Recently, I had some difficulty with my boss, which made me wonder if she was just a fluke or if similar boss and managerial issues were common in businesses. Melissa Field’s article, 5 Habits of Highly Inefficient Bosses & Managers (Managerial Tendencies that Make the Employees Walk) addressed some of the thoughts I had concluded about my own employment situation, a fact that made me want to respond to her creative commentary. After all, Ms. Field’s clever analysis of Boss and Managerial issues was quite well considered as were her sarcastic suggestions for coming up with a solution to the issues. The article, which is a mixture of both satire and lament, encourages readers to develop coping skills for their work situation.
Here are a few highlights from Ms. Field’s article:
Many bosses are a disappointment after you have been hired and are completely different from when you first interviewed with them. After working for the same boss for several years, a pattern of one or more negative habits might start putting pressure on employees. They are panic attacks, an elephant never forgets, leapfrog, waterfall, and trivial pursuit. Each of these habits is outlined in high detail with a touch of sarcasm and humor. Deep down, the article can be distracting at times, but if you approach it as a satirical piece for those whose managers truly irritate them or abuts them, the article is truly an entertaining read.
The first highlighted habit is “Panic Attacks.” Panic attacks are common on the job, according to Ms. Field, in a position where planning is required. During this introduction to panic attacks, the writer’s humorous side is revealed, suggesting sabotage. Though ineffective as a method for really dealing with a boss who “freaks out” frequently, there are many ways you can deal with a boss who freaks out, including but not limited to helping your boss prepare for projects by going through the cycle of a job step by step, keeping the workplace mood light, and giving your boss a break whenever possible.
The second habit mentioned in Ms. Field’s article is the habit, “An Elephant Never Forgets.” This habit, as indicated by the writer, is the inability of some bosses or managers to acknowledge particular emails as received. Unfortunately, the boss often forgets or fails to address issues when brought up, only to indicate the problem after much time has passed. Ms. Field suggests that clear archives are kept as well as time and date stamps, with a side order of pent up frustration.
Third, Ms. Field mentions “Leapfrog.” This habit is described as negative work delegation with a side order of criticism. In this, they claim all of your triumphs as their own though criticizing the entire situation along the way. In addition, the leapfrog boss will attach himself to projects that they had little to do with. The solution the writer suggests is to volunteer for projects outside your department that your boss will have no way to take credit for until you are offered a transfer.
“Waterfall” is the fourth mentioned habit that Melissa Field mentions in her article. This habit, like many of the previous ones, makes a boss sound quite bipolar. She mentions a “water balloon” affect of swelling until bursting, leaving the workplace in a stressful torrent of quick changes and unusual deadlines with a wide array of projects that seem to crop up out of nowhere. The key point here is overwork and eventual burn out. Employees have difficulty discerning the point when the finish line keeps getting moved, and new finish lines pop up in all directions. The writer suggests ultimatum, taking notes with dates of erratic project scheduling, and request in writing a priority schedule to juggle extra tasks.
The fifth and final mentioned habit if “Inefficient Bosses and Managers” is the habit of “Trivial Pursuit.” This is a habit nearly everyone has experienced from time to time; it is when bosses use their authority to abuse employees, which takes time from priorities. Trivial pursuit is a distraction including emergency meetings about matters which can not be changed like lost contracts, attacking employees, motivational meetings, and in the writer’s own words, “chasing rabbits.” The writer suggests an anonymous memo or telecommuting to avoid trivial projects.
This article was well considered, but it could have held a layman’s perspective more efficiently if the points were more concise. Still, this article is entertaining and worth a read. Just about every employee has become frustrated one time or another from a boss who didn’t understand the proper way of dealing with employees. It seems like a negative and nasty fact of working that an individual must accept these five habits are common on the workplace. If anything, this article makes clear that the only way to deal with these things is to develop a strategy. Overall, this article’s purpose is likely to reassure workers that there are indeed people out there who have experienced the same thing.
This article is just one of the many entertaining and informative offers written by Melissa Field, a well respected Associated Content writer who will soon celebrate a year with the company. At times sarcastic and at other times painfully real, 5 Habits of Highly Inefficient Bosses & Managers is a reminder that just about everyone has experienced a similar situation at work, but with the right strategy, the sting can be reduced to a mild irritation.
