Do You Have a Boss from Hell?
If you are wondering why your stomach churns in a knot each Monday morning as you start what you always imagined was your ‘dream job’, you may be working for a Bully rather than a Manager.
If your team experiences low productivity, employees will not make decisions, you have a high turnover and the general morale or your office is low, YOU may be a Bully rather than a Manager.
Manager |
Bully |
Leader |
Bully, coward |
Decisive |
Random, impulsive |
Has a good appreciation of short, medium and long term needs, goals and strategy |
Rigidly short term, often no more than 24 hours |
Accepts responsibility |
Abdicates responsibility |
Shares credit |
Plagiarises, takes all the credit |
Acknowledges failings |
Denies failings, always blames others |
Learns from experience and applies knowledge gained from experience to improve business, communication, language and interpersonal skills |
Has a learning blindness, cannot apply knowledge gained from experience except how to be more devious, manipulative, and how to better evade accountability |
Consistent |
Inconsistent, random, impulsive |
Fair, treats all equally |
Inconsistent, always critical, singles people out, shows favouritism |
Respectful and considerate |
Disrespectful and inconsiderate |
Seeks and retains people more knowledgeable and experienced than self |
Favours weaker employees, recruits henchmen and toadying types |
Values others |
Unable to value, constantly devalues others |
Includes everyone |
Includes and excludes people selectively |
Leads by example |
Dominates, sets a poor example |
Truthful |
Economical, uses distortion and fabrication |
Confident |
Insecure, arrogant |
Behaviourally mature |
Behaviourally immature |
Emotionally mature, high EQ (emotional intelligence) |
Emotionally immature, very low EQ (emotional intelligence) |
Good interpersonal skills |
Poor interpersonal skills |
Good etiquette |
Poor etiquette |
Balanced objectivity |
Exclusive self-interest |
Cares about staff, the business, etc |
Cares only about self |
Respects clients |
Is contemptuous of clients |
Gets on well with people at all levels and from all backgrounds |
Identifies only with clones of himself or herself |
Assertive |
Aggressive |
Delegates |
Dumps |
Builds team spirit |
Divisive, uses manipulation and threat |
Uses influencing skills |
Alienates, divides, creates fear and uncertainty |
Motivates |
Demotivates |
Listens, guides, instructs |
Tells |
Has high expectations (that staff will do well) |
Has low expectations of everybody |
Shares fairly |
Controls and subjugates |
Shares information freely |
Withholds information, releases selectively, uses information as a weapon |
Always strives for clarity |
Revels in confusion, divide and rule etc |
Allows and trusts people to get on with the job |
Constantly interfering, dictating and controlling |
Only addresses genuine performance issues and then focuses on performance and behaviour |
Makes false claims about alleged underperformance and focuses on the person, not behaviour or performance |
Focused on the future |
Obsessed with the past |
Respected |
Loathed |
Sets a good example |
Sets a bad example |
Has good moral code and moral integrity |
Amoral behaviour, no integrity |
Has honesty and integrity |
Exhibits hypocrisy and duplicity |
Rarely uses the disciplinary procedures |
Frequently imposes verbal warnings and written warning without justification |
Willie Van Heerden of WJVH Labour and HR Consultant has vast experience working with one of the largest work forces in the country and senior managers and can offer expert advice for both Bully Boss or Victim Employee.
Telephone: +27(0)832613348
Email: willievanheerden3@gmail.com
Expert Advice for Employees and Managers
Business Coach for the Entrepreneur in Ballito and Durban. Business coaching for small business & entrepreneurs with business seminars and workshops