3 Ways You’re Sabotaging Your Managers

The manager or supervisor of a workplace has plenty to deal with, between meeting performance goals and leading a cohesive and productive team.  When an employee is sabotaging their manager, it becomes an issue that deserves full attention.  The fact is many employees are sabotaging their managers without even knowing it, but the results could be very damaging.  You can minimize your risk of damaging your manager’s reputation or worse, losing your own job, by observing these three employee practices that sabotage their managers.


Whether you feel like you have the most important job on the team or you are nothing more than an extra pair of hands, the truth is your performance has a significant impact on your team and ultimately your manager. As an employee your job is to meet your performance goals and when these goals are not being met, it has a direct effect on your manager.  Executives and senior leaders will begin looking to your manager for answers as to why you are not performing.  You might not think about how your performance or lack thereof is sabotaging your manager, but it is certainly something your manager will take note of. This could lead to trouble for your manager and possibly even result in you losing your job.  Don’t underestimate the importance of your job.  Always strive to meet your performance goals and don’t be afraid to ask for help if you are struggling.

Trying to Do Everything Yourself

Employees are part of a team, and for good reason.  A lot more can be accomplished when the entire team is working together than what you could accomplish by yourself.   You might be eager to receive those kudos or want to take the credit for a big project, but the bottom line is that you are sabotaging your manager and your team when you try to take on too much by yourself.  Managers appreciate employees who aren’t afraid to delegate and who value the importance of sharing tasks.  When you try to do everything by yourself, it is probably not going to end up getting done right or on time and your manager is going to pay the price for that.

Not Getting Along with Others

You may not love the job you have or all the people you work with but everyone knows how frustrating it is to work with a difficult employee.  When you don’t get along with your colleagues, it can have a negative impact on your manager because other employees will be complaining about you.  This adds a lot of extra pressure to a manager’s plate.   It is the manager’s job to lead a cohesive and productive team so when you refuse to get along with your coworkers you are preventing your manager from having a strong team.  You end up sabotaging your manager, even if that was not your intention.  No one ever said you have to become best friends with your coworkers, but at least be cordial and treat others with respect in the workplace.

The behavior of employees can have a significant impact on the success of their managers. Competent and dedicated employees can make their managers shine while underperforming employees can give their managers a bad reputation.  Pay attention to your performance in the workplace and avoid these behaviors that can cause you to sabotage your manager.