Are you doing one of these things?
You might think it’s OK, but if you’re doing one of these things, you’re setting yourself up for failure.
Asking for feedback might not work. Either people won’t care enough, or they’d rather protect themselves from you.
What are the things you do, unknowingly, that make you a bad boss?
Unclear expectations
Do your people know what you expect from them?
Is it clear to your people what you expect them to do, and to act in certain situations?
Most of us, and me included, are not as clear.
And most of us, believe we are clear, but when the shit hits the fan, people run around like headless chickens.
I had a boss that just wanted me to do my work, but it wasn’t clear how he wanted to do it, or what it was specifically that he wanted me to do.
At first, I thought that was OK, but then, he started blowing up when the results that I was doing wasn’t to his liking.
It just dawned on me then: I didn’t know what my boss wanted me to do.
And it wasn’t clear to me whether he said it, or it was communicated to me.
But then, my boss tells me that it was something simple, and that it was so obvious, and that I should’ve known it given my level of experience and expertise.
How many times have we explained our expectations, only to have people scratch their heads?
Or people say yes, but leave the meeting without the foggiest idea with what they’re supposed to do.
Take initiative, and don’t be a bad boss.
Take time to reconfirm and to check for understanding of the instructions, and most especially, expectations.
Explain it in clear language, and clear observable behavior as indicators, to make sure there’s the least amount of room for guesswork, possible.
This is also the foundation of engagement. Employees are more likely to be engaged when they know what is expected of them, in clear and observable ways.
Inability to adapt
Situations change, people change, and times change. Even you, yourself, change.
The good leader know how to adapt to the situation, and is open to the changes that may be coming.
The bad leader stick to what was always being done before, with little regard for what the situation calls for.
It’s like trying to attack all the problems with a hammer.
Bad bosses try the same approach for everything, and are inflexible.
They are unwilling to risk and try new approaches, and put blame on the failures on other people, even if they followed their instructions to the letter.
No clear vision and commitment
Then, there is such a thing as being too flexible as well.
What is required of a leader is a clear vision, and the commitment to the vision, and all at the same time, the flexibility and adaptability when it comes to the little details – how to get there.
But sadly, bad bosses are the opposite – they have no clear vision, and no commitment, preferring to be always changing depending on the management flavor/book of the week. And then, they are rigid in the way they want things done.
Bad bosses leave you wondering what end goal they are trying to achieve, and at the same time, pressured from the routinary and inflexible expectations day to day.
Having no vision and commitment is a sure sign of going nowhere.
Lack of positive presence
All the effective bosses, even if they aren’t in the office, make their positive presence felt. People feel supported, encouraged, and appreciated, because the leader takes time to do so, whether in person, or not.
And positive presence, is an effect of having the clear vision and commitment, and the ability to be flexible and to set clear expectations.
Leadership is a lot of reckoning with reality. As a leader, You have to tell people what it is, like it is, and at the same time, recognize that it is entirely possible to get from the starting place, to a much better place.
And the people will stick with you, if you are able to provide that positive presence for them.
I had a boss who only came to the office 430PM, a half hour before the office closed. We didn’t know where he was from, or what he was doing.
The whole office felt that they could not count on him for anything, and felt resentful that he was drawing a full salary, claiming to be on official business, but having nothing to show for it.
And I had this experience not once, but twice already. Life must be trying to teach me a lesson.
If you don’t want to be a bad boss, you have to learn to not only be present, but to also provide positive presence, whether you are there physically or not.
Take feedback honestly
Because there are times where we might already be a bad boss, but are unwilling to listen to our people, and to the facts being presented.
Again, don’t be that person.
Take the feedback, listen well, then decide what to do with it.
Not all the time, you have to do something about it.
But all the time, you have to listen, and make the people feel that you’re listening, and that you’re considering what’s being said.
Up your level of leadership. It’s what we all want, and what we all need.
Any bad boss experiences you have? Please share in the comments below!
Leave a Reply