Sooner or later everyone runs into the boss with a hair-trigger temper, who vents his frustrations by screaming at his subordinates. In his calmer moments, he can be reasonable to work for. However, once you have been on the receiving end of his temper, you are always on edge awaiting the next explosion. He may or may not use profanity, but he will storm around and make personally insulting comments about your lack of competence, even in front of your subordinates.
Example
MAJ Acosta was a battalion executive officer. He knew his business, but he had little patience. As soon as he got wind that here was a problem, he flew into it hot, with all guns blazing. As a result, the staff and commanders were reluctant to discuss problems with him, and no one ever questioned his decisions. Morale among the staff was low. Most people where just counting the days until they could get out from under his supervision.
The screamer is an advanced bully. As a senior leader, he knows he can't physically intimidate people (although some of them do), so he uses his voice and general demeanor to achieve the same results. He never displays this behavior in the presence of his superiors, and they may be unaware of the degree to which he intimidates and verbally abuses his subordinates. You have a choice when working for a screamer. You can tolerate his screaming, which can be very destructive to your psyche, or you can do the same thing you do to get a bully to back off. You can face up to them and their behavior.
Obviously it's not in your best interest to confront a screamer boss in the midst of one of his tirades. Wait until a day or so after he has yelled at you and then ask to speak with him privately. Start by telling him in a level and unemotional voice that you are working hard to do the best job you can for him. Explain that you don't need to be yelled at to produce high quality work. At this point, most screamers will deny that they ever screamed at you. Repeat your point that your objective is to do good work and that by raising his voice he does not motivate you to excel. This will take considerable courage on your part. It is important to plan in advance exactly what you will say, rehearse it, and then stick with it. No matter what happens in the discussion, keep your emotions in check. Maintain a calm and even tone of voice and a relaxed posture, even if you are raging inside at the injustice of his behavior.
As strange as it may sound, the screamer will usually respect you for having stood up to him, and more importantly, he will refrain from screaming at you in the future. He will continue to scream at others, because screaming is a habit with leaders like this. Often they've been doing it for so long that they honestly don't realize the degree to which their behavior is affecting the organization. As a subordinate, it is not you job to correct his emotional instability, but you do want these tirades to stop being directed at you and your team.
Example
MAJ Acosta was a battalion executive officer. He knew his business, but he had little patience. As soon as he got wind that here was a problem, he flew into it hot, with all guns blazing. As a result, the staff and commanders were reluctant to discuss problems with him, and no one ever questioned his decisions. Morale among the staff was low. Most people where just counting the days until they could get out from under his supervision.
The screamer is an advanced bully. As a senior leader, he knows he can't physically intimidate people (although some of them do), so he uses his voice and general demeanor to achieve the same results. He never displays this behavior in the presence of his superiors, and they may be unaware of the degree to which he intimidates and verbally abuses his subordinates. You have a choice when working for a screamer. You can tolerate his screaming, which can be very destructive to your psyche, or you can do the same thing you do to get a bully to back off. You can face up to them and their behavior.
Obviously it's not in your best interest to confront a screamer boss in the midst of one of his tirades. Wait until a day or so after he has yelled at you and then ask to speak with him privately. Start by telling him in a level and unemotional voice that you are working hard to do the best job you can for him. Explain that you don't need to be yelled at to produce high quality work. At this point, most screamers will deny that they ever screamed at you. Repeat your point that your objective is to do good work and that by raising his voice he does not motivate you to excel. This will take considerable courage on your part. It is important to plan in advance exactly what you will say, rehearse it, and then stick with it. No matter what happens in the discussion, keep your emotions in check. Maintain a calm and even tone of voice and a relaxed posture, even if you are raging inside at the injustice of his behavior.
As strange as it may sound, the screamer will usually respect you for having stood up to him, and more importantly, he will refrain from screaming at you in the future. He will continue to scream at others, because screaming is a habit with leaders like this. Often they've been doing it for so long that they honestly don't realize the degree to which their behavior is affecting the organization. As a subordinate, it is not you job to correct his emotional instability, but you do want these tirades to stop being directed at you and your team.