The Bad Boss — 6 toxic personas you might know
We’ve all been under the supervision of one of these six personas — whether in the classroom or the boardroom. The workplace should however avoid these toxic traits at all costs.
1. Hawk-Eye (Micromanagement en mass)
Familiar statement: “Maybe Dennis should rather take on that project?”
Ever seen the video of a father taking his daughter to their front yard to set free the small bunny they had rehabilitated? The bunny runs free for four seconds before being caught by a hawk as a little afternoon snack.
We’ll definitely write more on this distasteful workplace phenomenon in the future, but the same rules apply. Maybe you have a micromanaging boss who delegates work to you and looms over your head only to take away your nurtured projects when they feel like it. Crushing your motivation and any desire to have to return to the office.
What’s important here?
Delegation should mean to let go and allow employees to take ownership of their responsibilities which in-turns enables them to grow.
2. Dictator of Expectations (Always searching for proof)
Famous words: “How can you show your value?”
There are too many quotes about expectations, but the majority points to the fact that lowering them promotes an increase in life expectancy. Your boss won’t take on too many unpaid jobs and neither should you — a desperate employee is taken advantage of if they’re expected to do be okay with working unpaid hours. If you’re always having to prove yourself then something’s amiss.
What’s important here?
A supportive business owner would not treat any employee as a desperate resource that lacks potential. Anyone invested in their company would strive to unlock the potential of their staff — whatever it takes. It’s a business — not a 1971 Morris Marina.
3. The Scream-ER (Reckless & retrospective)
Famous words: *insert general projection of anger here*
Who doesn’t love a boss who is ignorant of their influence on productivity? The world.
Emotional outbursts are bearable at best on the playground, but bosses who are unapproachable by staff and clients due to an inability to control their emotions are a yellow brick road to disaster.
Tell tale signs:
Your boss is able to refer to past emotional outbursts, but displays no progress of commitment to improvement.
4. Culture Undertaker (Careless about culture)
Famous words: “We don’t do that here.”
Too many rules and little care for creative ways to boost company morale. Companies love to boast about their modern approach to office culture, but close investigation will reveal the same traditional toxic environment shared by ineffective management.
If your co-workers are unhappy at the desk or out in the field — question whether a system could be put in place to allow for motivation and efficiency within the company.
Tell tale signs:
A boss who does not play by their own rules or cares little for methods by which to improve internal company sentiment. The now more familiar statement “happy workers work hard” remains true.
5. Manic Manipulator (Agent of passive aggression)
Famous words: *anything in a vindictive tone of voice*
Favouritism or public criticism in the office aren’t by any means guidelines towards aiming for better goals. Yet we find people who “care” about their business often implementing these tools in order to prompt employees towards a desired result.
At the bottom of the manipulation cesspool lives the ultimate driver of inefficiency — passive aggression. A company killer found nowhere else than in backboneless bosses who are too insecure to maintain a stable adult conversation.
Tell tale signs:
If you feel like your boss is subtly trying to see if you’re “getting the message” and there is never a good time to openly and comfortably talk about your performance.
6. Captain Titanic (Living in the past)
Familiar statements: “Well, you know, when I started working here..”
I’ll just let Bob Dylan make it clear:
Your old road is rapidly agin’.
Please get out of the new one
If you can’t lend your hand
For the times they are a-changin
Tell tale signs:
Valid and practical solutions are introduced within the company and you always find that ideas are only half supported or cast out after a few weeks. Chances are your boss might never be ready to accept any changes necessary to improve the business.
😱 “HOW DO I COPE ?!!” 😱
The solution rests in an objective opinion. Company owners can easily feel intimidated or disrespected by employees who approach them with uncertainty. Uncertainty regularly results in overcompensation or miscommunication which in turn leads to uncontrolled emotional outbursts.
If you desperately require change management with the upper hand of utilising an objective opinion then be sure to contact us.
Visit: https://www.ja-culture.com
Kind Regards
Johan Bronkhorst
Co-Founder of JA
