The Pathological First-Line Supervisor
Theron Bowman
Founder & CEO, The Bowman Group
We all know them. We’ve either worked for them or supervised them. That first-line supervisor who just won’t commit to the level of productivity, responsibility, and accountability needed to be an effective leader. It happens in government agencies, including police and fire departments, jails and correctional facilities, and at the city, county and state level. These ineffective “leaders” permeate private companies too.
What does it look like?
- Shirking responsibility. Waiting it out as others step up for assignments, sometimes having to be “voluntold.”
- Not accepting or fostering accountability. It’s always someone else’s fault, or the organization wasn’t supportive enough, didn’t provide resources, didn’t address low morale. (Never mind they could tackle these issues themselves.) Sometimes, they’re just more concerned with being friends with direct reports.
- Low productivity. Many problem supervisors are promoted because they are charming and competent communicators. But they use the gift for gab to appear busy and avoid work.
Identify problems early. Stay alert!
Other symptoms:
- Spending an hour in your office. It starts with a legitimate question but becomes a discussion about, literally, the kitchen sink.
- Complaining. No one else does their job correctly.
- Micromanaging. Lack of self-confidence leads to no confidence in others.
- Disappearing. Naps or personal errands on company time.
- Unavailability. Their input is needed but they can’t be found.
- Emphasizing non-work tasks. Deciding where to eat lunch becomes the morning’s focus.
- Not delivering. Work product is late, incomplete, or not submitted.
Diagnosis: Pathological First-Line Supervisor
The long-term effects of a Pathological First-Line Supervisor are far-reaching and create significant consequences for your organization.
Overall Risk. These supervisors often exhibit destructive behaviors—abusive supervision, incivility, an uninvolved style of supervision—all linked to psychological distress, ineffective work behaviors, and reduced employee safety. The results? Decreased productivity. Higher reportable incident rates. A compromised company reputation. Significant negative impacts to your company’s financial and operational success.
Decreased morale. Pathological supervisors severely impact employee well-being. Research shows that when supervisors mistreat employees, they disengage, suffer from emotional exhaustion, and become overtly counterproductive.
High turnover. Perhaps the most concerning is how the presence of a pathological first-line supervisor can negatively affect employee retention. Employee retention ensures operational continuity, reduces training and recruitment costs, and sustains your organization’s vision, mission, and values. Unhappy employees start job hunting to escape their hostile environment.
This malady progresses in two ways: Catch it early, intervene and create a healthier environment for your employees. Leave it untreated, the problem will worsen, and removal will be necessary.
Treatment - Focus on the whole problem, not just individual symptoms.
- Assess. Is it an isolated incident rather than a systemic issue? Address it internally. But if the issue is systemic, you may need a reputable consultant to assist you with a comprehensive evaluation.
- Treat. Proper treatment mitigates hazards. Interventions include:
- Creating or revising policies
- Training or coaching
- Attention to wellness issues
- Modeling accountability at all levels
- Disciplining: probation, reprimands, or termination
- Document. If you didn’t document early symptoms and intervention, it didn’t happen. Documentation alone may encourage change. Firing any employee without proper documentation puts your organization at risk for lawsuits.
- Reassess. Develop a clear plan to assess the effectiveness of interventions. As a former colleague of mine once said, “Don’t expect what you don’t inspect.” Creating a culture of accountability is a critical component of an effective leader in any organization.
Whether your company’s focus is people or products, you require effective first line supervisors to exceed performance goals. Let’s identify and treat pathological supervision before it metastasizes.
Sources linked in article:
*The views and opinions expressed in the Public Risk Management Association (PRIMA) blogs are those of each respective author. The views and opinions do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of PRIMA.*
By: Theron Bowman
Founder and CEO, The Bowman Group
Summary of Qualifications
Dr. Bowman has nearly 40 years of high-level law enforcement and extensive public safety experience. He is a former Arlington, Texas, police chief, and, as former Arlington deputy city manager, was director of public safety. As CEO of The Bowman Group, a police and public practices consulting firm, Dr. Bowman assists organizations in strategic planning, efficient resource allocation, talent development, and budget optimization. A visionary leader with a commitment to excellence, professionalism, education and innovation, his research areas include police administration, community policing, constitutional policing, and public organization theory among others. He also serves as a public safety insurance risk management advisor for public organizations and private insurance companies.
Dr. Bowman’s big-picture perspective is key to his lifelong dedication to making a difference. With his vast knowledge and counsel, organizations learn to thrive in the ever-changing 21st-century landscape.
Responsibilities
As primary consultant of The Bowman Group, Dr. Bowman offers direction on investigating and developing reform measures for police practices and policies regarding management and accountability, among others.
His research and consulting activities cover a broad range of private, public safety and government issues including racial and ethnic justice, federal consent decrees designed to eliminate patterns and practices of constitutional and civil rights violations, the monitoring and implementation of consent decrees and Department of Justice agreements with law enforcement agencies, as well as best practices and professional standards related to -use-of-force policies, misconduct complaint systems, and hiring, training and retention practices.
Dr. Bowman leads a team of subject matter experts dedicated to offering invaluable strategic guidance and innovative solutions to police, public, and private organizations facing multifaceted challenges. He fosters a culture of accountability in all his endeavors to help organizations identify and mitigate potential risks.
Business Experience
In addition to his work as a law enforcement officer and executive, Dr. Bowman has more than 30 years of experience leading and managing some of the most complex and sophisticated police and public safety operations in the world. His expertise as a U.S. and international police practices expert includes consulting some of the largest jurisdictions in America, including New York City, Baltimore, Chicago, Memphis, Milwaukee, Seattle, Fort Worth, Dallas, Orlando, Arlington, and New Orleans to name just a few. He has provided technical advice to international civilian police task forces deploying in Bosnia, Kosovo, Haiti, Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Afghanistan. He was also invited to introduce the philosophy and practice of community policing to Brazilian and other South American National Police Forces. He is an International Police Practices Expert for the U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Department of State, and the London Metropolitan Police.
Dr. Bowman served as a CALEA Commissioner for six years where he reviewed the policies and practices of more than 1,000 police departments of all sizes. He has successfully managed hundreds of special events, including political demonstrations, concerts, and dignitary protection details. Dr. Bowman also has extensive experience in overseeing, managing, and reviewing large-scale security-sensitive events such as the NFL Superbowl, NBA All Star game, and multiple MLB World Series games.
Professional Affiliations
• Governing board chair, Texas Regional Center for Policing Innovation
• Former board member, former executive committee member and member, International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP)
• Founding member and past president, Texas Association of Police Personnel Officers
• Former chair, Texas Intelligence Council
• Member, National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives
• Member, Police Executive Research Forum (PERF)
• Former commissioner and member, Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA)
• Member, American Society of Public Administrators
• Member, Texas Police Association
• Member, The Institute for Law Enforcement Administration
• Member, North Texas Council of Governments
• Adjunct professor of sociology, criminology and criminal justice at Texas Christian University, the University of Texas at Arlington, Texas Wesleyan University, Tarleton State University, and Tarrant County College
Education
• Ph.D. of Philosophy, Urban and Public Administration - University of Texas at Arlington, 1997
• Master of Public Administration - University of Texas at Arlington, 1991
• Bachelor of Biology - University of Texas at Arlington, 1983
• FBI National Academy graduate, 1996
• Senior Management Institute for Police graduate, 1999
• FBI Executive Institute graduate, 2002
