Friday, June, 08 2012
We have all had one or more bosses who, we knew must have been hatched from some demon spawn. No matter what you did, it was wrong, was not fast or soon enough or was just unacceptable. But you need a job and you have to learn how to deal with them. In order to do that you need to understand what drives this person to behave so badly. This is not just an issue between the subordinate and the mis-behaving boss. Loss of morale, productivity, production, sales, and even workplace law suits are just some of the fallout from bad bosses.
First, it is usually not the employee; of course there are exceptions to every rule. A bad boss got this way because their behavior was tolerated, rewarded, and maybe even admired by their superiors at some point in their career and for some time. Subordinates have little control over the rewards and admirations in this situation, but inappropriate behavior does not have to be tolerated. To make this point clear, a demanding, hard-driving boss does not necessarily make a bad boss; it’s all in the execution. There is nothing wrong with a boss who sets high expectations, demands quality work, and provides the supports and tools to achieve a high level of performance. Bad bosses, however are often accompanied by behavior such as threats, bullying, rude, crude, derogatory remarks, insults or public humiliation.
Second, many bad bosses lack the technical skills of their subordinates and are therefore dependent upon others to actually complete the assigned task. Subordinates who are masters at their role have the ability to build a relationship with even the worst boss. Even a bad boss understands that there is a quid pro quo between themselves and their most talented employees. An employee has to be careful not to over extend this relationship; nevertheless, a skillful and tactful employee can build a connection which clearly sends a strong message that they are a professional and expect to be treated as such.
Third, most business managers are not totally oblivious to how employees are treated by their bosses, especially if that treatment results in high turnover or lost production and sales. While it may take time, business managers will come to recognize that they may have placed the wrong person in a role as a supervisor. Even top performing bosses to have to account for high turnover rates. Excessive turnover can be an indicator that something is just not right within an organizational unit. Turnover often translates into excessive cost and lowered production, measures which normally captures the eye of higher level managers.
Alice Walton writing for The Atlantic on February 25 2012 in an article titled, "The Impact of Bad Bosses", related several studies which link the work environment to the health of employees. In one study at Baylor University it was discovered that work related stress and tension impacted employee’s relationships outside of work, including every member of the family. A Swedish study found a relationship between fatal and non-fatal heart attacks, angina and death from heart disease and a negative work environment while studying 3,100 men in research sponsored by Karolinska Institute's Department of Public Health Sciences. Research at the University of Arizona, Department of Economics identified that unique areas of the brain are affected in different ways when individuals experience cooperation vs. guilt. The study concluded that most individuals want to please others and thus avoid feeling guilty. Research at IBM and the University of Michigan found a relationship between the organizational culture and the overall health of workers and their families while studying 22,000 IBM employees and their families.
Finally, how an employee chooses to react to a bad boss or a negative work environment is partly under their control. Eventually, individuals will need to decide if to stay or quit.
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