Breaking Free from a Malignant Manager
If you’re suffering because of the harmful behaviors of your manager, you’re not alone. In this insightful book, Cathy Alfandre exposes the pervasive problem of what she calls “malignant managers,” and the devastating effects they can have on the people who work for them. She spotlights seven types of malignant managers, from the overtly abusive to the subtly destructive. Through real-life client stories, the book highlights the mental and physical toll that reporting to a manager like this can take. Blows to self-confidence… paralyzing fear… deteriorating performance… illness… reverberating impacts on family life…. All of these and more can result from mistreatment at work.
Beyond pointing out the issues, the author packs the book with an array of practical strategies to help you cope, regain confidence, and re-establish your well-being, even if you can’t or don’t want to leave your job right away. For those ready to leave, the book offers even more strategies to navigate a transition and avoid landing with another malignant manager in the future. Addressing even knotty challenges, like how to explain why you’re leaving your job, these pages provide valuable ideas, tools, and tactics to break free.
Cathy Alfandre knows that the process of job and career transition can be daunting, especially for those who have endured years in a toxic work environment. Alongside the inspiring voices of dozens of clients, she offers empathetic and clear support to help you loosen the grip of your malignant manager, move forward, and reclaim your career.
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Cathy Alfandre
About Cathy Alfandre
Cathy Alfandre’s purpose is to facilitate positive change in her clients’ work. She is a career coach and resume writer who provides practical support and partnership to those seeking greater career fulfillment. Her clients represent a wide range of sectors, functions, and levels, and they often come to her at a mid-career crossroads. Cathy supports them in finding their way and continuing successfully on their journey. As a coach, she offers assistance with career discovery, job search, interviewing, and on-the-job challenges, with a focus on facilitating forward momentum and tangible outcomes. As a writer, she relishes delivering exceptional career marketing materials that express her clients’ unique value and buoy their confidence and results in the job market.
Prior to launching her business in 2003, Cathy had 15 years’ experience in the private and public sectors, including as a strategic human resources consultant and people manager. She also worked for a number of years as a college and career transition coach for low-income and immigrant women at a community-based nonprofit organization.
Cathy earned master’s degrees in business administration (MBA) and industrial and labor relations (MILR) from Cornell University and an undergraduate degree from Yale University. She also holds Certified Career Management Coach (CCMC), Certified Career Transition Coach (CCTC), Master Resume Writer (MRW), and Certified National Online Profile Expert (NCOPE) credentials.
Cathy lives in CT with her husband of 30+ years and her adorable and nutty dogs. Her two sons have left the nest but fly in her heart every day.
Learn more about Cathy at www.cathyalfandre.com or www.linkedin.com/in/cathy-alfandre.
Learn MoreWhat People Are Saying
What People Are Saying
This book is a lifeline for anyone suffering in silence, like I once did. I remember all too well how those days were filled with self-blame, stress, and anxiety. What you need are strategies to move forward, and you will find those here.
As a Career Coach and former HR leader, I have too often seen how a malignant manager can strip an employee of their self-esteem and cause them to question their whole career. This book is a must read for anyone suffering in a harmful work environment. It offers support and hope, validates what feels like a lonely experience, and provides numerous strategies to survive and thrive again.
This is a truly remarkable book that can empower readers with skills and strategies to address their difficult situation rather than just seeing themselves as victims with limited options. It draws on real-world scenarios and offers specific suggestions to help readers reclaim their confidence. As a career coach and former HR director, I’ve seen firsthand how destructive some managers can be. Malignant managers are a regrettable reality of the workplace. The power of this book is to offer practical solutions to complex, but common situations. It is a must-read for anyone seeking to enhance their professional skills and deal successfully with challenging managers and circumstances.
In my therapy office, clients often discuss toxic managers at work, the place where many of us spend the majority of our waking hours. These difficult interactions destroy self-confidence, rob people of enthusiasm and potentially contribute to clinical levels of anxiety or depression. Drawing on her 20+ years as a career coach, Cathy Alfandre has written a compassionate and practical guide that validates these experiences and provides actionable tools to challenge counterproductive thoughts, communicate effectively, and strategize about next steps. I will strongly recommend this book to clients and other mental health providers.
