A Bad Boss Can Shed Insight

Not all bosses are created equal. Anyone who has ever had a bad boss, or a really bad boss, knows this all too well.

We have discovered that good bosses listen well, empower their people, mentor, teach, coach, inspire innovation and creativity and have fun. It is the flip side of these positive behaviors that we explored. As they come, these negative bosses are both the ones to look out for and also to work with constructively.

As no one is truly perfect, we hope these insights will inform and enlighten you to explore the full productivity of your workplace and workmates.

Here they are, five bad bosses:

1)    The Talker a boss that doesn't give any space for their employees to speak or learn through conversation. This boss is often thought of as a bigmouth, braggart, gossiper, and/or lecturer. They talk and talk and talk and never listen. They interrupt others and are overly self-involved with their thoughts and expressions. The Talker only listens to themselves and disregards anything offered by their subordinates. Resenting their employees' input, they stifle creativity and productivity while cultivating widespread discontent
amongst their team. The Talker is a bad boss because they miss out on opportunities both for their own development and for that of their employees.
2)    The Disenfranchiser a boss that restrains and suppresses their employees from maximizing their true potential. This boss is offensively dominating and oppressive. They restrict and subdue their employees across the board. The Disenfranchiser takes their employees' inspirations and aspirations, and squashes them into subordination. They offer no reasoning other than their position atop the hierarchy. Their employees are stifled, bored, and miserable. The Disenfranchiser is a bad boss because they deprive their employees of basic needs and future aspirations, forcing them into a hole of isolation.
3)    The Disconnector a boss that closes off and renounces their employees while destroying their confidence. This boss isolates and obstructs their employees' activities. They single-out employees and as they're acutely aware of their situation, their isolation irks them to the core. The Disconnector obstructs communication and rejects suggestions from employees. They sit in their office, apart from their team, only coming out to intentionally break up projects and partnerships. The Disconnector is a bad boss because they remove essential communication channels and are demeaning towards their employees.
4)    The Square Dude (or Dudette) a boss that is the behind the times, straight-laced, and struggles to lead and inspire. This boss, perhaps well intentioned and perhaps not, struggles to keep up with contemporary culture whether it is cool or not. Instead of quelling misunderstandings, they contribute to strife and friction. The Square Dude (or Dudette) sticks to old ways out of ignorance or contempt for new ways. They force these old ways upon their employees and scoff when they are met with resistance. The Square Dude (or Dudette) is a bad boss because they are out of touch with the times, stagnating in old ways and unnecessarily forcing these ways upon their employees.
5)    The Destroyer a boss that squashes or saps the strength and motivation out of their employees.  This boss is perhaps the ultimate bad boss not just rejecting employees' needs and dreams, but utterly crushing them as well. All requests for support and guidance are met with sarcasm and blatant disrespect.  The Destroyer rivals its naval and starship counterparts on human-to-human terms, wrought with intensely directed malice towards others. These actions can be apparent and also hidden at times, adding to their effective destruction.  The Destroyer is just simply a bad boss by nature.

These five bosses, as gnarly as they're described, are not necessarily to be feared nor despised. Generally, most people are good and well-intentioned, never hoping to fit the category of a bad boss. Granted the few that do wholly fit their descriptions, we must acknowledge that every one of us may slip up at times. Perhaps these descriptions will help you reflect upon those few moments and allow you to explore maximizing your potential. Perhaps you may now see deeper into the mishaps of others and give credit when credit is due.

In any case, we support the values of an honest, meaningful and respectful work environment and hope you do too.

Jim Finkelstein is president and CEO of FutureSense, Inc. (www.futuresense.com) and author of FUSE: Making Sense of the New Cogenerational Workplace (www.fusethebook.com), published by Green Leaf Book Group Press in October 2011. Matt Finkelstein, Jim's son, is a part-time consultant at FutureSense and farm manager
for the Four Elements Farm, Atascadero, Calif.