Manager insists I be more "Hitler-type", instilling fear

I have had a new manager for almost a year now. We got along fine until recently. She has told me that she wants all her managers to be "Hitler-types" to their subordinates.

This goes against my proven style of the past 30+ years. Since I have been resisting, she is now leaning on me very hard and am convinced my days are numbered here as an employee.

We have had a horrific turnover the past several months, all within upper management. What can I do? I really want to continue with this company otherwise. 8 months ago, the stress put me in the hospital due to severe chest pains.

From a legal standpoint your boss is not breaking any laws.  They can terminate you for not changing your management style to the one they prefer.  Your options are to comply with the directives or to quietly find another job elsewhere.  Sorry.

kauaiguy:

I really want to continue with this company otherwise. 8 months ago, the stress put me in the hospital due to severe chest pains.

Are you a masochist?

Why the heck would you want to stay with a company that put you in the hospital for stress?

I think you need to acknowledge the handwriting on the wall and seek employment elsewhere.

But that's just my opinion.

kauaiguy:

She has told me that she wants all her managers to be "Hitler-types" to their subordinates.

Suggestion:  If I truly considered my days numbered because of this person, and especially if I had thirty years vested in this company, I would ask this manager person to better define "Hitler-type."  i.e., Is she telling me that she wants me to become racist?

If might give her something to think about before she terminates me.

(Or maybe it won't . . . )

Wow, very good point, and I am seeking employment elsewhere. Something I forgot to mention about this manager and here need for her managers to be Hitler-types. She said this to an outsider interviewing for a management position. Seems like a terrible message to be sending to a total stranger outside the company. Agree?

The woman is playing with a ticking time bomb by using that type of phraseology.  Given to the wrong person it is as suggestive as telling them to "strut their stuff," or other like suggestions.  And, these are of the caliber that no one has to tolerate regardless of gender, religion, nationality, age, color, etc.

Have you filed internal complaint with HR?  It's something you might consider.

kauaiguy:

She said this to an outsider interviewing for a management position. Seems like a terrible message to be sending to a total stranger outside the company. Agree?

Though I am not Jewish, my grandparents (Swedes/Czechs) were affected by "Hitler's staff" during WWII.  I did live less than 5K from the Dachau Concentration camp when I grew up as a teen in Germany in the 1960s.  I can guarantee that she would hate me as an employee.  She would come to hate me even more as a non-employee.

Be careful as you seek employment elsewhere.  Listing them as your current employer too much before the final phase of interviewing for the job will clue your current employer in -- and they may dump you on that basis.  Personally, I would just list the responsibilities, my qualifications, salary with the current job, and I wouldn't disclose the employer's name until it was almost very, very positive that I was the prospective candidate.

Good luck!

Your new manager doesn't have a CLUE how to manage and motivatate people.  Nonetheless, insisting her subordinate managers manage like egomaniacial amoral dictators (the politest term I can come up with) is not illegal - just a horrendous business decision.

I don't get the impression that she's using that term with the intention of being racist but she's so clueless that it probably hasn't even occurred to her that she may well be horendously offending some people.  Given all the turnover with senior management and the style of manager that has been hired, the writing is on the wall.  I suggest you get out of there as soon as you possibly can.  Good luck.

I have a very specific reason for asking this question; it is not based on any assumptions or stereotypes:

What race/national origin is the manager in question?

I'll explain why I'm asking after the OP answers.

This woman is from Puerto Rico, and rules with an iron fist. Once bragged to me that at her previous position there, she fired her entire staff to send a strong message. And here with her new role, told me that she has a moles/spys planted within the departments to constantly inform her of what is going on in the workplace. I have to wonder if Latin countries (employers) tend to use fear as the motivation of choice? I think is is a cultural thing, personally. I am in the hot seat for disagreeing with her on a topic, but still carried out what I was instructed to do. Only said the "we'll have to agree to disagree on this, and that is OK, isn't it?"

Thanks to everyone so far for your input. Really helps me.

If she is from Puerto Rico, then what I was thinking probably doesn't apply.

I once ran into an employee relations issue when an employee who was from the Pacific Rim, and another employee who was born in Europe, had rights that were in direct conflict with each other. To accomodate one would be to discriminate against the other. We were able to resolve the conflict when we realized that the Eastern countries do not study our Western history any more than we study theirs, and therefore the Asian fellow honestly did not know why his religious screensaver was offensive to the fellow born in Poland. (The symbol on the screensaver, a religious symbol to the one young man, was so close to a swastika as makes no never mind.)

But since Puerto Rico is also part of the Western culture, it's unlikely that this is the case here. Sorry for the tangent - just thought it was worth exploring.

She's really something.  The people I've worked with from Latin countries are nothing like her though so I don't think her style is at all indicative of managers from that part of the world.  I think it's just her (just as there are some American managers who behave the same way and have the same horrendously misguided management philosophy.)

She's clearly not going to change so I think your only option is to start looking for a new job.  Good luck.