The Boss and the Bossed

In case you’re not tracking on it, today is National Boss’s Day.  Most of us fall into both the “am a boss” and “have a boss” camps, so it’s a perfect time to delve into the boss-subordinate relationship.

Today’s economic turmoil should make for very interesting workplace dynamics.  During times of stress, it’s prime territory to find more of those “bosses from hell” stories that we all love.(Note: there are also “great bosses” stories out there but let’s be honest, they’re bo-ring, and what do you really learn from them?)

Anyone working for more than ten years has probably experienced the full spectrum of boss-types, good and bad.  In trying to be a good boss yourself, it’s helpful to explore your own relationships with the bosses of your past.  Which qualities and actions did you particularly appreciate?  Which ones disappointed or downright offended you? 

In my book, there are four major great boss “must haves”:  respect, empathy, accountability and vision. 

You know you’re in for a struggle if your boss treats people like Basil Fawlty does – fawning over the bigwigs and berating those considered of lower stature. If s/he doesn’t remember (or cannot fathom) how it feels to be in the trenches, and what the view is like from this perspective, it’s highly unlikely s/he can lead a team diverse enough to successfully accomplish a task.  The buck must stop with the boss – if not, it’s just so obscenely injust you don’t want to be anywhere near this person.  And if your boss doesn’t know where you’re going and how to communicate it –  well, forget about it.

     

Unfortunately, bad boss stories are generally read by victims and not by offenders. Thus valuable lessons are never learned, and bad behavior is perpetuated. 

On this Boss’s Day, here’s hoping you have the “bossest” of bosses and that you are the boss you’d want to have yourself.