The Worst Boss Ever?

By Jack Francis of "The New Managers Club"
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I am often asked for advice on the direction a person’s
career should take. Rather than ask the questioner to
describe their "best" job (which most people find hard to
specify), I’ve found it of more benefit to ask them to tell
me about their worst job - real or imagined.

By analyzing what they find "bad" in these worst jobs, it’s
possible to identify the qualities which they are really
looking for in a "best" job. For example, if their worst
job has a rigid dress code then maybe they should be looking
for an occupation where they can dress casually.

Similarly, when advising managers on the qualities and
skills they should develop, I often ask them to describe
their "worst" boss. Highlighting the errors and faults of
these bad managers, provides useful guidance on the areas
where a manager can improve and what they should aspire to.

"G.W." was my worst boss ever. Before you get too excited,
let me tell you that this "G.W." did not originate from the
Lone Star state. This is not a revelation of presidential
indiscretions or failings.

My "G.W." was the manager of the audit group I was assigned
to when I first started training to be an accountant with
one of the major accounting firms.

My most enduring memory of "G.W." is of his lack of cheer and
good humor. I don’t think I ever heard him laugh and have no
recollection of him even smiling. He was such a miserable
man.

If there is any event that should bring a smile to your
face, it’s the arrival of your firstborn. I was in the
office on the day "G.W.’s" wife gave birth to their first
child. On the day in question, we’d anticipated the happy
news because "G.W." was untypically late in arriving.

So did "G.W." come into the office beaming with an unusual
smile? Did he regale everyone in sight with the wonders of
his newly born daughter? Did he chuckle over recollections
of how cute she was? He did not.

"G.W." just walked into his office as usual, without making
a remark to anyone. It was two or three hours after his
arrival and only after his assistant asked him a direct
question that we received confirmation of his good news.
Just the basic facts though; gender, time of birth, weight
etc. And still not a smile!

So, are humor and cheerfulness qualities that managers
should aspire to? I would argue that they are. There’s a lot
of talk nowadays about how we, as managers, can improve our
staff’s commitment and loyalty to our organizations. There
is a call for us to be leaders.

Surely a first step can be as simple as having a regular
smile or revealing our humanity in the form of humor. I am
not suggesting that managers become office jesters - not at
all. But if we are as cheerless as "G.W", how can we expect
our team to believe that what we are doing is worthwhile,
that we enjoy our work and that they can find it fun and
worthwhile too?

Certainly "G.W" did not convince me and I transferred to
another accounting firm to complete my training.

Why not take some time and write down a description of your
worst boss? Go into some detail and give examples of the
qualities and behaviors which made them a bad manager.
Consider what you need to do in order to avoid being rated a
"worst boss".
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Jack Francis is a management consultant and with his
business partner, Elizabeth Best co-founded The New Managers
Club - a great source of practical advice and training
materials for anyone new to management or starting a new
management job.

Have a look at their EXCLUSIVE "Starter Pack"  - you'll be glad you did!


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