Is Your Boss – Good , Bad or Downright Ugly
As a boss you get noticed. Sometimes it can be for the right reasons, and sometimes not. As an old crock I have worked for many, many years and as a result have had lots of bosses. Being in recruitment I have also had the pleasure of encountering many different styles of management as used by my clients. See if you can identify your boss from the list below:
The Eccentric Loony
The eccentric boss has unrealistic expectations of his staff. He has a unique way of completing his work and expects his employees to work in the same way. This type of boss will always have favourites as he loves people as ‘odd’ as he is. The eccentric boss is not happy in his job and would rather be doing something else and sometimes he makes this obvious.
The OCD Boss
The OCD boss is a micro-manager who likes to control you and your work. His behaviour is obsessive and leaves you feeling you are useless. Overtime you will learn that nothing you do will ever be good enough. Do not lose all your motivation though, learn to work by yourself and to your own standards. Try to sit down with your boss and ask him to explain his expectations so you are both on the same page.
The Lone Wolf Boss
The lone wolf prefers to ride solo. He stays in his office avoiding human contact, he does not like interacting with his staff. He is not a people person. The lone wolf boss will leave you on your own so don’t expect much training or career goal discussion, because that won’t happen.
The Nincompoop Boss
The nincompoop boss is easily identified by his cluelessness and stupidity. Its as if they only started the job yesterday but he has been with the company for thirty years so should be switched on. You can’t change a nincompoop, he is what he is. The world is full of nincompoops but do not let them get you down. Do your personal best in the workplace and just tolerate and humour your boss.
The Patronizing Boss
The patronizing boss is very old school. Didn’t you know he built the company from scratch. In fact, he made the chair you are sitting on. You are an underling, and you need guidance to see you through the simplest of tasks and guess what, with his help the job will probably be done wrong.
The Best Friend Boss
The best friend boss wants to be your mate not your superior. He wants you to like him and because friends stick up for friends if I were you, I’d think it a good investment to spend some time with him, he may do your career the world of good.
The World-on-his-shoulder Boss
Though this boss might present himself as tough, he can barely hide his inadequacies. He frets about little details he arrives at the office in the morning, flushed and frazzled because he has been worrying about work all night. Nervousness can be contagious so interact with this boss as little as possible if you can.
The Paranoid Boss
The paranoid boss is outright suspicious of everyone’s motives. Anything anyone does could be an attempt to undermine this. This boss’ feelings of inadequacy will always interfere with what’s best for the company and his employees so be very wary of this person.
The Missing Boss
This boss is always missing in action. He is harmless because he simply is never there. You are slaving away eight hours a day, five days a week for half his salary whilst he’s out on the golf course. Never mind he could be in the office all day driving you mad.
The Teflon Boss
This boss is non-stick. He is never to blame for anything. He does not give straight answers to straight questions. If something goes wrong believe me, he will produce evidence proving that he was somewhere else at the time. The Teflon boss is a nuisance make sure you keep a record of what he’s asked you to do because if its right he will say it’s his idea.
The God Boss
The god boss is a true megalomaniac who craves power. He will probably have his name on is office door or desk with his job title underneath. He might take outrageous liberties with employees like asking them to clean his car. Usually under this person’s cloak of powers hides great incompetence. Hunker this boss, follow his rules but do not be taken advantage of.
The Old-School Boss
The old school boss dwells on the good old days, on the way things used to be. He is so entrenched in the past he is not able to function at the present. An old-school boss has a great deal of information and knowledge to offer and providing he accepts change and new technology he could be a good person to work for.
The Manipulator Boss
This type of boss is extremely intelligent and of the most dangerous. The manipulator boss is highly focused, very motivated, and always has a secret plan. He looks at people as a means to an end. The world is a giant pyramid, and the apex is his. The people he knocks over on the way to the top are casualties he writes off. Beware of this person he will tread on your head to reach the top.
The Fearmonger Boss
Staff do what a fearsome boss says because they are afraid of him which encourages further intimidation. He always has a threat and constantly follows through with the threat to keep his staff on their toes. This boss has a high turnover rate as he likes staff to keep up the fear factor and good employees leave him, refusing to work for such a bully. A fearsome boss wont last, eventually he will be found out. You know what they ‘What comes around goes around’.
The Screamer Boss
The screamer boss seems to think that he will get his way if he raises his voice to an unconscionable level, the higher the volume, the quicker he thinks people will move. Some people think that screaming is a managerial skill. Screamers are simple people really; they just want to know they’re being heard it makes them feel important.
The Martyr Boss
The martyr boss has done, does and always will do anything for the good of the company. He has worked Christmas Day, with pneumonia, in a snowstorm, he has walked to and from work for weeks after a car accident with both legs broken. He works late every night and is always first at work in the morning. Don’t try to compete with this boss just learn how to deal with him.
So, there you are, what type of boss do you have? I have used the term ‘he’ throughout this blog but for he, replace it with ‘she’ or whatever you like, the description fits all sexes. Obviously, you want to work for a good boss, someone you can learn from, someone who will give you the support you need in your career, but it is possible to learn from any type of boss. Identifying their strengths and weaknesses will help you if you ever achieve their position.
Have a good week.
Angela Burton