Ten defenses against an incompetent boss
My boss tells us that we should not be yes-men by encouraging us to challenge his ideas. However, we feel that this is a ploy to hide his incompetence, allowing him to blame someone later on in case of a major blooper. What can I do to protect myself from his wicked ways? – Overly Cautious.
A woman who was preparing to entertain guests went to a grocery to buy food. She stopped at a meat counter and asked the attendant for a large chicken. He reached down into the cold storage compartment, grabbed the last chicken he had, and placed it on the scale. “This one weighs four pounds, Ma’am,” he said.
“I’m not sure that will be enough,” the customer replied. “Don’t you have a bigger one?”
The attendant put the chicken back into the compartment, pretended to search through the melting ice for another, and then brought out the same bird, while discreetly applying some finger pressure to the scale.
“Ah,” the storekeeper said with a smile. “This one weighs six pounds.”
The woman frowned: “I’m not sure if that’s enough for my guests. Anyway, I’ll take both chickens.”
Someday, somehow, deception will be discovered and that would be disastrous for the offender. This rings true for your work relationship with your incompetent boss, who may be protecting himself for a future mistake.
If you fail to clarify the boss’s instructions and proceed right away in accordance with your own understanding of what he wants, then that could spell disaster for you. On the other hand, if the boss asks you to do something and you don’t bring up your current workload of more important tasks, then it’s likely that you’ll get your priorities wrong.
Therefore, what counts is your ability to be smart about handling those
difficult situations. Here are some strategies you can use to protect you from a deceptive boss:
One, clarify things. Record the exchanges via email or SMS, so you can refer back to his instructions in case of any doubt. Do this when you’re given a complex verbal instruction and you’re not sure if you’ve understood it correctly. Two, propose a better way of doing things. As long as your proposal is both efficient and effective, then I’m sure no one, including your boss, can argue against it. It’s always advisable to offer alternative solutions even to a toxic boss. Three, ask for authority to pursue action when necessary. There are times that your boss may not be around to make decisions. That alone is a good reason to be empowered to a certain degreed. Four, develop a reputation for reliable work performance. If you’re a good worker and the organization knows it, no one, even the most difficult boss, could possibly undermine you. One or two mistakes
won’t derail you if you have a track record of excellence. Five, show initiative in discovering issues and providing solutions.
Don’t worry if certain things are not part of your job description. Many people will credit you with a “can do” attitude if you’re not the type who quibbles over whether or not you’re overworked or underpaid. Six, volunteer for projects that give you the chance to show your
talent. But not to the point of neglecting your primary duties. Making your talents known to a wide range of other ranking managers could help increase your chances of career success. Seven, prioritize working on tasks that are valued by your boss.
It’s not you who will decide what’s important or not, even if you have an incompetent boss. Just the same, seek a positive balance between the two, or else reconcile them to enjoy the best of both worlds, without incurring the ire of your boss. Eight, make an extra effort to be polite even to an incompetent boss.
It’s difficult, but that’s one way for you
not to be the subject of the boss’s first attack. Being courteous to people is a reflection of your character as a person, not the other way around. It also gives you the advantage over other workers who don’t show this kind of respect. Nine, establish both social and professional relationships with the boss. This is generally welcome in any organization. It will broaden your horizons and helps you understand the situation of your boss and other workers. What at first may seem strange to you could quickly become a positive experience. Last, admit mistakes when they
are clearly your fault. It’s the best way to disarm a toxic boss. Be honest and emphasize what you’re doing to correct the issue. Don’t delay. Outline a clear action plan to prevent it from happening again. Reasonable people will generally calm down when they see your readiness to accept responsibility.
ELBONOMICS: Frequent excuses can’t lead to a lasting solution.