The 5 Stupid Things Bosses Do... And How To Cope
Let's face it: bosses are human, too. And that means that they're going to do stupid things sometimes. The only problem is -- their stupidity can sometimes damage your career!
Not to worry. This post describes the the most five common varieties of stupid boss behavior, along with advice from the trenches about how to deal with them.
Click to see the first stupid boss behavior »
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Stupid Boss Behavior #1: Micromanaging
Description: Your boss keeps telling you, in vast detail, how to do your job. This happens even when you know exactly what you're doing.- Why He Does It: Fear, pure and simple. Your boss is afraid that you will fail and, in turn, cause him to fail. He may have trouble trusting people in general, and he may not trust you personally, for reasons that may or may not be connected with your behavior.
- Your Strategy: Build a detailed plan for your projects, with regular milestones where you will report back for feedback. Invite your boss to review the plan and adjust it as necessary. Essentially, you preempt the appearance of his fear by giving him something concrete to focus upon.
- Advice from the Trenches: "Whenever I felt I was being micromanaged, I'd go to my boss and ask what he wanted me to do-not in terms of how he wanted it to be done but in terms of what outcome he really wanted. Then I'd ask him to back off and let me do it so that over time, he saw that I could deliver what I'd promised on time and on budget, and the problem went away." Bob Philips, former director of engineering at Wang Laboratories.
Description: Your boss can't decide what's important and keeps changing priorities. This usually means that projects will be half-finished or poorly completely, It can also mean that work that you've already accomplished no longer "counts" when it comes time to evaluate your performance.- Why She Does It: There are two sources of this behavior. First, your boss may be getting yanked around by HIS management, and the proverbial excrement is rolling down hill. Second, your boss may not have a good idea of what needs to get done, and is therefore trying to cover all the bases.
- Your Strategy: Every time your boss asks you to do something, based on your best understanding of what you were told, write an email that repeats what the boss said, followed by your specific interpretation of what you think he actually wants done. Send regular status reports. When he changes your priorities, document that. Then, when it's time for your salary review, submit a summary of your activities, based upon what was actually accomplished versus the documented assignment. That way you'll get credit for work that was torpedoed by the wishy-washy behavior.
- Advice from the Trenches: "When I was younger, I was scared to ask the boss to clarify things because I was afraid of looking stupid. Now I know that there are two questions that are never stupid: 'Why are we doing this?' and 'What is the outcome you want?' In other words, if you don't know what's expected, it's your job to get a clarification." Ken Evans, former VP of sales and marketing at Waste Management, currently a management consultant at CP Strategies.
Description: When something doesn't go the way the boss would like, she gets hot under the collar and explodes. This may take the form of anything from a mean remark to a mini-tantrum.- Why He Does It: It's three things, really. First, it's immature behavior, left over from toddlerhood, that the boss has never learned to overcome. Second, anger is a way that some people show fear; the boss is scared of what happened and, rather than admit that, blows up. Third, this kind of thing happens because it's tolerated in some corporate cultures. Sad but true.
- Your Strategy: Stay calm and try to figure out what the boss is really saying. If possible, delay responding in detail until he's in a better mood and has control of his temper. Important: If this behavior is consistent, you may be in the presence of a bully, in which case you need to assess whether you wish to continue working for her.
- Advice from the Trenches: "If a boss yells at me-and it's certainly happened-I go into therapy mode. I tell him, 'I'm really sorry you're upset, and I want to understand exactly why you're upset.' But if the explosion includes a gross violation of my personal space, I say, 'I'll come back when you've cooled off.' And then I leave." Miriam Dumaine, former PR executive at Blanc & Otis.
Description: Your boss has unreasonable expectations relative to your performance or may demand unreasonably long hours. Over time, you find that it's difficult or impossible to satisfy these expectations.- Why She Does It: In almost every case, this behavior is the result of the boss's own workaholism. Because the boss does not "have a life", she expects you to be similarly motivated by work to keep doing far more than could reasonably be expected of you.
- Your Strategy: Ask the boss to help you set priorities or find ways to help you work more efficiently, but then draw boundaries about what you're willing to do and how much time you're willing to spend on it. Ultimately, you need to weigh the benefits of continuing to work with this person, and seriously consider finding a new job if there aren't any.
- Advice from the Trenches: "Long hours and extra work are expected in today's world. In my experience, it should be no big deal, as long as you're compensated with extra time off, additional career points, or some other perk that's meaningful to you. However, a continuous expectation of overtime without some kind of payback is just plain wrong. If that's the case, you need to consider whether you might be happier someplace where the management is more reasonable." Brad Finn, President of Marlboro Shoes
Description: Your boss refuses to look at facts that are uncomfortable or would force a reevaluation of the current strategy and tactics. Along with this comes a general avoidance of difficult decisions.- Why He Does It: Well, it's mostly fear, of course. Fear of making the wrong decision, fear of making somebody else feel bad, fear of admitting that he was wrong, etc.
- Your Strategy: Proceed under the assumption that your boss intends to make the best possible decision. Then send a polite email stating what you plan to do unless you hear otherwise. In essence, you make the decision yourself and then move forward. In most cases, your boss will simply agree and will often be relieved that you made the decision for him.
- Words of Wisdom: "See if there's a way to move forward without your manager's participation. I don't always ask for permission if I'm doing something that I think is important, but I do make sure that my manager knows what I'm doing and has the option to redirect my activities." Dilip Phadke, director of business development strategic initiatives at Hewlett-Packard.
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