We have all heard the stories about working for a “bad boss,” or endured one ourselves. I've worked for a few over the years; including one who employed the "Dr. Dre philosophy" (check out my past blogs for that explanation). But it is possible for you to become a better leader from experiences with the overbearing, the unprofessional and the outright awful boss--do the opposite.
Would you believe 40 percent of workers in the business world think they work for bad bosses? Those findings are from a Florida State University study. As for what constitutes a bad boss, the study participants gave a variety of answers:
• 39 percent said their managers failed to keep promises.
• 37 percent said their bosses did not give them the credit they deserved.
• 31 percent indicated their supervisor gave them "the silent treatment."
• 27 percent reported negative comments from their management.
• 24 percent claimed their bosses invaded their privacy.
• 23 percent stated that their supervisor blamed them or other workers to cover up personal mistakes.
Source: http://www.management-issues.com/2007/9/11/blog/some-bad-boss-statistics.asp
So, how do you avoid the pitfalls of becoming a “bad boss” statistic? You start by doing the opposite of the bad you see:
• If you are not keeping your commitments, it is time to start.
• If you are taking credit for others' work, it's time to start giving others credit. Remember, we don’t achieve success alone.
• If you are not communicating with your staff, the time to start is now. Not tomorrow, not after the meeting, now.
• If you think constructive criticism and constructive feedback are the same, it's time to change your thinking.
• If you make a mistake, acknowledge it and move on.
I am going to go out on a limb and say that I find it hard to believe someone would wake up and choose to be a bad boss, but the reality is they do exist, and instead of imitating the bad, learn what makes them bad, do the opposite and become a better boss.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
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I think that research will support that those who choose to do the opposite of what they see have a much harder time than if they imitate what they see working well. I draw that from the research of abusive parents. As must as the abused child wants nothing to do with the way they were raised, more often than not, they revert to that abusive behavior because it was what they observed and modeled.
ReplyDeleteThe research on mirror neurons holds promise. Our brains response to stimuli observed in the same way as if we were performing the activity ourselves. The conclusion would be that if we want to change our leadership style, then we need to focus our attention on right, not wrong, behavior. This vicarious learning is powerful, because it shapes and redirects our brain activity into positive neural tracks.
Please visit http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow/video/3204/i01.html for more information.