AP Photo/Dan Steinberg,File
Supermodel turned talk show host Tyra Banks recently announced that her show will end production later this year and with that news came the speculation. Did she end the show herself? Was “The Tyra Banks Show” cancelled (after all, why would the seemingly heir apparent to Oprah Winfrey’s daytime throne pass up that seat willingly)? Also, since Tyra announced her departure from daytime television, employees have come forward anonymously to talk about Tyra’s supervisory skills—and according to a recent article in the Daily News, they’re not good.
Of course, there is no way of knowing for sure if the allegations are true, but if Tyra does exhibit some of the behaviors that have been reported, it is indicative of a potentially bad boss.
Tyra reportedly has a high staff turnover rate. In most cases, employees do not quit their jobs solely to move on to a new position or to make more money. Generally speaking, when employees quit their jobs it’s the result of the relationship they have with their direct supervisors. The only reason the boss never finds out about this fact is because employees will cite money or new opportunities in their exit interviews because they don’t want to burn any professional bridges.
It’s Tyra’s way or the highway. Being a former model, Tyra has always had a reputation for being a diva, but allegedly she takes this to the extreme with her staff and insists that everything is done her way—and only her way. Bosses that do this are often insecure and their attitudes stifle the creativity of their workers, which can be to the detriment of the organization itself. Unfortunately, this kind of boss is either too afraid or self-important to realize this and is only interested in protecting her corner office and her turf.
Tyra and her production company executives demean the staff beneath them. According to one anonymous source, Tyra and other higher ups in her production company are “extremely brutal” to the workers beneath them. This can be indicative of a “kiss-up, kick-down” style—which Robert Sutton, author of The No A**hole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn't says results in bosses who treat workers like peons while being highly cooperative with those on higher levels.
Tyra doesn’t communicate openly with employees. Allegedly, Tyra’s staff didn’t know that the show was ending until after she had already discussed its demise with members of the press. Being let go from a job is upsetting enough, and having a boss that does not tell employees directly about the decisions that affect their careers can add to the stress. This may be a sign that she is a self-centered boss that only thinks about how something affects her and her objectives—staff be damned.
Although all of these characteristics are the makeup of a bad boss, it’s hard not to wonder what other factors are influencing the stories from anonymous sources. Is this a case of sour grapes? Or does being a successful businesswoman make Tyra Banks a target for criticism? Oftentimes female bosses are judged more harshly for exhibiting the same behaviors as their male counterparts. Is she being judged for doing things that would not raise an eyebrow when a male boss does them?
(Source: Tyra Banks was a terror to work with, say some employees of CW gabfest. Retrieved from nydailynews.com.)
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