Five Ways To Avoid Being the 'Bad Boss'

Being the boss isn’t easy, more so if you fall prey to tendencies that alienate you from the very people you manage. Knowing what these propensities are can help you create a better work environment. Sreeradha D Basu lists out the boss’ most common failings and the remedies.

1 Look Within A lot of bosses don’t even realise where they are going wrong. It could be wasting time, using company property for personal purposes or even having an exaggerated idea of one’s capabilities. “It’s important to realise where the gaps are. You need to get proper feedback and work on that. Unfortunately, a lot of times, realisation only comes when it hurts you,” says Sangeeta Lala, senior V-P, TeamLease Services.  

2 Keep Learning When bosses give up on continuously educating themselves, even subordinates become aware of this. “Bosses need to stay current and updated. Otherwise, they become inadequate. You can learn by reading, doing projects, even getting mentored,” says Yashwant Mahadik, VP HR, Indian subcontinent at Philips. 

3 Set Subordinates Free One of the major derailing factors is when managers become too possessive and don’t let go of their talent. Says Mahadik: “When you don’t get support from a manager, it usually ends up disengaging a very good employee. Instead, every manager should set himself a target for growing and exporting talent out of the team and measuring personal success on the basis of that. If an organisation starts measuring managers on successes like that, it leads to a lot of positive behavioural changes.” 

4 Be Sensitive Bosses who have crossed a certain stage of life often tend to become insensitive to the needs of those currently in that stage. Often, a boss doesn’t take it well when a younger person in the team has issues at home or has to leave at short notice for some reason like an unwell child. “Never forget there are life-cycle needs of people. Be sensitive, empathetic and don’t compare them to yours,” says Mahadik.

5 Do a Reality Check No one ever wants to give bad news to the boss, which is how he or she ends up insulated from reality; unaware of what is going on. It’s important to create an open culture where employees can share even unpleasant information without fear.

(The Economic Times, Mumbai, 15-06-2012)