Ratilla, Traci Alanis C.

ACT202
Assignment #2 (FINALS)

Article Title: How to Intervene When a Manager Is Gaslighting Their Employees

Article Link: https://hbr.org/2021/09/how-to-intervene-when-a-manager-is-
gaslighting-their-employees

Organizations give importance to their employee's mental and social health as they
can contribute to the job satisfaction of an employee, in which it could result to a better
performance in their workplace. However, there are some managers who try to lie to their
employees and intentionally set them up to fail, and this action is called gaslighting.
Gaslighting is a form of psychological abuse where an individual tries to gain power and
control over you (Mallick, 2021). Managers are trying to ruin their reputation by giving
negative feedback about their performance. Also, they're manipulative as they are giving a
command and later they would deny it as it did not really happen. Employees who
experience gaslighting decrease their willingness to work and could affect their work
productivity. Therefore, companies are trying to avoid and correct those managers who
are gaslighting their subordinates.
Employees who are treated with respect and kindness by their supervisors and co-
workers are more likely to stay with the company. Nonetheless, some of the top workers
may be subjected to workplace gaslighting if they suddenly receive negative performance
comments. The company's overall ranking will suffer as a result of their employees' poor
performance. As a result, the organization should analyse and investigate the cause of the
decline. When the organization notices managers who are gaslighting, they should speak
with them one-on-one and attempt to change their incorrect leadership behavior. The
organization runs leadership programs in which it educates and informs its managers on
how to behave and act like a leader. Furthermore, if managers continue to gaslight their
employees, HR personnel should isolate those managers. The best time to do so is when
the company considers restructuring, in which case the manager's span of control can be
reduced and they can be made an individual contributor with no oversight of employees.

To summarize, gaslighting may appear to others like a joke, yet it has the potential
to harm a person's mental health. Managers are given authority to persuade their staff to
develop themselves and the firm as a whole. The company's role in protecting employees
from bullying and power abuse includes isolating and removing those bosses who are
destructive to their subordinates.