Kalpana Arya — March 26, 2018 Budding managers are often oozing with inspiration to build a high-performance team. But, somewhere down the line, they succumb to the mundane, forgetting all their past sayings. Most blame their bosses for freezing their hottest ideas with the strong blow of inertia. Frequent aversions created by toxic bosses are hard to get past.
We all know bad bosses can act as complete jerks sometimes. However, when you scroll through some of the recent researches, you will realize how widespread the problem is.
If you go by the recent study conducted by Professor Jennifer Mueller at the University of Pennsylvania, bosses reject creative ideas because of their inability to handle the fear and uncertainty.
Mueller further emphasizes that bosses often abide by the urge to get rid of ambiguity. And, end up rejecting creative ideas to settle down with sure bets and clear-cut answers.
The problem gets even worse when leaders with psychopathic traits make the wellbeing of employees suffer. Scholars at the University of Manchester’s Business School conducted research on 1,200 participants to assess their relationship with bosses. Their response shows that horrible bosses don’t just impact their job satisfaction but also push them to the state of anxiety and depression.
Overall the picture is clear, leaders who score high on the measure of dark traits can be bad news for employees and an organization as a whole. Every boss has his/her own quirks and insecurities. But, how to deal with them?
If you want to survive and fit in the corporate world, learn how to deal with these three types of bosses.
- The one who is plagued by insecurities
Managers are supposed to motivate employees, but there are overthinkers who fear that their subordinates might climb up the corporate ladder. The desperate attempt to outshine their subordinates often makes them daunting and domineering. Here’s how to tackle stuck-up snobs who are overpowered by their own insecurities.
- Beware, if you are feeding your boss’ insecurities: Is your aggressive attitude towards work making your boss insecure? If yes, try to get the broader picture of your boss’ anxiety. Are unfinished projects troubling him/ her or an unachievable monthly goal making her edgy? Once you are aware of the insecurities of your boss, ask for roles which can help you work collaboratively towards achieving bigger goals.
- Adopt the power of transparency: Keep the information flow smooth with your manager to avoid any scope of miscommunication. Self-doubting managers often fear the uncertain, and the lack of transparency in communication can further feed their insecurities. Just loop in your boss in every email and share as much information as possible. It may take a little longer time but will prove to be the ideal anecdote for your boss’ anxiety.
- Play the bugle in building your boss’s strength: The insecurity of your boss is probably because of the lack of self-esteem. It’s the lack of belief in one’s abilities that makes someone threatened by the growth of others. Deal with this by appreciating all positive steps taken by your boss and help build his/ her strength.
- The One Who Steps on Your Toes, Always
Are you being annoyed by your boss who always tells you what to do and how to do? Digging into every detail is a common trait of micromanagers who think that they know it all. They assume that without them everything will fall apart. They aren’t incompetent, but they need to have more trust in their employees. If they listen to their employees and be more inclusive, they are less likely to step on their toes every time.
- Bond with your boss: Omniscient leaders often belittle new ideas of their subordinates by discussing more of the cons and less of the pros. They are under the impression that only they spot new ideas, while others follow their footprints. You need to deal with such bosses smartly by presenting half-baked ideas and asking for their inputs to hone them further. This way, you can bring new ideas to the table with higher chances of approval.
- Pitch new ideas to your boss convincingly: Another way to deal with all-knowing bosses is to feed them new ideas to play with. Productive diversions will help in channeling the energy of your boss towards something concrete, and also help you bond with him/her towards achieving shared goals.
- The One Who Constantly Chases the Shiny Object
Shiny object chasers are often paralyzed by uncertainties. They leave one idea halfway and move to another. They will start the week demanding the strategy for Instagram marketing but will switch to chasing the brighter idea of generating followers through LinkedIn posts. Their priorities shift radically, making it difficult for employees to keep up. So, what’s the best approach to deal with this situation?
- Present your ideas convincingly: Your boss is likely to jump from one idea to another. It’s your task to convince him or her to stick with the first idea. Talk about the benefits of your idea, and how it aligns with your organizational principles. Later, you can take up the next option with equal enthusiasm.
- Keep the conversation going: You always have the opportunity of sitting with your team members and manager for candid discussions over an idea. All you need to do is be respectful of other’s suggestions and convince your boss to come to a decision immediately.
Many of you may feel that mending flawed supervisors is not your task. In reality, you can either build your rapport with the boss or keep waiting for major organizational changes in your favor.
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