05.12.2024

10 INVISIBLE BUT CUNNING BOSS TRAPS AND HOW TO AVOID THEM

I'm listening to your suggestions, says the boss, leaning back in his chair. You, his subordinates, are expected to take the initiative and give ideas on how the new task can be carried out more effectively.

To shine, colleague X immediately takes the floor and says things that will make it difficult for the whole team. The boss just listens, doesn't dismiss the lunatics. You can't stand it, you come into conflict with colleague X and a heated argument begins.

This is an example of how the boss sets an invisible trap that can have quite unpleasant consequences. It doesn't matter why he does it - whether it's because he believes that in controversy comes truth, as the popular cliché goes, or because he likes competition among his subordinates, even in such a crude form. What is important for you is not to fall into the trap of aloofness, worsen your relationship with your colleague and spoil your professional reputation.

Keep your cool, don't antagonize X. First, it's not your job, it's the boss's. Second, the fact that he is silent does not mean that he agrees with the proposals. Maybe he gives everyone a chance to voice their opinions, then he'll make decisions and announce them to the team. So speak your mind without getting into a confrontation with X. Otherwise, although you oppose him in the interest of work, you may gain a reputation as a conflicted person who is unable to listen calmly to others.

There are bosses who like to play democracy not only by brainstorming and listening to all kinds of opinions. This other kind leaves their subordinates to negotiate potentially explosive issues on their own. For example, how to distribute unpleasant tasks or who should go on vacation when.

In general, a good manager should not act like this when he knows that his people may strain their relationship. Creating an organization is one of his primary job description functions. Yours is clearly not one of the good ones, but don't fall into his pseudo-democratic trap. Suggest that your colleagues each write down their holiday preferences, for example. And let the boss make a schedule. In this way, it will be clear who to be angry with and the collegial atmosphere will not be spoiled.

Such a boss very often tries to avoid decisions in which he is not sure, in order to avoid responsibility in the event of failure. He presents himself as a leader who is a master of delegation. Does not control every step of the team. It sets a goal and is interested in the end result, while allowing employees to take initiative and determine how to get the job done.

Delegation is commendable if it is not a trap that the boss sets to make his subordinates guilty. In fact, he is a dishonest person. Usually, such a management style is not tolerated for long when there are superiors above him. But if there are none or they are far away, try to protect yourself by asking for specifically formulated responsibilities, rights, instructions, approval from the manager for everything you do. It's best to have them in writing and keep them to yourself. Otherwise, the so-called being delegated by a dishonest boss will stunt your career.

In this regard, be careful with a leader who is subject to impatience. At first glance, it seems very good not to have long meetings. But if the issues are not clarified to them and everyone starts doing whatever and as much as they understand, the risk of the work getting stuck is very high. Without going into too much detail, find a way to check that you have correctly understood exactly what is expected of you.

The fifth trap is to have a boss who does not want to shirk responsibility or is not in a hurry, but is not the pinnacle of communication. The guy just doesn't know how to explain well enough for his employees to get clear direction about the work and the end results they are expected to achieve.

Excellent communication skills are usually an important criterion for choosing whether an excellent professional can also be an excellent manager. But it happens that the consideration prevails that he knows how to make the team productive, and his subordinates will somehow learn to understand him. Well try to do it. One way to deal with a vaguely verbal boss is to say, "Let's sum up what we should do," and repeat succinctly what you think he ordered.

An imperceptible trap is set by a boss who forces subordinates into partnership roles. That sounds great, but it's bad when he assumes that employees have as much information as he does and that they see the big picture. Very often this is not the case for a variety of reasons, including the fact that a leadership position gives a much better knowledge of the goals of the entire company. So try to make your tasks as clear as possible without worrying about appearing incompetent. However, you and your boss are not partners, you have very specific places in the company's hierarchy.

The situation is similar with a manager who is overly focused on accessibility. His door is always open because he does not experience himself as a big boss. You know that you are not his equal, but you are tempted to make the most of his experience and every hour you run to consult him.

The trap here is that you are not used to making independent decisions at your level. As much as you benefit from the boss's experience, so does the damage to your development. And remember, you're probably making a bad impression. Approachable, approachable, but he's your boss, not your nanny.

A risk-averse boss is, in a sense, convenient. On the trodden paths of caution, he and his team do their work and achieve the expected results. But with such a boss, you will not conquer dizzying successes. Also, you won't learn how to make bold decisions from it. Which is not very promising for your professional development.

A leader is a double-edged sword when he is in the grip of modesty. He does not promote himself and does not belittle the contributions of his subordinates. But at a higher level in the company, this unwillingness or inability to step into the spotlight can lead to an underestimation of the merits of the entire department he leads. Because of the art of self-promotion, other directors give the impression that they and their people have given much more to the overall success, which brings the corresponding material bonuses or praise.

There seems to be nothing to object to the principle that governs the boss. Naturally, a good leader must be honorable, fair, have values ​​and morals. Without making compromises with them, however, he also needs flexibility. A key skill for a manager is the ability to adapt his management style to different conditions and circumstances. Too much linearity can be harmful because it prevents him and the team from adapting to change.

Sometimes it is also dangerous for relationships. At first glance, straightness makes the boss predictable to his subordinates and is a guarantee that he treats them equally. But it can also lead to the point that people never admit their mistakes, because the principle of the boss is always to punish. Flexibility means forgiving a mistake that a subordinate has made unintentionally or with good intentions but poor judgment. In such a case, it is much more important to draw the right conclusions so that the mistake is not repeated than to impose a punishment.

For the last three traps, the advice is the same - look around to see if there's room for a boss who likes challenges more, can sell better, and isn't rigidly straight-laced.