Autocratic new manager from another sector with no experience in this sector - advice on dealing?

[Bushwhacked20]

I'm fairly new in my current job but have many years of experience in my sector and profession. My sector is currently experiencing very well documented recruitment difficulties at a level unknown previously. For my particular overall professional group the overall head of the section has the attitude support staff are ten a penny and can be replaced at the drop of a hat.

A new boss has come from an American run company overseas and is laying down the law with just a couple of weeks experience in my type of organisation. The effect on morale is already noticeable. There is an atmosphere of fear and work to rule and the whole team feels there's no point offering ideas any more as they'll be disregarded. The new boss also doesn't like being contradicted and is ordering us all about over very minor things.

The subtext of their first meeting with the team was, if you don't like their management style, leave. This management style is very at odds with the overall ethos of the organisation.

I really don't want to have to look for another job again already, besides which I need to protect my own team (luckily we're quite niche, think lab specialist type roles).

Most of us are already staying out of the new manager's way unless we have no choice. Unfortunately I have to see them for two longish meetings a week, one on my own and one with other staff at the same level as me plus another full team meeting with all staff present.

Does anyone have any advice on managing this kind of boss until either they go or I do?

Staff retention will nosedive, sorry no advice.

Is there anyone in the organisation above you cognisant of the recruitment difficulties that would be faced if your team started departing and that you get on with?

I would start with a very gentle tiptoe and hopefully see what the picture looks like from the top down.

Thank you for the input so far, unfortunately I also think retention will nosedive and then nobody will want to work in the department, which is one that actually brings a lot of funding into the organisation. ( Not that the overall head of the division appears to realise that, much less the execs.)

HR - who seem reasonably good from my limited dealings with them so far - are well aware our department has problems, they've been involved in an intervention for several months. I've put tentative feelers out to hint strongly that we're probably still going to need their oversight for the foreseeable future and have reached out to our divisional rep but after last week I'm wondering if I need to be more overt. I'm already recording some of the more extreme behaviours the new person is showing as I have a nasty feeling we're going to be needing them. I am limiting the notes to the facts only.

I am in a union and so are some of my colleagues but this type of behaviour on the part of the new manager is one of the reasons I left my last employer and it's exasperating how widespread it appears to be in the part of the country where I now live. Until a couple of years back when we moved my experience was in the same sector but a different part of the country.

I've worked for this type of manager on three occasions as an HR consultant.

One situation turned out really well. I worked very hard to get to know the manager and 'become invaluble' to him in terms of the work I did. I gained their trust, they opened up and softened and I was able to be very direct about how he treated people. He had little experience in the field (tech start up) and had come in with a 'hard man' approach thinking it would earn him respect. I told him the impact this was having on people, he changed his tack and morale was restored. He was a genuinely decent guy and an excellent manager.

Similar situation. Manager made life hell for everyone, morale dipped, resignations spiraled. HR team put a document together detailing this. Manager 'managed out'.

Final situation with a CEO entrepreneur. Absolute psychopath. I left ASAP and when I look back on that period realise I should have left immediately and saved myself months of pain.

I think you should seriously consider your ability to change the situation and how much you want to stay. If you want to stay make a plan to change things either by stealth or by overt intervention i.e. documents to management and HR. Be prepared for this to fail/worsen the situation for you personally.

If you have no ability or desire to make real change and can find another role then leave sooner rather than later before things go downhill.

Thank you all, at least you've confirmed I'm not going mad and that one of my planned approaches may work. I've been brushing up on my MBTI profiles and the rest of the gumf. This person is from an educational background although hasn't been in a frontline teaching situation for a very long time. They're used to being obeyed unquestioningly and their hard man stance is a perfect description. Emotional intelligence is not very high to put it mildly...

Do you know their manager? If you know them or have a good relationship with them I'd approach them with feedback on his actions and the repercussions. If not, I would band together and approach their manager. I usually find strength in numbers.

I've seen managers like this before, they come in and steam roll over everyone as they think that is how you 'manage'.