What Kind of Boss Do You Have?
Bosses come in a range of interesting sizes, shapes, and personalities. While some managers feel compelled to micro-manage their employees, others love to kick back and treat every colleague like a best friend. In our minds, we all have some idea of what our ideal boss is like. He or she will be kind and caring, though disciplined and strict when the situation calls for quick decisions or working overtime. The best boss will be a mentor to his or her employees and colleagues, offering support and guidance when asked and boosting the self-esteem of workers when they most need it. Unfortunately, not every manager out there fits this idyllic description. In fact, all too frequently we have bosses who are unprofessional, who divulge private information, who gossip, or who are generally inadequate at what they do. But there are ways to cope with even the worst boss and make the best of a given situation. Here is a list of the 5 different bosses you will eventually stumble across in the office, and how to best work with all of them depending on their personalities: The Paranoid Boss This boss is afraid of change and probably has the entire company rulebook stored away in his or her memory. He or she may also like to micromanage your work, from criticizing the font you use on reports to checking in with you a little too often during the business day to “see what you are up to.” When you bring a plate of fresh ideas to the conference table, this boss is usually the first individual to shoot your suggestions down, claiming that they are too radical. Simply put, the Paranoid Boss is one of the worst managerial offenders out there because he or she cannot or is not willing to realize that being a leader involves having the ability to take calculated risks. How can a manager hope to expand a department or company without the occasional risk-taking, and worse, how can a manager expect to win his or her employees’ respect without really listening to their suggestions and input? How to Deal with the Paranoid Boss Speaking privately to this boss is likely the most reasonable route to take. Explain to your manager that you respect his or her ability to follow so closely to the rulebook but that sometimes you feel your ideas and suggestions are not getting through. Stress that you only have the company’s best interests in mind, and hopefully, there will be more chances in the future to incorporate your ideas into upcoming projects. The “Buddy” Boss This boss is so fearful of making enemies in the office that he cannot operate effectively as a manager. Think Michael Scott’s character from The Office, and you will have a pretty good idea of how inefficient this boss really is. Scott views the office as a social and not necessarily professional environment. He frequently takes his employees out for lunch, hosts parties that he expects all his employees to attend, and makes inappropriate jokes during working hours. The “Buddy” Boss is unwilling to take a stand and usually reluctant to make decisions that do not make everyone happy. The result of this is actually quite ironic. Instead of promoting the carefree environment he or she wants, the “Buddy” Boss too often becomes a scapegoat for when things go wrong. How to Deal with the “Buddy” Boss During meetings when the “Buddy” Boss is chatting about Saturday’s football game or going away on a weekend vacation with her girlfriends, try to steer the topic of conversation back to work without being rude. Never encourage the “Buddy” Boss by asking him or her questions that you know will ferment into hour-long stories. Rather, after he or she has finished talking, immediately bring up a subject that is work-related to shift the purpose of the meeting back into focus. The Dictator Boss This boss strikes fear in the hearts of all employees and manages the office aggressively, usually in a manner close to hostile. Workers hang on to every single word of the Dictator Boss, as if each utterance were a death sentence. In short, this boss controls his or her workers by fear, so it comes as no surprise that the office environment is often a cold and austere one. Richard Beckman, the former President of Condé Nast Media, and Anna Wintour, the present day editor-in-chief of American Vogue, both have a notorious reputation for being hard-headed, assertive, and uncompromising in their management. While the two are undoubtedly successful in their respective fields, there is no shortage of horror stories when it comes to their management skills. How to Deal with the Dictator Boss The Dictator Boss is a difficult manager to deal with, primarily because his or her sole objective in the office is to produce the best results possible. How can an employee argue with that? While his or her methods may be questionable, the only viable solution to working in this kind of office is to focus all energies on work. Do not stop to chat about your weekend getaway at the water cooler. Eat lunch at your desk, instead of going out for one whole hour to dine at a restaurant. Keep up with what is going on in the office, and do not be afraid to take on more work. So long as you remain a busy bee, the Dictator Boss will likely keep his or her distance and leave you alone. The Credit-Stealing Boss Nearly everyone has encountered a boss who has at some point or another stolen an employee’s credit, whether this is on a high-profile project or during an important conference. These bosses are intensely frustrating and unfair. You endeavor every single day to do the best work you can, only to have your name ripped off the final report when it counts. The “Credit-Stealing” Boss appears to have no ethical qualms about outright lying, and inevitably, this will lead to a lower morale among his or her employees. How to Deal with the Credit-Stealing Boss The only way to protect yourself from this boss is to create a paper trail of all the work you have done both in and out of the office. File away all correspondence in folders that you can store either at home or under lock and key in the office. Electronically archive any and all emails between your boss and colleagues that concern current projects you are working on. Regularly remind your boss of the work you are doing by handing in reports early or sitting down to discuss new ideas. Sooner or later, you will have successfully compiled the concrete evidence you need to prove to your boss (and if necessary his superiors) of your participation and effort in the office. The Mentor Boss Saving the best for last, the Mentor Boss is that shining example of management excellence we all strive to be or serve under. This boss lends an open ear to suggestions, comments, and even criticism. If you have a problem, you will have no qualms about knocking on this manager’s door and venting a few concerns off your chest. At the same time, the Mentor Boss is willing to step up to the plate when necessary and take full control of the office by doling out tasks that fit the talents and skills of the employees. How to Deal with the Mentor Boss The good news is no one has to “deal” with the Mentor Boss. This boss is always there for you and will make time for you, even when he or she is swamped with work to do. While the Mentor Boss may just be that manager you always dreamed of, do not take advantage of this boss’s availability to air out every tiny and miniscule problem. Give the Mentor Boss enough space, and only approach him or her when you have viable questions, ideas, or concerns. Katherine J. Chen is a sophomore English major at Princeton University with a certificate in Creative Writing. While she has had her share of bad managers in the past, she feels fortunate that most of her editors and bosses are now of the Mentor variety.
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