Most of us have had to deal with a horrible coach, teacher or boss at some point during our lives. And it is rarely easy.
My worst boss micromanaged everyone on our team, was more worried about who he sat next to than what he delivered, played favorites and did not help us grow in our careers. Fortunately his boss saw through his antics and replaced him with a more superior and motivating leader before we all quit.
An article in the Huffington Post by Dr. Tasha Eurich wonders why there are so many bad bosses. She claims "they're bad because everyone is afraid to tell them." As bosses rise up the corporate ladder, there are fewer and fewer employees willing to tell bosses the truth about their behavior and the negative effect they have on the motivation and engagement of their followers. I know that early in my career I was certainly timid about providing upward negative feedback.
According to a survey by Reputation Management Consultants, the top three CEOs with the worst reputations are Donald Trump, Jamie Diamond of JP Morgan Chase, and Martha Stewart. If your boss emulates one of these three, you have some options. New manager training programs advocate open lines of communication between team members and managers. If this recommendation were followed, there would certainly be better leaders. A difficult conversation about the truth of their management behavior may eventually be necessary but, meantime, there are other ways to deal with a bad boss.
Get 3 Immediate Tips for Dealing with a Bad Boss
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