Have you ever had a terrible supervisor that you just can't seem to get along with? Maybe you've even thought about using a voodoo doll to get back at them. While it may be tempting to take revenge on a supervisor who makes your work life miserable, using a voodoo doll is not the answer. In fact, it's an unhealthy and unproductive way to deal with the situation. It's important to find healthier and more constructive ways to address any issues with your supervisor..
Organizations have to be mindful of employee experiences and feelings about their supervisors and provide opportunities for expression, without the detrimental effects of active retaliation. By providing symbolic opportunities for retaliation, organizations can not only prevent the detrimental effects of active retaliation, but also tend to maintaining a sense of justice.
Team members and coaches can provide support to employees who are at the receiving end of mistreatment from their supervisors, and be empathetic to their symbolic gestures in expression of their frustrations. We found a simple and harmless symbolic act of retaliation can make people feel like they re getting even and restoring their sense of fairness, Liang told The Telegraph.
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Horrible Bosses, Voodoo Dolls, and an (Ig)Nobel Prize
What can voodoo dolls tell you about leadership and organizational culture? If this question makes you laugh, or you think it is bizarre and absurd, that’s exactly what earned the Ig Nobel prize for a scientific paper published in The Leadership Quarterly. Lindie Liang, an Assistant Professor at the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics in Ontario, and her team of researchers from Canada, China, Singapore and USA , walked away with the 2018 Ig Nobel prize in Economics for a study in which they allowed participants to vent their feelings about their horrible bosses by piercing pins on voodoo dolls.
As a parody of the coveted Nobel Prize, the Ig Nobel, a pun on the word ignoble, is awarded to "honor achievements that first make people laugh, and then make them think." Camoflauged behind the absurdity is usually an account of a scientific pursuit that yields useful knowledge. That begs the question, is there useful knowledge behind letting disgruntled employees stab and burn voodoo dolls?
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Reviews for "The Unexpected History of the Terrible Supervisor Voodoo Doll"
1. John Doe - ★☆☆☆☆
I was really disappointed with the Terrible Supervisor Voodoo Doll. First of all, the quality of the doll itself was really poor. The fabric used was cheap and the stitching was not done properly. Secondly, the doll did not bring me any satisfaction in relieving stress or frustration towards my supervisor. The instructions provided were not clear, and I found myself struggling to use it effectively. Overall, I would not recommend this product to anyone looking for an effective stress reliever or a means to vent their frustrations.
2. Jane Smith - ★★☆☆☆
I had high hopes for the Terrible Supervisor Voodoo Doll, but unfortunately, it fell short of my expectations. While the concept was intriguing, the execution was lacking. The doll itself seemed poorly made, and the pins that were included didn't stay in place. Additionally, the doll's design was quite generic, and it didn't resemble any real-life supervisor that I could identify with. I was hoping for a more personalized experience, but instead, I felt like I was trying to vent my frustrations on an unrelated object. Overall, this product did not provide the stress relief or satisfaction I was seeking.