the goals of the leader, the requirements placed on him, if possible, compare their assessments with the opinion of the boss, and analyze his behavior. It is necessary to take into account the style of the boss, especially the new one. A democratic manager who largely relies on intuition can be replaced by an organized formalist who is used to working with written reports and holding official meetings according to a pre-approved agenda.

Understand yourself

The other side is you. And it is easier for you to change yourself than the boss. If you understand what hinders or, conversely, helps you work with him, you can make your relationship more fruitful.

For example, one manager could not agree with the boss on any controversial issue. If he defended his opinion, the manager did not give up, but looked for logical inconsistencies in the opponent's statements. In response, the chief defended his point of view even more fiercely. The only way to change the situation, the manager decided - to learn to behave differently. Now, when the discussion reached a dead end, he suggested taking a break, calmly think everything over, and only then continue the conversation. Usually after a break they reached an agreement.

Although the relationship between the boss and the subordinate is based on mutual dependence, the subordinate is still more dependent on the boss. Therefore, the employee feels disappointed when the manager limits him in some way. Some subordinates instinctively reject the authority of the leader and resist all his decisions simply out of a sense of contradiction. Psychologists call this behavior counterdependent. Counterdependent employees are difficult to manage and have strained relationships with management, especially authoritarian ones. Bosses turn into their enemies and stop trusting them. Oddly enough, such employees often turn out to be good leaders.

People of the opposite type suppress their discontent and completely obey their superiors. They will agree even when the boss expects objections from them. This is the same overreaction as in counter-addicts. Suppressing their dissatisfaction, they perceive the boss as a wise father who will take care of their career and protect them from the attacks of colleagues.

Employees of both types form the wrong idea about the leader. They do not understand that the boss is a person like them, imperfect and making mistakes. He also has little free time and no encyclopedic knowledge. He is often subjected to pressure from the outside, and he has to make decisions that run counter to the interests of subordinates.

Relationship Management

Once you have a clear picture of yourself and your boss, you are more likely to develop collaboration that allows you to work most effectively. Here are some aspects of such relationships.

Compatibility at work. Good relationship with the leader suggest compatibility of work styles. Subordinates can adapt to the style of work of managers, whom Peter Drucker divides into "listeners" and "readers". The first prefer to get acquainted with the reports submitted in advance, the second - to receive information in oral so that you can ask questions. It is not difficult to adapt to the manner of the boss to make decisions. Some managers like to participate in solving the problem from the very beginning (it is better to consult with them more often). Others delegate things to subordinates and try not to touch the settlement of the problem (they should be contacted only on the most difficult issues).

mutual expectations. The subordinate who thinks he knows what the boss expects from him is mistaken. Managers who can clearly state their requirements are a rarity. Therefore, the subordinate himself must find out what the boss wants.

Of course, it is difficult to understand a person who is too vague or reluctant to talk about his expectations. But smart managers find an opportunity to learn what they need. Some paint their work on points and discuss them with the boss. Others have an informal conversation with the manager on the topic “ good management' and 'our goals'. Still others receive information indirectly: through the boss's colleagues from previous jobs or at official meetings at which their boss reports to management.

Subordinates should also formulate their expectations and make the boss accept the most important conditions for you. It is especially important to do this if he always and in everything tries to set the bar higher.

Information flow. The amount of information needed by the boss depends on his style of work and the degree of trust in the subordinate. A good manager always senses when the leader lacks data and tries to “educate” him in a way that is convenient for both.

dependency and honesty. Nothing binds the hands of a leader like a subordinate who cannot be relied upon. Many employees themselves are to blame for the fact that the bosses stop trusting them: they do not take into account or have a poor idea of ​​the boss's priorities. Perhaps excessive optimism in estimating delivery times will please the manager at first, but he is unlikely to be happy with the missed deadlines.

Of course, usually employees do not deliberately deceive management, but sometimes they want to gloss over the truth or downplay the issue. But if you keep silent about a potential problem, it threatens to turn into unexpected difficulties later. Dishonesty is most dangerous because it undermines trust, and the leader will be forced to control every step of his subordinate.

Proper use of time and resources. It may very well be that your boss has just as little time, energy and influence as you do. Subordinates often forget about such an obvious truth and tease the leadership over trifles.

Article abstract John Gabarro and John Kotter from a magazine "Harvard Business Review - Russia"

The ability to manipulate others in business can be useful. Cunning, quirky and prudent employees come in handy during negotiations. But it's good when such a character plays for your team and for the benefit of your company. And if he manipulates his own leader, and even so masterfully that the latter, as if under hypnosis, does everything that is required of him? It turns out a five-day holiday of disobedience. To prevent this from happening, manipulators need to be put in place. What methods of manipulation are used by especially insidious employees who want more salary and less work? How to resist such people? Proven methods and means exist.

However, do not rush to launch a full-scale office witch hunt. Experts from leading recruiting companies, commenting this topic for Executive.ru, note that management manipulation is often not part of an employee's cunning plan. So the head of the recruitment team of the recruitment agency "Unity" Irina Antonenko notes: “In every request of a subordinate, informing, for example, that he does not have enough time to complete the assigned tasks, one should not see an attempt to manipulate. In most cases, employees do this unconsciously.”

In turn, the partner of the headhunting company Cornerstone Victoria Filippova notes that there are options for manipulative behavior great multitude, and they can be both with a plus sign and with a minus sign. A perspicacious leader can easily distinguish between them and understand that the first type of manipulation has the right to life, and the second must be cut down in the bud. “I know one company where the CEO is not too decisive and is afraid to go to any lengths, even necessary companies changes. It would seem that the organization will inevitably face stagnation and defeat in competition, but no - the company is moving forward with the help of tactful assistants - the executive and financial directors. Specialists consistently "lead" and direct the CEO, connecting his personal interests and values ​​with the interests of the project. Such manipulation leads to the fact that the decision on changes is made, and the head of the company has no the slightest doubt the fact that he made this decision himself! ”, - says Victoria Filippova.

Shifting Responsibility

Describing this very common type of management manipulation, Irina Antonenko notes: “An employee, referring to the lack of the necessary authority, asks you to call someone, do something, constantly brings his work for approval, that is, it is you who perform his tasks.” At the same time, the manager himself often provokes such behavior of the staff - if he seeks to participate in all business processes, the leading consultant of the recruitment agency is sure "Visavi Consult" Olga Komardeeva: “The scourge of all leaders is the approval of even ordinary mailings around the company. So here the fault lies partly with the manager himself and his desire to control everything. For employees, this is only a plus, because part of the responsibility is removed from them. Learn to trust subordinates by expressing your wishes the first two or three times, and then give them the opportunity to make decisions on their own.

Victoria Filippova calls such employees “complainers” - they are hysterically afraid of responsibility and do not want to answer even for what is written in their job description. “They shift responsibility for work not done to colleagues, clients, or find personal excuses. A wise manager will eventually follow the consistency of such complaints and start looking for a replacement for such employees, ”the specialist notes.

Head of Industry Department Retail chains and e-commerce" headhunting company "Contact Agency" Anna Sus marks another feature reverse delegation - the so-called "appeal to expertise", when the manager sets a certain task to his subordinate, and he tries to shift the task back to the manager, explaining that no one can cope with this task better and better than him. Have you noticed this? It's time to be alert. “Employees often use this type of manipulation among themselves. AT this case you need to calmly accept and thank for the praise, but remind a colleague or subordinate that today this is his task, and he will be able to cope with it no worse, ”says Anna Sus.

According to her, an equally common type of manipulation is the so-called starvation, that is, the persistent unwillingness to complete the task to the end. “An employee several times presents to the manager obviously unfinished work in the hope that in the end the boss will get tired of waiting and do everything himself. A similar manipulation can be called behavior when a subordinate, in response to a task, begins to ask too many clarifying questions, the answers to which will take more time than the task itself. As a result, the leader again decides to cope with it on his own. It is not easy to resist such manipulations, especially in the face of tight deadlines. However, you need to understand that you should not accept unfinished work. If you have deadlines, then you, as a manager, will really have to do everything yourself, and it’s best not to report it,” says the Executive.ru interlocutor.

Another type of manipulation with elements of shifting responsibility, according to Anna Sus, looks like this: “This is a situation when a person who has received a task does not want to complete it or has already failed to complete it and begins to shift the task to his colleagues, deliberately focusing on the fact that he and so busy with work, but they do not cope well with their duties, and then let them at least fulfill this assignment. Thus, the manipulator marks the area where he really achieved some success, while drawing the attention of management to the area where his colleagues are not so perfect and do not cope with the tasks. In this case, it is necessary to thank the employee for his attentiveness and remind him that the order was nevertheless addressed to him.”

Does it exist universal remedy from those who like to shift responsibility? According to the CEO of the company Rational GrainOlga Stepanova, to begin with, it is worthwhile to clearly understand the reasons that lead to back delegation. “If after all the conversations with the employee it becomes clear that he simply does not want to fulfill his function, there can be only one solution - dismissal. However, perhaps if during the conversation you realize that a person is interested in a completely different range of responsibilities, and not what he is doing now, then it makes sense to try him on a different front. I know an example when a person started a career in accounting at the suggestion of his parents. He performed his function, but did not show much diligence. And then he was offered the vacancy of a personnel manager, and it was then that this person began to show his full potential. Contact with each employee is important. And the leader must have a clear idea of ​​​​who he can entrust to conduct a presentation, to whom - to draw up analytical reference and to whom - cold calls. Success will come if the manager understands strengths of its employees and relies on them,” Olga Stepanova comments.

Imitation of violent activity

Imitation of violent activity is another interesting and common example of management manipulation, notes Olga Komardeeva. “There are employees who know how to sell themselves and their work. They put on a weekly slideshow of the results of their work, report daily on the number of calls, letters, negotiations and planned deals. But after a few months it becomes obvious that there are no tangible results. A built-in system for evaluating results with strict control of actual success will help here,” the expert advises.

Simulate a persistent download

Does an employee stay late at work? Does he constantly say that he has many tasks, that he does not have time for anything, only he works, and the rest are chilling? They are trying to manipulate you, and creating the appearance of an unbearable load is another way to get the manager to give the employee an "A" in the diary and journal.

Olga Komardeeva warns: “The main thing is that after this article, all top managers should not look for signs of manipulation in the everyday requests and behavior of their subordinates. Take, for example, the manipulation of the image of a heavy workload, when an employee sits up late at work, complains about a large number of cases, sadly pores over a pile of papers, sends ready-made reports in the morning. Check how big the load of the subordinate is, perhaps he really gives all his best, and this is not manipulation at all. Ask a question about loading, ask to describe the amount of work in two last days. This will help redistribute the load in the department and stop the night vigils.

Emphasizing one's own irreplaceability

In the event that an employee can both openly and with hints focus on what he is good specialist, how much he does for the company, and without him nothing would have happened, then they are probably trying to manipulate you, focusing on self-importance. “Yes, if it were not for his managerial qualities and patience, the project would not have been delivered on time,” - this and much more can be heard from the manipulator, says Irina Antonenko.

Victoria Filippova leads next example such blackmail: “The chief accountant or financial director comes to the general director at crucial moments for the company - during the preparation annual report, tax or audit checks, transactions - with an ultimatum: "Either I leave the company, or I demand a salary increase / bonus payment." In the event that this employee in the company does not have an assistant who could intercept the baton, management most often has to agree with the requirements of the manipulator. True, it would not be superfluous to mention that the working days of such a specialist from that moment are practically numbered. Immediately after the incident, management will begin an urgent and confidential search for a replacement.”

Anna Sus describes another very common situation: “A clear manipulation to get a raise is the fact that an employee provides his management with job offers from other companies that are ready to meet his higher financial expectations. Increasingly, there are situations when candidates update their resume only in order to find out their relevance in the market and push management to increase wages. Indeed, with the help of such tricks, an employee can achieve an instant significant increase, which sometimes reaches 40-50%, while the general annual indexation guarantees a salary increase of a maximum of 10-15%. However, this is a rather harmful practice, because the candidate can ruin his reputation in the labor market and question his loyalty. It is difficult to cope with such manipulation. And here it is necessary to understand how valuable this employee is for the company and how difficult it will be to find an adequate replacement for him. If he really is of great interest, then you still have to succumb to his conditions. But you need to understand that motivation solely for money is dangerous for the company and you should carefully start looking for a new worthy candidate.”

Pressure for pity

There is a category of employees who like to put pressure on pity. This is usually done to justify mistakes, miscalculations or unfulfilled work, says Irina Antonenko: get to work, and can also lead to a host of other reasons. Thus, he expects to reduce the measure of "punishment".

There is also an approach to “complainers” - listen carefully to the employee, and if this behavior is not typical for him, then it makes sense to meet halfway and make a discount on life circumstances. If such excuses have become the norm for him, then you are simply being manipulated and should not be tolerated.

Creating problems from scratch

Olga Komardeeva describes another manipulation under symbolic name"We have a problem!". “This happens when an employee is waiting for a decision from the manager, embellishing what happened. “This is a nightmare, this is beyond all limits! We haven’t had such cases before!” the employee shouts in such cases and does not offer any options for solving the problem. Enter the rule: do not go to your office for advice without having at least three options for solving the problem, ”the expert recommends.

Manager versus employee

Another popular view behind-the-scenes games, according to Olga Komardeeva, is the mood of the head against the employee who is not liked. “The manager is given distorted or exaggeratedly negative information about the actions of a certain employee: “It is he who is to blame for the failure of the transaction. It is because of him that we failed the project on time.” Remember that there are at least two points of view on any situation, check the information, do not give in to emotions, listen to all participants in the process, ”advises the specialist.

Using Friendship with Leadership

"More interesting type manipulation - the use of friendship with the leadership, - says Victoria Filippova. - No matter how friendly the team is, a distance must be maintained between the leader and the subordinate - this will help maintain the authority of the authorities, as well as exclude the possibility of using personal information for direct or indirect blackmail."

In such a situation, the CEO of a recruiting company ProfiStaff Irina Nikulina also recommends that managers try not to be “friends” at work with subordinates, as too “family” relationships turn into manipulation, and then it is difficult to deal with this.

How not to succumb to the manipulation of subordinates?

Filtering and recognizing the manipulative behavior of subordinates is not easy. Big role the manager's experience plays, Victoria Filippova is sure. “In my opinion, it is often difficult for a young boss to understand that he is being used. A mature manager, on the other hand, is able to calculate many manipulations with the help of his life experience, he will find time to analyze the employee’s act and try to determine the real motive: money problems, family difficulties, lack of desire to work or fear of failure. AT last case the manager just needs to support the employee, and then complaints and attempts at manipulation will stop,” the expert says.

In turn, Irina Antonenko recommends clearly defining goals and results, as well as the timing of their achievement, discussing plans with employees and getting their approval. “Further, if any excuses begin, reasoning on the topic “but I didn’t succeed, because they didn’t provide me the right information”, you should stop the attempt to manipulate, talk with the employee, understand the reasons for not completing the task, find out his point of view. The more clearly the tasks are set, the deadlines are agreed and the parameters by which the result will be evaluated are determined, the less leverage the employee will have for manipulation,” recommends Irina Antonenko.

Also, manipulation can occur when an employee does not want to perform a task, so you need to understand the reasons, it can be both the complexity of the task and the lack of proper motivation to complete it. "One of important tasks leader are the development of their subordinates and constant motivation. Work in this direction will also help reduce the likelihood of manipulation, ”the expert recalls.

Irina Nikulina supports the above measures: “If the company has prescribed business processes and regulations, the excuses “we did not agree on this” will not be effective. We must also strive for transparency in decision-making, because in a well-established, well-functioning system there is no room for distorting obvious information.”

A photo: pixabay.com corbisimages.com

What questions will you find answered in this article?

- How employees test the strength of the CEO
- What to do if a valuable specialist blackmails you with dismissal
- How to prevent employees from referring to personal circumstances

- How to prevent shifting on your shoulders cases for which subordinates are responsible
- How to stop manipulation by staff

How do employees test the strength of the CEO? What to do if a valuable specialist blackmails you with dismissal? How to respond to the requirement of a subordinate to raise wages? How to prevent employees from citing personal circumstances? How to prevent the shifting on your shoulders of cases for which subordinates are responsible? How to stop manipulation by staff?

These and other questions are answered by Angelina Sham - business coach, candidate of psychological sciences.

Manipulations on the part of subordinates are possible where the conditions for this are created: business procedures are not debugged, employees do not know exactly what their duties are. Good ground for manipulation is a large amount of unoccupied working time and access to company resources (Internet, telephone, database). There are no perfect companies where absolute order reigns, so it is important to learn how to recognize manipulations and minimize the harm they cause to you and your business.

"Pushing through" the solution

Everyone is familiar with the situation when a subordinate literally forces the leader to make decisions urgently, on the run. Employees who pursue exclusively personal gain in the company are comfortable with a weak CEO, which misses, makes mistakes. Often the requirement to urgently make a decision is an unconscious check of the leader: is he inclined to rash actions or not. To counter this manipulation, remember to never make a decision based on emotion or pressure.

How to resist. In such cases, the General Director needs to stop, say a clear “no” to himself and the employee, reschedule the meeting, think it over, collect information, and only then make a decision - conscious, prepared, balanced. It may only take a few minutes, but in doing so, you will show your employees that you cannot be influenced by the power of emotion.

Personal guarantees

Another trick to get you to agree is to provide personal guarantees from the employee. For example, a subordinate comes to you with a new idea, you approve the project and ask for a work plan. However, the employee assures that the plan is not needed, because he is an expert in this matter, knows all the nuances and personally guarantees an excellent result. In fact, the subordinate refuses to write the plan because he wants to avoid control (perhaps to use company resources and working hours for personal purposes).

How to resist. If a subordinate does not want to write a plan, this is a reason to think. In any case, you need to insist on drawing up a document that will describe in detail the stages of work, activities, and most importantly, the costs will be calculated. Feel free to appear incompetent. The CEO should not understand the intricacies of the work of all functional leaders. Be honest: “Yes, I am not an expert in this matter, but I really hope that you, as a professional, will help me better understand the essence of the problem. It will not be difficult for you to prepare detailed plan(report, presentation). It is better to look meticulous and picky than inattentive and indifferent.

Pity and blackmail

The tricks that subordinates sometimes resort to are an attempt to arouse pity, or the use of blackmail. It is not uncommon for bosses to listen to stories about difficult situations and are faced with requests for, for example, time off or permission to work according to a convenient schedule. Blackmail can manifest itself in different ways: in resentment, illness, threats to quit, missed deadlines, and so on.

How to resist. A manager of any level, including the CEO, must know what each of his direct subordinates is specifically doing in order to be able to control it. The subordinate, in turn, must clearly understand what he receives money for. It is necessary to schedule the employee’s working day (duties, procedures, powers) already when hiring him.

If by dismissal you are blackmailed by a valuable specialist who short term there is no one to replace, then first of all you need to find out real reasons his desire to leave the company. Maybe the point is simply that the employee wants to improve the conditions and quality of work - his own, his department or division, but cannot get through to the manager and is forced to go to extreme measures. But it often happens that, even having found out the true reasons, the General Director cannot change the situation (increase salary, staff of the unit, etc.) immediately, and the employee does not want to wait. In case you and the subordinate cannot come to a compromise, it is best to part without hesitation. Indeed, during the time that an employee will work in the company against his will (but agreeing to your persuasion), he can do more harm than good. It is not uncommon during such periods of “refinement” that employees prepare escape routes, fan the dissatisfaction with the enterprise among other employees, notify customers, establish personal relationships with them bypassing the interests of the firm, or simply acquire a database.

Assign the task to the boss

Often, employees, realizing what is in front of them difficult task tend to shift the responsibility for its decision to the boss. It all starts with a request for help, and then it can get to the point that a subordinate will ask you how his business is progressing.

How to resist. To prevent such manipulations, at each such request, demand to see you a work plan. Ask to point out in the plan the point that causes difficulties, and ask what the employee has done to successful implementation this item. Most likely, there will be no answer, because it was this item that the subordinate wanted to entrust to you. To solve the problem, invite the employee to improve the plan (or create a new one for the problem item). Thus, it is necessary to act according to a clear algorithm: task - work plan - control of results.

Start today!

If you realize that you are facing manipulation and want to change the existing rules, do not try to change everything at once - this is impossible. We need to act step by step. To get started, choose the most important. For example, you decide that today structure communication with subordinates and will not discuss work issues in passing on the stairs - start holding regular meetings. Another important point- don't make exceptions. The rules should apply to everyone equally, this will reduce the ability of individual employees to manipulate you. And don't forget to regularly remind yourself of the main goals of the work. If you know exactly what is the main task yours and your company, then no one can knock you off the right course.