@PinkAndViolet
She is incredibly bossy and demanding.
She always looks at us disapprovingly as if we are young kids not meeting her expectations.
She speaks rudely and snaps at us.
Very critical and never praises or supports.
She has alienated everybody in the team. Some are very angry. Others like me are very upset and on edge. Our department has been struggling for a while so she has been brought in to help improve things but her presence is making everything worse. A leader cannot lead and change things for the better if people are scared of them or find them intimidating and rude. No people skills at all and the thought of going back on Monday is making me feel sick. I know it will be on my mind all this weekend and I will not be able to unwind.
So she's been brought in specifically to sort out huge problems, not make friends or be all fluffy bunny with what she's been told is the source of the problem - the staff.
Was there anybody from the team approaching management with ideas for how to resolve the problems beforehand, or is it a very passive and negative atmosphere with everybody declaring that nothing will ever get better and no changes can ever be made?
I've been inflicted with New Shiny Things with Big Ideas from outside before now many, many times. The way to cope with it is generally to grit your teeth and do whatever it is they tell you to do, because that's what you're being paid for. At the same time, you look for an alternative role whilst keeping your head down where the boss is concerned.
Usually, once they're past the initial make a good impression on management stage, they chill out a bit, especially if they've realised the staff aren't actually as useless as they initially appeared to be. But not all. For those, the best attitude is to think 'I'm being paid to have her tell me what to do, not to like it' and that takes some of her power away, as you're then doing something because you want the wages, not having things done to you.