Is it Ever OK for a Boss to Yell?

I have had some amazing bosses in the course of a 25-year career of working. I have also had some pretty poor bosses during that same time: there were those who were inept or inexperienced and those who yelled, threw tantrums, scattered insults and otherwise acted like big babies. I have read articles and books about management styles and some have actually defended the yellers and screamers, calling them passionate and inspired, but I think it is important in this day and age to ask the question: "is it EVERY okay for a boss to yell?"

Is it okay for ordinary employees to yell and throw tantrums on the job? Many people would argue that such behavior would be unacceptable in most offices and workplaces, but for a boss to yell or scream seems somehow understandable. Why? Does it nullify the behavior if the individual apologizes afterward? If a boss or small business owner sets the tone for the climate of the company, what sort of environment is created when yelling, screaming, name-calling and outbursts are the accepted norm? I would argue that it creates an unproductive environment where crisis and negativity rule.

Many years ago, in my first paying job aside from babysitting and housecleaning, I worked for a woman who had just opened a small restaurant. She didn't have any business experience and the operation was bankrolled by family who were supporting her desire to have a life of her own outside of marriage and family. I was a sixteen-year-old new to the work world and she was a thirty-something-year-old new to being a boss. Looking back, I can honestly say she was horrible. She was moody and inept and her insecurity became impetus for her tantrums. It didn't matter if there were customers in the restaurant or not, she yelled. Needless to say, she couldn't keep employees and it didn't take long for all those customers who showed up to check out a new restaurant stopped coming as well. I don't think the business lasted to see its first anniversary.

Perhaps yelling, tantrums and name-calling have been accepted in some industries and excused as acceptable behavior over the years, but so was smoking cigars and drinking on the job. Civility, personal boundaries, respect and reasonable adult behaviors DO belong in the workplace and whether you are the one writing the checks or not, creating a toxic environment with rude and negative outbursts is unprofessional to say the least.

Also by this contributor:

When Consultants Try to be the Boss

Keeping a Small Business Calm in a Culture of Chaos

When Small Businesses should Hire a Professional