Are you frustrated with your job or has your workplace become unbearable because of your overly-demanding, demeaning, controlling, intrusive, ineffective, criticizing and ultimately bad boss?
Bad bosses or managers are those that create a divide within the team, intimidate, bully, mistrust or disrespect employees and are the main culprit for job dissatisfaction and low morale.
These behaviours are defeating and demoralizing, eroding employee self-esteem, physical and psychological wellbeing, and lead us to question and doubt our self-worth, personal and professional skills and aptitudes.
However, although bad bosses can loosely fit into two categories: those who know they are bad and continue the behaviour intentionally and those who are oblivious to just how bad they are – it is not always easy to bring up into discussion how our boss’s behaviour or leadership style is affecting us, inside and outside the workplace.
But what are some leadership styles and how do employees respond to these?
The laissez-faire leadership
This is one that embraces a hands-off approach. Bosses and managers that adopt this way of working tend to fail to provide employees with any direction and underemphasise the importance of performance and progress feedback. These bosses and managers often fail to empower their employees and expect them to thrive or succeed with minimal management support or involvement.
The autocratic leadership
Here is one that embraces a dictatorial approach, one that gives orders and step-by-step directions and fast-tracks results.
To a competent and self-directed employee – or to any employee for that matter, the autocratic, aggressive and aloof stance, paired with the persistent direction and micromanagement can be straining and blatantly insulting.
The democratic leadership
This is one that embraces equality amongst team members, emphasises collaboration, encourages and welcomes ideas and suggestions.
This leadership style tends to be more effective by comparison with other leaderships behaviours and with this approach employees feel valued, listened to and appreciated.
But what could cause your boss to be so bad at his/her job?
How are you going to tackle the boss dilemma?
If your boss’s behaviour is a reoccurring problem, this could indicate s/he is experiencing high levels of occupational or personal stress. S/he might be overwhelmed by job requirements or lack the skills or training required by such a role.
However, trying to tackle the ‘bad boss’ dilemma leaves little room for crisis management. Public disputes over your boss’s shortcomings often prove counterproductive and therefore should only be discussed privately.
Throughout our employment history we might have come across a bad boss or manager that perhaps made us forget we deserve a civil and professional work environment; we deserve a boss or manager that contributes to our self-esteem and helps our professional confidence grow; one that helps us to advance in our career and facilitates the opportunity for a positive workplace experience.
Have you ever left a job because of your boss or manager or request a transfer to another department within the company or organisation you worked for?
Related: So You Want to Leave a Job You Hate.
Author: Ioana Lazarov is guest writer and collaborator with Clinical Psychologist Fernando Tarnogol and blogger for Express and Star. She is a University of Wolverhampton Psychology graduate, who also studied Life Coaching. Her career pursuits and passions include psychology and mental health rehabilitation, retail and automotive electric systems manufacturing and engineering.
