7 Signs of a Wimpy Boss

With all the hoopla over bad bosses and dysfunctional managers, I never thought to look at the flip-side until I read a post by Jill Geisler of the Poynter Institute. Sure enough, there's a huge downside to managers being wimpy or too nice.

No, not just nice. Too nice. What's the difference? Good question.

• Nice is treating employees with the respect they deserve. Too nice is being a doormat and letting people walk all over you.
• Nice is giving employees the flexibility to work from home periodically. Too nice is a staff meeting in an empty conference room because everyone's out screwing around.
• Nice is being honest about your employee's strengths and weaknesses come review time. Too nice is when your people get crappy raises because you didn't fight for them.

Not only are they not the same thing, they're not even in the same office park. Just to be sure everyone's clear on the distinction, here are 7 Signs of a Wimpy Boss, inspired by Geisler's post:

1. Your peers whack you around. Your peers are more assertive and forceful at selling their ideas and getting budget and resources for their programs. You're chronically explaining to your folks why they have to keep working long hours with no help.
2. You avoid confrontation. You cower at the thought of having to deal directly with workplace issues and problem employees. Since you don't resolve issues or hold people accountable, your group's performance is mediocre and its effectiveness sucks.
3. You like the status quo. Unwilling to "rock the boat" for fear of "upsetting the apple cart" - two of your favorite phrases - your employees languish in their comfort zone. Nobody is challenged to reach for the stars or take risks.
4. You're always the victim. When all the political players and bullies take swipes at you and your group, you take the high road. That way everybody covers their own asses by pointing fingers at you and your people. Your folks become perpetual victims.
5. You give in to whiners. To placate whiny employees and squeaky wheels - primarily because you were too weak to fight for resources in the first place - you do their work for them or place more of a burden on others. Eventually, everybody's doing nothing but complaining.
6. Your group gets hit hardest in a layoff. Since you're a known pushover, your group gets hit the hardest when it comes time to downsize. Your organization becomes the company's go-to place for layoff victims.
7. Everyone's lost respect for you. Your management, peers, employees, everyone. That leaves you with no career path, which means the same for your employees. The ambitious ones wisely move on, leaving you with a group of nobodies going nowhere.

• 7 Signs You May Be a Bad Manager
• Do Nice Guys Really Finish Last?
• 7 Signs You're a Bad Business Owner