One only has to look at the constant investigations in the headlines to see what havoc predecessors, successor, and most especially subordinates can do. Aren’t most whistle-blowers formerly the trusty gofers of the target? Don’t witnesses in committee hearings consist of colleagues who are second among equals?
A disloyal subordinate can be worse than a pushy boss. Being in a reporting relationship to another does not mean following or even recognizing the authority of a supposed boss. A subordinate’s daily activities can go on as if he is on his own and can go through a week without informing his boss of his activities.
Being under somebody can also mean the ability to get under his skin and fill his with anxiety. And because a subordinate is more attuned to what the boss likes and dislikes, the capacity for mischief is limited only by the imagination. He has after all only one boss, while the latter has other subordinates, with even a majority perhaps loyal and supportive.
It’s even possible to have both one’s subordinate and boss working together like a tag team landing body blows and slamming the executive between them. The big boss after all may have hired one’s subordinate, as if sending a message that the man in the middle should be careful. The subordinate two levels down may even be related to the uber-boss.
The ever flattening organization shows more and more boxes reporting to fewer and fewer bosses. It is therefore an unstated principle of the flat chart that one-to-one reporting is a no-no, as it indicates that one of the two layers is superfluous.
What is a pesky subordinate capable of? How does he upset the natural hierarchical movement of the spheres?
The “slow walk” is a favorite bureaucratic weapon to be used on the boss. Orders are carried out with no sense of urgency — yes, Sir, I’m working on it. I’m almost 80% done (in the research). Follow-ups are ignored and even pushed down in priority — The Big Boss is asking me to work on his son’s term paper.
The subordinate goes up a level higher, keeping the boss’s boss in the loop. The direct boss can be briefed a week after to ensure that he is in a temporary blind spot. When some slip-ups occur, the uber-boss knows about it first and asks his executive still in the dark what happened. Here the subordinate doesn’t answer text messages and leaves his voice mail to handle his increasingly panicking boss: I’m sorry I am with an important client. I’ll get back to you later.
Keep the boss away from clients. This is a simple matter of arranging meetings with clients and leaving the boss out — Sir, it was just about operational details which I know give you nose bleeds. We were discussing the pricing of our service and the organizational support we can give the client after their product launch next week. You will get my call report before Christmas, Sir.
Notes of certain decisions are kept, especially those not mentioned in the minutes. In case of an impeachment proceeding going on, these notes of a hostile witness will come in handy — Yes, Sir. She takes a siesta in her room at 3 p.m. every day.
Casual gossip with former colleagues is helpful. The previous employer who has dealings with the company may ask a general question — how is the old man doing? Here a slow shake of the head is enough. It expresses both sadness and compassion, with emphasis on the latter. Some non-job related observation is made: sometimes, he forgets to zip up his pants; and he shows up for canceled meetings. Such innocuous descriptions present a person slowly falling apart, even if in fact he is still active and plugged in on what’s happening with the clients and abreast of industry trends.
Of course, undermining a boss has its risks. It’s much safer to cozy up and fetch the stick when it’s thrown. The recalcitrant subordinate is dealt with quite easily. In the next downsizing, certain names will simply be added for early retirement.
Still, it is not always certain who will decide on the final exit list. Sometimes, the villain does not bite the dust.
A. R. Samson is chair and CEO of Touch DDB.
