By : Howard Eisner
A few years back, an article I ran across indicated that workers seemed to like their jobs but had significant problems with their bosses.
Some 61 percent said they were either satisfied or very satisfied with their work. But fewer than half thought they were fairly dealt with, had team-building bosses, or had bosses who made timely and good decisions.
Only about 36 percent said their companies sought their suggestions for improvement.
Considerable evidence suggests that the person with the greatest influence upon how you will fare in your job is your immediate boss. Although this is by no means always the case -- such as when the corporate folks have spotted you as a real comer -- it appears to be true most of the time.
This argues for a closer look at your relationship with your boss. And to make matters worse, I'm going to give you a bad boss to contend with. So the overall question is: How should you be dealing with a bad boss?
To make the question a bit more focused, let's talk about six different kinds of bad bosses, ones that (1) don't listen, (2) are highly authoritarian, (3) don't make decisions, (4) tend to micromanage, (5) cycle the doghouse, and (6) take all the credit.
1. Your boss doesn't and won't listen. Not listening shows a distinct lack of respect for other people. It may also display a very bad habit, rooted in the idea that verbal communication is not to be taken all that seriously.
Two countermeasures suggest themselves, to be used one at a time or in combination.
The first is to "gang up" on a boss who doesn't listen by having several people make the same point at the same time, and as emphatically as possible. It's almost impossible for a boss to take this lightly because the volume is high, as is the number of conveyors.
The second approach is to shift to written communication. Many bosses will pay attention to something that's on paper because it then becomes part of the official record.
2. Your boss is highly authoritarian. This management style is considered Neanderthal by today's management theory and practice.
Maybe your best reaction is to find a couple of articles that describe alternative ways of behaving and pass them on to your boss. A couple of Dilbert cartoons might also help make the point, followed by a quiet conversation if asked to explain. But try to keep it light.
3. Your boss won't make decisions. This is a difficult area because the reasons for failing to make decisions can be many and varied. It may be that you and your boss have completely different needs for closure so that you are simply out of step with each other.
Therefore, you need to check out and confirm this failure to make decisions with your colleagues. If they agree, you might want to lead the charge with a private conversation citing chapter and verse decisions that were not made in a timely way. If your private talk doesn't work, you could try bringing some co-workers into the fray.
4. Your boss tends to micromanage. This is a very typical complaint about bosses. It is also a difficult one for most people because the reactions to such behavior can turn to extreme anger very quickly.
The anger needs to be contained, followed by an immediate response explaining that the boss is, in fact, micromanaging right now, that you consider this behavior highly counterproductive, and that it can only lead to bad consequences in terms of the work actually getting done.
Your reaction needs to be immediate because many bosses tend not to see the ways they micromanage unless caught in the act.
5. Your boss cycles the doghouse. This basically means your boss has a doghouse and someone always is in it. When one person is let out, another is quickly ushered in and without any apparent delay. After a time, everyone has had a turn in the doghouse.
That means everyone has had a chance to get angry with the boss for bad treatment and will be happy to put the boss into the workers' doghouse.
At a private lunch with your boss, you might try explaining the negative effects all of this is having on you and your colleagues. Here again, specific examples help along with a nonthreatening attitude.
4. Your boss tends to micromanage. This is a very typical complaint about bosses. It is also a difficult one for most people because the reactions to such behavior can turn to extreme anger very quickly.
The anger needs to be contained, followed by an immediate response explaining that the boss is, in fact, micromanaging right now, that you consider this behavior highly counterproductive, and that it can only lead to bad consequences in terms of the work actually getting done.
Your reaction needs to be immediate because many bosses tend not to see the ways they micromanage unless caught in the act.
5. Your boss cycles the doghouse. This basically means your boss has a doghouse and someone always is in it. When one person is let out, another is quickly ushered in and without any apparent delay. After a time, everyone has had a turn in the doghouse.
That means everyone has had a chance to get angry with the boss for bad treatment and will be happy to put the boss into the workers' doghouse.
At a private lunch with your boss, you might try explaining the negative effects all of this is having on you and your colleagues. Here again, specific examples help along with a nonthreatening attitude.
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