He might be cynical, bad-tempered, or egocentric – a bad boss usually has one or more of these terrible traits. It’s no wonder that 3/4 of the German workforce are so unmotivated. The ultimate motivation for satisfaction in the workplace is no longer just salary. Today’s employees need to feel appreciated, and have a good relationship with their supervisors to maximize their performance at work. Today you’ll learn how to recognize horrible bosses, and which traits that you, as a senior manager, should quickly fix.
A horrible boss doesn’t only hurt motivation at the office – he can also cost a fortune. How? By driving quality employees to their breaking point, and causing them to quit or resign. What’s more, a bad manager can hire equally bad employees. This also leads to a great fluctuation and much discomfort among the workforce. We can show you several types of horrible bosses.
If you recognize any of these traits in your current supervisor, or in your own leadership strategy, then it’s high time to put an end to these behaviors. Only as a fair manager can you successfully and efficiently lead your team.
Have You Seen These Horrible Bosses?
“Mr. Temper Tantrum”
You know those dramatic seconds so well – the times when your boss’s face grows red like a tomato, and a vein pulses bigger in his forehead. The reason for is trivial, but the effect is frightening – and more than anything, demotivating. Frequently, when a team suffers from under-performance, a bad boss is to blame. What kind of employee would give 100%, if they knew they had to atone for mundane “mess-ups” at the end of every day?
Mr. Temper Tantrum offends not only with his tone and words, but he also tends to be overly dominant and demanding. Sensitive souls may struggle to work with a boss like him.
“Ms. Perfect”
Her ideas are brilliant. Her leadership style is extremely efficient. She’s not just good, she’s incredible. Or at least, that’s what she thinks. Ms. Perfect only lauds her own praises. Egocentric bosses like to be in the middle of everything, and more than anything, they want to be right. Always. Employees who volunteer their own ideas or even rejections, are quickly dismissed. Egomaniacs often give their employees little to no time to develop their own ideas and projects.
But when a team member somehow manages to bring a good idea to the forefront, it might happen that in the next meeting, the idea is presented as though Ms. Perfect had come up with it all on her own – shocking! In fact, she’d been developing this idea on her own for a long time already.
“Mr. Misanthrope”
Mr. Misanthrope, a socially incompetent man, has lots of strengths. But listening to and connecting with his employees is not one. He suffers especially from communication issues. He might recognize quickly when something isn’t working as it should, and he’s quick to point it out. But one should never expect constructive criticism. Mr. Misanthrope is missing the ability to identify the various needs of his employees, as well as their individual qualities.
Due to this blind spot, he’s also not the type to hand out praise or acknowledge successes among his employees. But for most members of the workforce, an appreciation of their work is extremely important: studies show that employees work up to 60 percent more effectively when they feel supported by their boss.
“Ms. Maybe”
Companies with Ms. Maybe, a hesitant boss, need not fear any random outbursts from their supervisor. In this regard, Ms. Maybe is rather quiet, and perhaps even a little bit insecure. She’s not as uptight or rigid as Mr. Temper Tantrum, and provides her employees with more room for personal development. But here there’s also no clear direction, which often leads to misunderstandings. Ms. Maybe has difficulties with setting priorities – this means that, despite her likable attitude, she’s also an ineffective boss.
“Mr. Unreachable”
Issues with a supplier? A new idea for the upcoming marketing campaign? Mr. Unreachable has more important things to do. He is present, but not receptive to the needs of his employees. Today’s bosses must have an open ear for their team’s problems – otherwise they quickly become frustrated, and they suffer from a lack of appreciation. A bad boss only cares about results. But a good boss listens, and offers feedback to help achieve the best results.
Next time your pulse begins to skyrocket during a meeting, or an employee knocks on your door – keep it together. Don’t make the same mistakes as these bad bosses. Pay attention to the needs of your team, and communicate transparently – then nothing will stand in the way of your next career step.
