Dealing with Incompetent Bosses

I’ll tell you what, nothing sucks more than dealing with an incompetent boss. I should know, I work with one everyday on Things People Hate (…kidding, we all love the master of TPH). But in all seriousness, some people have to go to work five days a week for some jerk-off who thinks he knows how to run a business.

This post is in honor of those people.

AskMen.com recently had an article about dealing with incompetent bosses. It was so good that I figured I would share it with you all on TPH.

10 bucks if you can figure out which one is Michael Scott.

The Corporate Bully

Characteristics: Rude and drunk with power, corporate bullies will go out of their way to humiliate you in front of clients, colleagues and, of course, their own superiors. Their management strategy consists of making condescending remarks during performance reviews and threatening to fire you every time there’s a problem, whether or not you’re at fault.

How to handle this incompetent boss: Dealing with incompetent bosses like the corporate bully can be challenging. The trick is to fly under your supervisor’s radar while drawing attention from the higher ups. Always stand up for yourself, but be subtle about it — a disapproving look can go a long way — and find a mentor who can expose you to new opportunities as well as shield you from your manager’s temper tantrums.

The Micromanager

Characteristics: Everyone is familiar with the saying: “If you want something done right, do it yourself.” Micromanagers live by it, nitpicking every aspect of your work, including the number of seconds by which you deviated from your scheduled break. Granted, they provide great support if you don’t mind having someone constantly checking on your progress, but if you value your independence, you’re in trouble.

How to handle this incompetent boss: When dealing with incompetent bosses of the sort, it’s important you never appear as if you’re trying to usurp their authority. Micromanagers are typically insecure, so it’s best to keep them apprised of all your actions. However, only do so after the fact. The idea is to give your supervisor the illusion of control while remaining reasonably autonomous.

The Office Politician

Characteristics: Cowardly and duplicitous, office politicians always put their needs over those of the team. They may act like your best friend, but they’ll stab you in the back the minute you get too chummy with senior management. Broken promises, misinformation and stolen ideas are all par for the course when dealing with incompetent bosses of this kind.

How to handle this incompetent boss: The best way to protect yourself against an office politician is to communicate in writing. That way, all your questions, requests and proposals become official record. If your boss tries to finalize the agreement verbally, follow it up with an e-mail confirmation, making sure to CC at least one other person in the company.

The Senior Enforcer

Characteristics: Usually promoted because of seniority, this type of boss is devoid of common sense, following procedures to the letter and shutting down every effort to innovate. Terrified of making a decision, senior enforcers also have trouble with the notion that maintaining employee morale is among their duties, so don’t expect any sort of flexibility.

How to handle this incompetent boss: It’s important you remain solution-minded when dealing with incompetent bosses, especially those lacking initiative. However, keep in mind that senior enforcers are notoriously resistant to change, so don’t bother introducing any groundbreaking ideas until you have a few allies ready to back you up. It’s also best to wait for a large meeting before making your proposal.

More incompetent bosses and advice for dealing with them after the jump…

The Drama Queen

Characteristics: The term refers to managers of any gender who spend most of their day complaining, turning every mild inconvenience into a full-blown problem. Self-centered, disruptive and incapable of forethought, they reject the most obvious solutions just to prolong the situation and make every confrontation personal. Drama queens are never satisfied.

How to handle this incompetent boss: Don’t let yourself get sucked in by all the negativity. It’s crucial you remain positive and solution-minded, offering your counsel in private, so as not to offend your supervisor. Another way of dealing with incompetent bosses like this is to ignore their tantrums. Avoid eye contact whenever possible, and schedule your breaks according to their peak complaining hours.

The Silent Strategist

Characteristics: Silent strategists often make the workplace unbearable because you can’t tell where you stand with them. They rarely provide feedback and tend to make important executive decisions without informing their staff, relying on a select few to carry out their master plan. As a result, the left hand never knows what the right one is doing.

How to handle this incompetent boss: Dealing with incompetent bosses of this sort can be unnerving, but it’s important you keep your paranoia in check. Silent strategists usually don’t realize what they’re doing wrong, so don’t be afraid to voice your concerns and share your innovative ideas. You may become part of your supervisor’s inner circle and bring about real improvements.