Nothing sparks more commentary than asking employees about what makes a manager a bad boss. And, the feelings of their anger and despair come through in every discussion. Whether your spouse or partner or best friend is dealing with the behavior of a bad boss, you provide a listening ear—and possibly good advice about how to address the less than positive situation. Consensus doesn't exist about what makes a manager a bad boss, of course, because bad bosses come in so many different shapes and sizes.
What one person thinks of as a bad boss may not resonate with a coworker who has different needs from work and their boss relationship. Many bosses fall into the bad boss category because they fail to provide clear direction, regular feedback, recognition for contributions, and a strategic framework of goals that enable their employees to see their progress. These kinds of bad bosses are what are called "generic bad bosses" because all employees need these types of support and feedback—and they suffer when they don't receive it.
Other bad bosses are bullies. They are nasty and overly critical. These bad bosses badger employees, and employees can never do enough to please them. On the extreme end of the spectrum, bad bosses may harass , physically assault, and throw objects at employees. But, several themes occur most frequently when employees cite bad behavior on the part of their bosses. If you are thinking of a particularly bad boss, you are likely to experience one or more of the following in your workplace.
Very bad bosses most commonly do the following. These are the bad boss behaviors that employees are more likely to commonly see or experience. Taking place more frequently because the behavior is generally more acceptable in the workplace a bad boss is also someone who:.
Actions are only praised if they make the boss look good. The quality of the work and the morale of the team are largely irrelevant. Good managers are the opposite. They go out of their way to make the team look good. They see it as their job to help the team do great work, and they do that by letting each member fulfill their potential.
This type of manager has the best outcomes over the long term. You can gauge the health of a company by observing which type of boss flourishes. If the bad bosses can make their way up the hierarchy, you might want to consider working elsewhere. I've worked a lot of jobs in a lot of industries with bosses who were both good and bad.
The one thing I've noticed with good bosses is that they had a clear vision of what they wanted to accomplish and planned each day around moving closer to that goal. Whether this goal was moving units, improving customer satisfaction or designing new products, the common thread was focus. On the other hand, bad bosses tended to be inconsistent with their goals. They would often change strategies or priorities each week; I remember one boss who would shake things up multiple times a day.
Bosses like these can be nice, intelligent, creative or experienced, but their lack of focus is what ultimately makes them bad at their jobs.
This becomes a big problem because employees usually have little to no way to establish that the ideas in question were theirs in the first place. Even if they can, it will not be looked upon kindly by their bosses. Taking credit for the work of subordinates makes for ineffective leaders because it dampens any motivation employees might have.
After all, people want to be recognized and challenged with even tougher goals. A boss taking all the limelight is not just unfair to employees, but also detrimental to their careers. Ineffective leaders typically don't have mutual respect with their employees. A leader needs to do the work, listen to their employees, learn constantly and have respect for the employees they manage.
Without these four elements, employees will have a difficult time giving their manager respect and the potential for a great relationship is instantly ruined. Employees want to feel that their opinions matter and that their leaders value their input. It doesn't make sense to hire someone unless they will add value to your business. Make them feel that every day by giving them responsibility and respecting them enough to step back and do what you hired them to do.
When they feel respected, they will respect you in return. Leaders who lack self awareness are chronically bad bosses. For a founder to gain and retain respect, they must do the same heavy lifting as the rest of their staff and be aware of their own actions and repercussions in the climate of a corporate culture.
If a founder plays an armchair role of dictating and criticizing work that they have not attempted themselves, the effects are corrosive to the core values of the company or service.
Practicing self-awareness increases the likelihood of picking up on potential weaknesses in your business model and personnel. This practice and effort to be self-aware grows your business and helps you align with your workforce. How can you avoid the bad manager traits that so many bosses exhibit? There are some specific traits that bad managers tend to share.
Learn all about these signs of a bad manager so you can avoid working for a less-than-stellar boss—or becoming one yourself someday! You have hopes of becoming a manager one day, but the last thing you want is to end up as the butt of your employees jokes in the break room.
Here are some things you'd be wise to avoid:. People who handle conflict through passive-aggressive tendencies—like avoiding conflict or sweeping problems under the rug, only to be upset about them later—are often thought of as a harmless annoyance. But passive-aggressive behavior can cause serious problems in the workplace.
Mike Golpa, director of G4 by Golpa. You can develop your conflict-resolution skills by practicing with friends and family when problems arise in your personal life. Think of it this way—would you rather your boss tell you up front to change a small behavior or issue that frustrates them, or have it held unknowingly against you? Give employees an opportunity to know your expectations and adjust by speaking directly. This caused tension among everyone in the company.
The problem with this approach is that managers often supervise the work of experts with specialized skillsets.
By acting like they know everything, these bad bosses can get in the way of their talented employees who really are experts. Micromanagement is one of the most famous traits of bad bosses. It also made the work environment anxious and tense. How to avoid it: The Harvard Business Review recommends reflecting on why you feel the need to micromanage. Are you insecure about your job performance? Do you dislike feeling out of control? Once you have the underlying reason behind the behavior, you can begin making small changes to your management style so your team can have some breathing room.
Listening skills are vital for any team environment, especially managers who want to foster a collaborative workplace. Nobody believed that they were being listened to. How to avoid it: Listening is a skill you can grow like any other. He never praised anyone, even if they went above and beyond their job duties for his company.
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