by Eddy Parham, SPHR
Just because a person’s job title is “manager”, doesn’t mean that they know how to lead others. Like most folks, I am sure if you think hard enough that you can come up with at least one manager who you have worked for in the past that wasn’t exactly, um “stellar” shall we say. You may have even made the proclamation that once you became a manager that you would never do things the way ‘Ol Bad Boss did them. There are many reasons why a manager can turn out to be a “Bad Boss”. Things such as learned behavior theories, the Peter Principle, et cetera can all be contributing factors and I’ll not take the time to develop each of these positions but rather I wanted to focus on what makes a “Bad Boss” a bad boss and how to get bad bosses within your organization back on the “stellar tracks”.
Bad Bosses …
Focus on the negative – some managers have the habit of pointing out everything their employees do wrong. Negative comments from the boss can zap the confidence right out of an employee. The employee may begin to feel incompetent and the lack of confidence will start to show in his work as he begins to feel that no matter what he does, his manager will find something wrong with it.
Micromanage – this manager keeps tabs on everything her employee does. She has to be in control of everything. If the employee works on a project, this manager has to know what is happening and provide her input at every stage of the project. Most people don’t respond well to micromanagers who give them no freedom to do their job. The employee generally feels as though the manger doesn’t trust her to get the job done, which in turn causes feelings of resentment towards the manager.
Give no direction – opposite of and just as bad as a micromanager, this manager provides no direction to their direct reports. While freedom on the job is a desirable aspect for many employees, no direction at all from the manager can be frustrating. A manager’s primary job is to give direction to the employees. Without direction, the employees may be at a loss on what to do and how to do it. A lack of direction can result in projects that are incorrect and off track.
Non-supportive – this manager is not willing to go the extra mile for his employees. He won’t push for the resources his employees need or stand up for them on important issues. Maybe he is worried about getting on his own manager’s bad side by standing up to him. Or maybe he just doesn’t care about his employees’ needs. Whatever the reason, the results are a poor relationship with the troops.
An Effective Leader On The Other Hand …
Shows employees that they matter – most want to know that the work they do for the organization matters. Good managers recognize this and help their direct reports understand how their work links to the overall goals of the organization. This assists the employee in feeling connected and important, which in turn promotes positive work behaviors. If these employees are customer facing then this little act of letting them know they matter can do more for your bottom line than even a great marketing campaign.
Promotes work-life balance – by respecting employees’ personal lives and understanding the importance of balancing work with other aspects of their lives. While some overtime may be necessary due to unforeseen and/or emergency situations, the effective leader knows that their employees have lives outside of work and so they don’t demand that their direct reports give up their personal obligations to work overtime. Generally, employees who have a balanced life are going to have a more positive attitude towards work and be more appreciative of their employer for respecting their time.
Gives employees some control over how they do their work – this simple release of control provides a tremendous amount of job satisfaction. Effective leaders allow their direct reports the freedom to do their job, while still providing necessary direction. Employees with independence are more willing to take on new projects, try out new ideas, and share suggestions on process improvement.
Although at times it is easy to slip into the Bad Boss mode hopefully these tips, while not an exhaustive list, will help you and your organization’s leaders stay in the Effective Leader category.
