Belladonna Career Coaching

Horrible bosses - how to recognize them and respond

I did the math – over the course of the past 25 years that I spent in the corporate world, I had a total of 16 different managers, which means I had a new supervisor about every six months!  The primary reason for so much turnover was restructuring (big organizations love to reorganize, whenever there is a new sheriff in town).  Statistically speaking having had so many bosses increases the odds of ending up with a few bad apples.

 

The identifying traits of a bad boss:

1) They constantly operate in crisis mode. There is a project plan with over three hundred line items and all of them are equally as urgent and important with deadlines that are unrealistic, creating a non-sustainable environment of stress for all involved.
2) Instead of leading, they are following and accepting of the status quo. They are not willing to go to battle for the team, and are likely questioning their own job security in the organization.
3) They are condescending in public, creating a culture of fear and humiliation as everyone is on edge, waiting to be the next victim of their wrath. Their behavior can also affect managers top down, spreading the toxicity.
4) There is only one right way of approaching a task - their way or the highway.
5) They present others’ ideas as their own.
6) They have a very limited view of the world and lack self-awareness and emotional intelligence.
7) They have checked out. They are so miserable in their own position and are not even trying to put up a façade to mask their feelings. The result? Low morale.

Sometimes behaviors can be situational.  After all, we are human and everyone can have a bad day, bringing out the worst in us, but when a leader has a pattern of displaying even one of these traits on a regular basis, my advice to you is RUN!  All of the examples given are rooted in draining energy, aka catabolic energy. In fact, while writing this article I could feel my own energy level drop. 

 

If you believe that exiting your organization is not a viable option, because of financial reasons or you have invested too much into your job to jump ship, I encourage you to seek help.  Speak to your HR representative.  If your boss is well respected in the company, perhaps they can provide him/her with resources such as coaching to establish a greater level of self-awareness, leading to improved people management skills.  If he/she is already on the “naughty list” of superiors and HR, chances are that they have one foot out the door and it is worth waiting it out. But be proactive.

 

If you feel stuck in the situation, coaching could help you explore your options and keep your energy levels high, so that no one can steal your joy in what you do.  Contact me for more information at angela@belladonnacareercoach.com.

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