How Supervising a Small Group Prepares You for the Big Stage | Learning to Lead

Bad supervisors are everywhere. Some know they’re bad and don’t care. Some are clueless. But most desperately want to do better.

Most of us don’t want to go to work and be known for doing a poor job. Too often, new supervisors were great technical performers inexperienced in how to lead others. Once they’re in the job, they discover that their success is measured by how well others perform under their direction.

That’s when many panic and make a mess of things by:

• Micromanaging
• Holing up in their offices
• Giving orders and shunning feedback
• Withholding information
• Clinging to confidants

New supervisors often feel self-conscious, uncertain, and/or afraid because they really don’t know what to do. So they muddle along, maybe even reading a how-to-supervise book or taking a training course. But often, it may be too little too late.

Start small.

The best thing that can happen to a new supervisor is being assigned responsibility for a  small group.

It can be as small as one (although smart companies stay away from one-on-one or even two-on-one reporting). Three employees, in my view, would be the perfect start.

Why is that? Because it requires the new supervisor to deal with a triangle. (No love triangles, please.) Three employees promise enough work style, personality, and performance challenges to deal with like:

• Balancing work load
• Dealing with attitude differences
• Engaging them as a team
• Communicating clearly and effectively
• Implementing policies and procedures fairly
• Addressing unwanted behaviors
• Setting boundaries
• Evaluating and rewarding performance

In a small work group, the margin for supervisory error is small. That means if you botch a decision or an action, it quickly reverberates among all employees who will react in ways that you will have to contend with in order to restore the balance.

Lead like it’s big.

Small work groups can make a big difference no matter the size of the company.

That means you need to supervise three as though they were thirty. This isn’t a club you’re in charge of; it’s a business unit representing a significant investment in salary and benefits. The group is expected to contribute output that directly or indirectly impacts profitability.

So take charge of the expectations management has of your group. Approach your three professionally, so they see themselves as significant and you as their means to success.

Effective small group supervisors do exactly what successful corporate executives do. They lead.

As soon as you become the supervisor, assemble your group and communicate:

• What the group is there to do (what business you are all in together)
• Your style of supervision (meeting frequency, information needs, hot buttons)
• Direction for the next year plus perspectives about the future
• SMART performance goals for the group (Then set up meetings to establish their individual performance goals for the year.)
• The kind of operating culture you desire (teamwork, cross-training, informal and formal communication, integrity, general conduct)

Your small work group is your training ground. If you aren’t comfortable taking this approach with three people, imagine how overwhelming it would be with three times as many or more.

(By the way, you can also get supervisor-like experience by being a team leader too.)

Positioning yourself for more

Great supervisors get great results. When your small group produces more and better work with you at the helm, you will be noticed and so will your employees.

Great supervisors are a rarity. Employees who have them sing their praises. They want you to succeed because when you do, they do too.

Employees know that the buck stops with you and you’ll need to make decisions along the way that they won’t like. They’ll respect you for that even though they might gripe.

By learning to lead in a small group situation, you position yourself for roles with broader scope, more employees, and a position on the organizational pyramid that will make you and your early employee team very proud.

Photo from whidbychick via Flickr

When You’ve Had Enough, How Far Should You Go? | Managing Emotions

No one likes criticism or unfair treatment. Most of us just suck it up until one day we’ve had enough. Then watch out!

Think twice

Knee-jerk reactions never pay. When we’re fed up, we need to keep our wits about us. Most of the time, we’re reacting to situations that have been brewing.

I’m a big proponent of not becoming a doormat for anyone at anytime. We’re entitled to respect and fair treatment, both of which we need to stand up for in the right way at the right time.

I’m also a big proponent of understanding the consequences of the actions we want to take. Too often, however, people let their emotions get the best of them, shooting themselves in both feet.

If you choose to act on a workplace issue, you may be, at the very least:

• Implicating your boss who is responsible for the work environment
• Subjecting your performance history to review in light of the issue
• Challenging the company’s practices and their overseers like HR
• Setting up your motives and credibility for dissection

These daunting considerations are intended to sober your emotions not negate the legitimacy of your issue.

I’m a passionate believer in doing what’s right and fair. But we shouldn’t  be stupid about it.

A clear head, an understanding of workplace realities, and a good plan set you up to do what needs to be done. A little internal leverage with influential people doesn’t hurt either.

Know what you want

Just getting your issue noticed isn’t enough. If you’re going to stir the pot be specific about the remedy you want.

Here are two interesting cases:

My client, Annette, from a Fortune 100 company was promoted to lead a work group in another state while she maintained a home office. The prior manager had built a culture of favorites; that manager was now Annette’s new boss. The perceived loss of “favorite” status by one employee resulted in a public outburst during a workshop that included insults aimed at Annette. She turned the matter over to HR: Disciplinary action followed.

Impacts: Annette’s new boss felt the sting and so did the punished employee. Other employees assessed the situation through their respective lenses. HR validated Annette’s action, noting, however, that this was a severe step considering how new Annette was to the position. Will there be subsequent fallout? Time will tell. In this case, Annette had everything documented and took swift action. She was willing to risk backlash because setting a standard of professional conduct mattered to her. What would you have done?

Next there’s Victor who was receiving poor performance reviews from a boss who didn’t like his approach to handling complex technical projects. Victor saw his boss as uncommunicative, a poor leader, and politically motivated. Victor’s reviews got progressively worse; he was put on notice to improve or else. He wanted to defend himself by reporting his boss to HR or anyone who would listen. He considered suing. Ultimately, Victor was terminated..

Impacts: Taking on the boss would mean proving that each aspect of Victor’s negative evaluation was wrong and making a case that the boss had something against him. If Victor successfully makes the “bad boss” case to the company, chances are no other manager there would want Victor. If he could manage to negate the performance criticisms, he would likely end up pointing an accusing finger at some coworkers, creating bad blood. To sue the company would leave a permanent mark on Victor that could be an obstacle for future jobs. Victor chose to move on. What would you have done?

Remember, it’s business.

Our emotions can cause us to do reckless things. When it comes to our jobs, caution makes more sense. It may feel great for the moment to tell the boss to “take this job and..,” but that only gives the control back to him or her.

We need to know how to size up each situation, identify our options, and chose the one that’s going to help us get what we want or cut our losses. Please, keep it together, okay?

Photo from Roberto Kaplan Designs via Flickr

 

Think You Know How to Manage Right? Check in with David C. Baker

Several weeks ago, David C. Baker, accomplished management consultant, speaker, and author, asked if I would consider reading and commenting on his already successful book, Managing Right for the First Time. I didn’t know David but his title intrigued me, so I eagerly said “yes.” The book arrived in the mail and I was hooked. 

Manager—It’s a title with a certain lure, an aura of importance, a marker that we’ve “gotten somewhere.” Careers often feel more solid when we’ve become manager of something. 

Then we look around at the managers in our world and say, “Is that the role I really want? Would I operate like that? Is that what I think the job should be?” 

What’s the deal? 

Every job is a business deal with your employer. That means you need to understand what’s expected from a title like manager before you commit. 

Unfortunately, managers who get off on the wrong foot from the get-go will likely compound their missteps throughout their managerial careers, until they come to an end. 

David C. Baker in his book, Managing Right for the First Time, does something wonderful: He exposes the realities about how the manager role is played out in business settings. He answers my favorite question: “What’s really going on here?” 

During his career Baker worked closely with over 600 companies and interviewed more than 10,000 employees to identify the core principles and behaviors that contribute to managing right from the start. 

He starts with a clean definition: Being a manager means “…taking responsibility for the performance and output of another employee in a business setting.” 

Sounds simple enough until you face his next insight: 

…management is not natural, and there are no “natural born” managers. Good management comes primarily from who you are as a person….  

Looking within is a serious first step. For some reason, you want to think that you’ll be ready for the job when it comes your way. Baker points out that you’ll likely be a good manager “if you’ve made the right choices as you’ve responded to the circumstances you’ve encountered…” throughout your life. 

There’s an echo here of a theme I’ve written on before: Your life is your business. There’s truth in the notion that the more good life and career choices we make, the better prepared we’ll be to manage situations that affect others. 

So, you’ve got the job! 

Baker gives fascinating insights into what your selection as a manager can mean. 

His first scenario is this: “…if you’ve been selected for management by a good manager, you can take solace in the fact that he or she sees something in you that you may not even see in yourself.” 

The bad news scenarios are these: a.) you’re promoted because there was no one else or b.) a bad manager selected you. Both of these start you off on shaky ground. It doesn’t mean you won’t succeed, but it does mean that you have to prove that you were the best choice. You’ll need to keep your political wits about you. 

Beware of bait and switch 

Baker makes a strong point that: “There’s no official management without power.” 

Oftentimes we’ll see managers in name only—all title but no authority. 

Baker writes: 

The essence of management certainly isn’t about…wielded power. It’s more about influence, which in itself is power, but it’s more the ability to instill in people a legitimate desire to follow your leadership.

 That said, he adds that you really aren’t a manager in the truest sense of the word unless: 

• You’re hiring the people you manage
• Making decisions about their compensation
• Giving their performance reviews
• Have the authority to dismiss someone—even if you have to get another’s approval 

He makes it plain: “If these things aren’t true of your new role, you ain’t managing, baby.” 

Dig in 

“Managing right” means taking on the full scope of the manager’s role. In his book, Baker covers it all from managing your boss to orienting employees (some really good ideas there); from creating a positive culture to work/life balance.

He wrote his book as a field guide and it’s all that and more. Nothing beats a book of straight-talk, that puts managing in plain terms. This one’s a winner.

Who’s Controlling Your Career? | The Downside of Kissing Up

Your best answer is, “I am.” Unfortunately, the common answer is often, “I’m not really sure.” 

That’s because we often don’t know how career growth happens. We’re told that the silver bullets are: 

• Doing a great job with high performance appraisal ratings that validate it
• Attending training and/or taking outside courses
• Serving on teams and working on special projects 

Then, after we do all this stuff, someone in the next cubicle gets the promotion we wanted without doing much of anything. The boss just liked them. 

Kissing up can get you down. 

I’ve seen plenty of it, like employees slurping over the boss’s policy decisions, the good ones and the lame ones. 

I’ve seen the attention seekers who volunteer for any assignment, whether they have the chops or not. 

I’ve seen the flirts and buddy boys who flatter the boss or team up after work on the links or at local events. 

I’ve also seen how these moves help some take a career step forward, but I’ve mostly seen it backfire. 

Bosses can tell when we’re engaging them for our career purposes. Some bosses love being the center of our attention. It makes them feel important and powerful. Others are turned off.

Beware: When we shift our focus from making a difference through our work to polishing the boss’s apple, we set ourselves up for disappointment. 

Stay in control. 

When we’re hired, we’re given accountability for our work. We control what we achieve by delivering results according to standards. The boss controls whether or not we advance. 

This is the sticking point: We expect the boss to recognize our value and reward it with a next move we think we deserve. 

Once the boss knows what we want, s/he now has leverage. S/he can decide to give us what we want, deny it, or delay it.

Of course, not every boss is going to use knowledge of your career desires to manipulate you. But some will, either consciously or unconsciously.

 As an HR manager, I was aware of four high potential managers considered future executives. Two of them made plain to executive leadership that they were ready to become VPs. 

As opportunities opened up, the vocal two were made to wait for whatever reason. One had to wait several years, much to his public frustration. Interestingly, he ultimately became the company CEO.  The path is always someone else’s call.

Take the high road. 

Actually, when asked, we’re supposed to tell our bosses about our career aspirations. In healthy work situations, that knowledge helps good bosses work with us to manage our expectations, put together development plans, and position our next moves. 

The problem is that too many employees have their eyes on job titles rather than making a difference, growing their capabilities, building a portfolio of experiences, or innovating. 

It’s easier for a boss to block your next career move than it is to obstruct your impact. Your brand, your value, and your status are a function of what you get done. 

As one of a handful of women managers, I was often asked by executive management what my career goals were. They expected me to say I aspired to become a VP because there was a contingent who wanted me in that role. 

I told them, instead, that what I wanted was to be where I could influence executive decision-making. I didn’t care what my title was. I just wanted to be at the table where significant issues were being discussed so I could add my perspective. 

They gave me many of those opportunities because of my skills and knowledge. I was still asked about my interest in an executive post, but I declined. I knew that I had more impact as a thought-leader and saw that a VP title had serious limitations. 

Kissing up as the low road 

Your current job is one piece of your career. You own and control both to a large extent by the choices you make. Kissing up doesn’t help your career; consistently high quality performance does. That’s yours to control. 

Photo from Elaine Ross Baylon | Photography via Flickr

 

 

How Bosses Undermine Themselves | Playing Hashtag With Jimmy Fallon

The game changes when we become the boss. Whether we know it or not, our employees are always watching and judging. Too often we’re unaware of how we come across to them and how they brand us. 

Bosses create the culture of the workplace. Their behavior influences the behavior of others positively or negatively. 

It’s human nature for employees to draw conclusions about who they think their bosses really are by assessing their quirks, idiosyncrasies, and behavior patterns— the windows into the person behind the title.  

The hashtag game 

Comedian Jimmy Fallon, former Saturday Night Live writer and performer, is the host of the talk show, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. Each week he invites his viewers to play the hashtag game. This week he announced it on his show and then tweeted: 

@jimmyfallon Let’s play the hashtag game! Tweet out something weird about your current or former boss & tag with #mybossisweird. Could be on our show! 

Not every boss is weird but each of them (us) is likely to have behaviors that might annoy, shock, or disturb employees. Prevailing peculiarities start to become part of our brands until they become perceptions we can’t shake. When that happens, our career trajectory can be affected. 

Here are a few of the #mybossisweird tweets from Jimmy Fallon’s game. Each reveals deeper career implications, as I see them.  Please add yours.  

@potatobi #mybossisweird my boss has no idea what twitter is but he found out his competitors had it so I had to make a fake account and follow them 

This boss looks to be out-of-touch, disinterested in new technology, prone to shortcuts, and more interested in appearance than substance. If this is his/her approach to every new innovation in the marketplace, s/he’s in trouble. 

@loolyloo77 #mybossisweird calling me on my annual leave because she wants some info for the urgent report she forgot to submit weeks ago!

@JessicaJourney A former boss once sought me out in the restroom to ask me about progress on a work project. #mybossisweird 

Both of these bosses seem to suffer from panic, that feeling that s/he has to have access to information immediately, a sign of poor planning or no backup when employees are unavailable. Worse though is the lack of regard for each employee’s personal and private time. These are “the world revolves around me and my needs” bosses. In short order that gets old, employees get the word out, and in time the boss’s effectiveness erodes. 

 @MeetingBoy: #mybossisweird When he gets nervous, he insists on DAILY STATUS MEETINGS, then complains: not much gets done between meetings 

Over-controlling, unable to delegate, micro-managing, and ineffective describe this boss. S/he is likely insecure as a boss and the employees know it. That will get around along with the indicators of stalled productivity. 

@NicLuna  When my boss is asked a question he stays quiet and stares at the person blankly until they repeat the question #mybossisweird 

This boss comes across as playing some kind of “gotcha” game that will ultimately alienate employees and seriously limit two-way communication with him/her. Eventually, this “tick” will become fuel for the “comics” in the company who will imbed it into the boss’s brand.   

@TheREALMsWright #mybossisweird b/c when people approach her desk, she says: “What’s the deal?” instead of “How can I help you?” It’s a professional office. 

Professional behavior by the boss is important to employees. It verifies company standards and contributes to a sense of pride in their work. When the boss uses language that is incorrect, inappropriate, or inconsistent with expectations, it reflects on the boss’s values and attitudes. 

#Mybossiswonderful 

One person’s weird is another’s unprofessional. The challenge to every boss is to understand how their behavior comes across to employees. 

Our job is to create a positive climate that enables each employee to perform his/her work with minimal distraction and maximum confidence.

What our employees think and say about us have a powerful cumulative effect on our careers and our brands. Although it probably won’t be funny, we should try to stand out  in a  #mybossiswonderful hashtag game.   

Photo from The_WB via Flickr

3 Questions Interviewees Must Ask or Risk Doom—After Getting the Job!

Job interviews are the beginning. It’s the moment when we begin our relationship with a future boss. 

We tend to look at the hiring process like a game show. We’re picked as contestants, and if we answer the questions correctly, we win the prize. 

The game show winner takes his/her winnings and goes home. When you get the job, however, you’re expected to report to work every day, take direction, complete assignments, and work well with others. Then you get your weekly prize—your paycheck. 

The problem 

We often forget, however, that getting the job means accepting all that goes with it: 

• The way the company operates
• The boss’s leadership style
• The attitudes and work ethic of coworkers
• The policies and procedures (the rules)
• The opportunities for growth and raises 

By the time the interview is over, the company knows way more about you as a prospective employee, than you know about the company, particularly your prospective boss. 

Your manager is the most important variable in any new job. The wrong boss can seriously wound your spirit, opportunity, and future. 

S/he sets you up to succeed or fail, based on the leadership style used and the work culture perpetuated. You need to get a line on the hiring manager, so you know whether you should say “yes” to the job, if offered. 

The big 3 

In an interview, there should be time at the end when the interviewer asks, “Now do you have any questions for me.” That’s your moment.  

When it’s your turn to ask your questions in the interview, commit to getting the information you need about the environment you’d be entering. 

Asking these 3 questions, your way, will demonstrate your interest in understanding the manager’s expectations. At the same time they’ll reveal what you may actually be getting into: 

1. When this position is filled, what will be the immediate expectations of employees, coworkers, other departments, and/or the senior leadership?  

The manager’s answer will give you insights into the political climate, the pressures on him/her, whether or not s/he’ll have your back, and the likelihood that you can succeed  

2. How would you describe the current culture/work style of your work group/the company? 

If the description is uncertain, vague, or hopefully clear, you’ll know if your future boss gets it about his/her employees and their importance to success. That’s the fold you’d be joining.

3. What will be the biggest challenge for the new hire? 

Now you’ll know what you’d need to deliver right away. If the answer is measurable/observable, you’ll be on solid ground. If it’s general, abstract, and conceptual, that’s a red flag.  

Together these questions reveal the leadership qualities of your prospective boss:

• Command and control or collaborative style
• Strategic or reactionary
• Micro-managing or delegating
• Politically savvy or naïve
• Clear or vague communicator
• Self- or employee-centered 

Together his/her answers reveal the work environment in front of you. 

Protect yourself 

Getting a job is a big deal: Getting the wrong job even bigger. To build a strong resume, we need to demonstrate that our job decisions have worked out. 

You don’t want to get fired for poor performance or asked to resign. You want a work experience that is satisfying, helps you grow, and builds a positive track record. 

That’s why you need to look out for yourself, conducting your own due diligence about who you’ll be working for. Bosses are people with every kind of personality, leadership/management approach, and expectations. 

It’s up to us to be just as careful about whom we pick to work for as the hiring manager is in offering us their coveted job. 

Please don’t be careless about your career. The right questions may save you a lot of future heartache. 

 Photo from Marco Bellucci via Flickr

 

From Boss Basher to Being the Boss: How’s That Workin’ Out? | Supervision Unveiled

We all do it to some degree. We watch our supervisors and wonder, “What the heck do they do all day?”

They’re always on the phone or going to meetings. They walk around carrying papers or peering at their Blackberries. Sometimes they might stop and talk to us about something we’re doing or not doing. Whatever!

So we say, “Hey, I could do that job and way better.”

Really?  

Consider this: All supervisors think they must know how to supervise. After all, a manager (who is a bigger supervisor) picked them for the job. Ergo, they must have the skills to supervise successfully.

A lot of supervisors start out as workers in the departments they eventually supervise. They know how the prior boss did things and they know their employees who were once coworkers. To be a good supervisor, they just need to stop doing what the prior boss did that no one liked. Right?

Well, not exactly. Something mysterious happens once a former coworker becomes the supervisor. In time, s/he becomes a lot like the old boss, maybe a little better or even a little worse, but surely similar. Before too long, we hear ourselves bashing him/her too. 

Time out!

There’s reason to be empathetic toward supervisors who discover that they really don’t understand what their job is. They are shocked when they realize that, at the end of the day, they produce no concrete outputs.

The notion of having a job where your success is measured by the work your employees complete is difficult to get your head around. Many supervisors can’t!

Can you do this? 

Imagine you’re a new supervisor, committed to being the kind of boss your work group has been longing for. Here’s what you’ll be doing to make sure the work assigned to your group gets done on time, on spec, within budget, and without flaws:

• Dealing with employees and others (addressing needs, problems, issues, and expectations)
• Setting goals and holding employees accountable
• Planning and scheduling work
• Tracking progress and making mid-course corrections
• Making decisions on the spot to solve problems
• Being accountable to your own boss (a manager who may be no picnic!)
• Submitting reports on time
• Completing performance appraisals and assigning raises
• Hiring and firing (You’ll get flak for that!)
• Changing the way work is done to increase efficiencies 

That’s the easy stuff. Then there’s this:

• Supporting upper management decisions you don’t agree with
• Defending your work group when facing unjustified criticism
• Building and/or mending relationships with supervisors/managers at odds with you
• Intervening when employees break the rules (substance abuse, theft, violence)
• Communicating new and often unpopular policies
• Building a cohesive team who will respect and follow you 

That’s quite a hefty weight to bear. Not everyone has the strength or the acumen.

The way it goes! 

Tolerance for ambiguity, patience, complex problem solving, good communication skills, and an awareness of how people perceive things are essential supervisory capabilities.

When you see your supervisor walking around with those papers, nose in the Blackberry, attending meetings, and talking to coworkers, the matters at hand are often quite complex and not for public consumption. It’s not as simple as we’d like to think!

In all fairness…. 

I have huge respect for good supervisors. And I have low regard for managers who hire people unprepared for the role. That hurts everyone.

Any job that includes the privilege of directing others is a leadership job in my view. Achieving business fitness is our commitment to developing the capabilities needed to be a good boss when given the opportunity. We desperately need better bosses at every level. We could use you if you’re up for it!

Have you ever verbally bashed a supervisor? Do you still feel justified? What should s/he have done better? Thanks for the insight!

 

Beware of “Bring Me Another Rock” Managers!| Clarify Direction. Provoke Decisions.

They make us think we’re the problem. We produce work our managers assign and they throw it back.

“Revise this,” they say.

“What am I missing?” we ask.

“It doesn’t quite address the issues,” they answer. “When it’s right, I’ll know it.”

We go back to our desks deflated, believing that somehow we’re just not grasping things. We still don’t have a clear idea of how to “fix” anything.  We start to worry that our career will suffer because of this.  We’re bummed.

Take heart! It’s not about you! 

Let’s look at the logic: You get an assignment from your boss. You’ve asked clarifying questions about what is expected and taken notes.

You do the work, checking it against the direction you received. You even ask questions along the way to make sure you’re on the right path.

But when you submit your work, you’re told to rework it. After you make those changes, you’re told to make new ones—again and again!

In all likelihood, your boss is figuring out his/her direction on the fly, using the work you’re doing to put the pieces together.

These managers keep us busy turning over and retrieving one rock after another until they see the one they think they’ve been looking for.

I’ve had bosses like this and it’s maddening. Why? Because the boss has you jumping though hoops as a result of his/her inability to:

• Provide clear direction
• Make timely decisions 

“Bring me another rock” managers (BMARM) are costly. 

They spin everyone’s wheels. A spinning wheel makes no progress. In business that means spending time and money getting nowhere.

In addition to frustrating you, these managers frustrate the business like this:

Hiring Fiascos 

The BMARM needs to fill a vacancy. S/he writes a job posting and human resources posts it. Qualified candidate interviews are scheduled but no one is selected. The BMARM tells HR the candidates “aren’t quite right.”

Question: “What are you looking for in a candidate?”

Answer: “I’ll know the right person when I see him/her.”

So HR keeps providing additional candidates (rocks) until the manager finally figures out what s/he really wants the job to be. The issue is the manager’s inability to decide on the scope of the job and his/her failure to make good management decisions in a timely way.

Requests for Proposal 

A manager needs to contract with an outside service. Prospective bidders receive a request for proposal (RFP).  Significant time and cost go into developing these bid submissions.

Managers who don’t really know what they want float RFPs with general specifications, believing they’ll know “when they see it” which is the best choice. In some cases, when they “suspect they see it,” they will request additional information (rocks).

Often these RFP’s get deferred or cancelled. If accepted, they can be fraught with difficulties because the BMARM wants to keep modifying the terms.

A manager’s inability to make decisions is a serious problem.

Dodge the rock pile! 

Inquiry is your best defense again the request for rocks. When given an assignment, be relentless about clarity. Here are a few things that you need to get straight from the beginning. Ask:

• What’s driving the assignment? Who’s invested?
• What’s the purpose? The time frame?
• What’s the scope? The boundaries?
• What actions are expected? 

Turn these answers into a written project overview and get your boss to give the okay before you start. Each time there’s a change, write it down and validate it again with your boss.

Protect yourself.

The object is to minimize your rock collecting. If it happens anyway, you will, at least, have a clear record that what you did was based on approved direction.

I’ve been in this boat and have had projects that went nowhere. But I was always sure that the non-result was no reflection on me. Feeling business fit always made my load feel lighter.

Do you have a BMAR manager that you had to deal with? How did it go? Any tips to share?

Bosses Who Don’t Get It | Taking Issue

Bad bosses are water cooler fodder. One story begets another until those bosses become mythic, the Cyclopes of the work place. Oh, what we’d give for a chance to poke that lonely eye! 

To be boss and not to boss: That is the issue.  

Ah, there really is something in a name. When you’re a supervisor, you are the boss. That means you’re expected to make decisions and exercise authority which includes “giving orders” and controlling things. Webster says so.

 Bosses who don’t “get it” believe that employees can’t or won’t get the work done right unless the boss controls things by: 

• Checking and double-checking the work
• Questioning every decision and process step
• Criticizing and/or blocking individual initiative
• Withholding praise or acknowledgement of good work
• Catching and broadcasting errors
• Blaming unforeseen issues on others
• Distrusting progress reports and questioning competency
• Finding a way to always be right and making others wrong 

I’ve had a few bad bosses and they really irked me. But one turned me into a banshee. Here’s how he treated me: 

• While I was proposing a program initiative, he’s lean back in his chair, hands behind his head, and smirk at me. Then he’d send me off with no direction. 
• He would question every detail of my written proposals that he had barely scanned. Result: Deferred action. 
• His answer was “no” to every documented request to reward the good performance of my employees. 
• Most of his comments to me were made to my chest. He must have thought I was wearing amplifiers!  

I wasn’t his only irate direct report. There were men too. (They didn’t have amps of interest, however.) He’d direct them to change calculations to make data look better, block their initiatives, and steal the spotlight. In time his “bad boss” brand did him in. 

Smart bosses don’t boss. They build. 

Recently, I got a surprise Facebook message from a woman who’d worked for me 15 years ago, now retired. Her note said, “You were the BEST boss I ever had,” then proceeded to say why. 

As a boss I always thought about myself more as a teacher. That note made me think about praise I’d gotten from other employees along the way. This is what happened with a few: 

1.) A talented, high energy woman, newly added to my staff, took no prisoners when it came to getting work done. This had been her style for a decade and as a result she’d “put off” a lot of people. I laid this out to her and the effect it was having on her career. She spent most of that meeting sobbing. We ended with a “fix it” strategy and my commitment mentor her. It worked. 

2.) I hired a woman, fresh out of college, to take full responsibility for outfitting and driving a mobile marketing exhibit throughout a 10,000 square mile region. It was a 32 foot trailer connected to a one ton pick up. There were plenty of doubters but not me. I gave her resources, support, and confidence. She turned those naysayers into admirers. 

3.) A 19-year-old girl joined my work group as a temporary steno. She was bright and spunky with no direction for her life. She was very close to making career moves that would put her in a black hole. I talked to her at length about her interests and, in time, she enrolled in college. She’s now a CPA and senior manager in a Fortune 500.

 Good bosses make people better. That’s what makes businesses thrive. 

When we’re the boss, our employees are our customers. Our job is to serve them. That means providing clear direction, development for growth, and support so they can make decisions with confidence. 

Business fitness comes from attracting a following, people who hold you in esteem for what you can do and the standards you uphold. The good boss builds a contingent of followers that make the right things happen. Be good! 

Have you worked for a “bad boss” who has left a lasting impression? What was his/her “fatal flaw?” What did you do to cope?