Teach The Boss

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Any manager who has taken over from a previous manager, and inherited the negativity and damage that they caused on a team of people and a company, will benefit from what I am about to write. There are good managers and bad managers. I will address the bad ones here, and how to recognize some of the signs they leave in their wake. Then, what you can do to clean up the mess they made with the victims they leave behind.

The Bad Managers

Though they come in all shapes and sizes; and have various kinds of backgrounds; they all share in human nature. They have egos and emotions, and prejudices, and want to make more money, etc… They dress the part, talk the part, and walk the part. This is part of getting the job in the first place. They were probably excellent hourly employees, or had the academics and/or resume to make them a good candidate. But, once in the position true colors begin to emerge. Not to their upper management, but to their subordinates and maybe their peers who are lucky and wise.

Their upper management doesn’t ever find out about them until after the long term damage is done. They don’t want to believe they could have chosen badly; and especially don’t want anyone else to know they did. They are willing to believe anything the bad manager tells them. And the bad manager is a master of façade and evasion. The bad manager knows how to smooze and how to pass accountability, and how to take advantage of a set of circumstances and place them out of context.

The bad managers peers who are lucky, notice him because they are strong in the force of the workplace Jedi, and know a shark fin in the water when they see one. The rest fall victim to his charm and think that he is actually trying to help them. When in actuality, he has already convinced upper management that you need his help behind your back. When he calls you on the phone or invites you for lunch, he is seeking information to help himself and hopefully invoking you and others to talk positively about him. He loves his Rolodex, and is constantly on the phone working his network. Which is a good thing – but it’s this managers particular motives that are bad.

His subordinates are his truest victims. His only need for them is to get his work done and make him look good. He cuts their hours, but demands more productivity. He micro-manages them and makes them feel stupid and treats them like they are little kids. He has no respect for them and it shows. He gives the impression that employees are inferior since they somehow ended up working underneath him.
He makes excuses out of his employees by not missing an opportunity to document. He takes circumstances out of context and splits the proverbial hair to make it look like an employee is the cause of a sales drop or an accident. He makes every use he can of Write-ups and C.A.R.E forms (Corrective Action and Recorded Evaluation). He will brazenly call-them-out when upper management comes around to embarrass and discredit his subordinates. If you happen to be a subordinate he has talked to nicely, while getting you to help with tasks and projects – you can expect when it’s over that he will pull a move like this, to ensure you could never pose a threat of being his viable replacement.
But, also beware of the bad managers droogies. Bad managers, as bad as they are, still have suck-ups.

This is a generalized outline and not an exact list of commonalities amongst bad managers. But you get the idea. This is just a few of things they do over the long haul. So, how do you see them coming? How do you know them? Are there categories and/or types? This I will detail in future articles here at Teach The Boss. We are going to try and remedy the ills these bad managers have left behind in this article.

Symptoms

Productivity has diminished or what is being done is lack-luster. Attrition (Turn-over) is high. Staff that has been around a long time has been leaving. New staff members don’t stay very long at all. Complaints have been increasing. Excuses about it being the staffs fault are a constant. The employees talked to away from the manger all say the same things. People with excellent records, or at least a lot of promise before the bad managers’ arrival, suddenly head south records wise. Oh, and find the previous managers droogies (suck-ups). You can get an idea who they are when you do one-on-ones with other employees. But make sure no one is being victimized by a clique.

Best Solutions

First, come through the door as a real, smiling, sincere human being. Let them know that you are there to make life better for them and the company. Simply promise that you will at least do your best. Let them know who you are as a person. Tell them where you come from, and about your family and schools, etc… ask them to meet with you privately one-on-one and then later in a group meeting. When one-on-one and in the group; promise them they can really open up and tell you what they really think about their job, the company and their previous bosses. They must believe that you really will keep it confidential. And you should. You are building trust and a sense in them that you care. And you should this too. A lot of employees get jaded by companies they feel care nothing for them. Managers good and bad ARE the company in the eyes of the employees. So be real; and care; and; prove it.

Have an individual sit down with each employee and find out what motivates them and try to get them to re-focus their attention on the positive aspects of their jobs. Most times people get caught up with complaining about their position and they forget that their jobs provide much more than they realize (stability for family, paid vacation, health benefits, etc.) and if you can help them see the big picture and project a positive attitude daily then perhaps most of them will fall in line.

Providing your employees with bonuses and perks is a short term fix for a long term satisfaction issue - if you remove the small things that may be irritating your workforce you should see a better improvement than if you invested that effort into rewards.

Once your workforce starts to feel the blues they are very unlikely to go "up and beyond". Paying them more isn't likely to solve the problem after the grace period of the bigger pay check has worn off. Find those things done wrong by previous management and fix them, and you will be rewarded with smiles and efficiency more immediately. Reviews will come later, and you can get a better R.O.I. after you fix the other things that made them miserable. But, be sure, the bad manager never gave those fair raises; only his excuses and criticism to avoid doing it.

A damn good and effective technique that I learned from a mentor few years ago was to focus on what really motivates staff personally…usually outside of work. Then focus on helping them achieve their goals in this area, whether it was to become bilingual, dance, or play a sport better, or especially spend better time with their families. Helping them make it to their kids ball games, etc..

Once they have the understanding that you are "for them", then they will be "for you", and will walk through walls for you. NOT for the company, but for YOU.

Hard Solutions

Your next job will be to figure out which team member is spreading the cancer within the group and alienate that team member and ax them. These will be the former bosses’ droogies and suck-ups. You are running a business not a daycare. Managing people is challenging and the efforts required to be successful are consistency, patience with people and a satisfaction that comes from within on their part, remember to hold them accountable as well as yourself.

Identify the people on the two extremes - The most cynical and the most energetic. Your handling of these two extremes will determine the probability of your success.

The most energetic ones would often be either low on experience or would be sitting at the margins of a discouraging environment. Look for ideas, suggestions, and “trigger points" from these people. If you find them capable of taking up change leadership roles, do not hesitate in doing so.

On the other hand, it is likely that the most cynical ones are the most experienced / influential. After all, fish begins to rot at the head. Often "change management" means "change of management"! You would need to handle this set of people in a firm/decisive yet fair manner. While doing so, you need to ensure the rest of the team understands your perspective and supports you. Your change agents will help you make inroads into the rest of the team.

Conclusion

Be sure that before taking over a troubled department or location of your company that you clarify with your bosses reasonable expectations and time frames. Especially time frames. It isn’t your fault that a previous manger wasn’t up to the task. And, the repercussions from a bad manager will still be felt for several months until all your efforts to counter have fully kicked in. There will be a lag period and not instant results. First, make sure they know that the most immediate return will be from focusing on the people there within the department first. Then, once they are full heartedly back in the game, higher quality results can be gained sooner from without.

You must – I repeat, MUST – be a leader and not simply a dictator. Roll your sleeves up and let them see that you work too. And that you’ll scrub the toilet just like anyone else. Manage by example. Leaders are called leaders because they are out front.

You must also prove to them that they can believe and trust in you. Keep your word to them. Always remember that they have a life outside of work and respect it. And find ways of planning into your management of the team, and of the department time for a kid’s ball game or piano recital, etc…

Start with the good things listed above; but bare I mind that the bad things like axing someone you need to do as soon as possible. Don’t hesitate. If you’re ever going to do it at all do it fast and get it over with.

Please Comment

I hope this brief article helps someone. If you have any questions or would like to add your insight or oppositional views - then please, please comment here. I would love to here what you have to say.

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