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I’ve been in the workforce a long time – some 30 years plus. And during that time I’ve encountered my share of bosses who have had their own unique styles of managing.
In this first post of two that looks at how to earn the disrespect of your staff (and in a future post on how to earn their respect), I share my top ten ways to achieve this.
Of course there are other ways, so I’m inviting your contributions. Let’s see what we can generate collectively!
So here we go…
How to Get Your Staff to Disrespect (or even hate) You:
#10 – You’re the boss, and make sure that everyone knows it. Shared leadership is for sissies. Keep that ego well oiled
#9 – Speak to your staff through email; God forbid, don’t talk to them in person. What the heck is “Management by Walking Around?”
#8 – Keep your staff in the dark – keep ‘em guessing since it strengthens your hold on information and power
#7 – Don’t trust your staff’s judgement; you make all the decisions. After all, you’re the boss!
#6 – Constantly change your mind, leaving your staff confused as to what are the priorities
#5 – Have no sense of humor, especially not being able to poke fun at yourself
#4 – Laugh at others misfortunes or mistakes. Losers!
#3 – Micromanage your staff to death; double check everything they do, including rewriting their work reports, etc.
#2 – Assign tasks to staff that you would never consider doing yourself. If it involves, for example, having to deal with a known cranky customer or supplier, better have one of your subordinates do it.
Drumroll please…
#1 – Don’t stand behind your staff, even when they make a mistake; cover your own ass. Hey, people are expendable. What counts is your career advancement.
Okay, let’s have it folks. What have I missed in my top ten?
If you’re feeling a little bummed out after reading this list, check out my popular 10 Lessons for Aspiring Leaders to uplift your spirits.
Coming soon…10 Ways to Get Your Staff to Love – and Respect – You
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October 2, 2009 12:31 pm
I've got one: yell at them in public.
I had a boss who did this. She'd yell at her subordinates in the middle of the office, or in a cross-departmental meeting. It did not engender loyalty or respect.
October 2, 2009 12:44 pm
That's actually an excellent one, Kate. Seen that happen too often. When I was in my late twenties my boss didn't yell but he sure liked to humiliate us in front of people from other organizations during meetings. He thought it kept us on our toes. Go figure.
October 2, 2009 1:05 pm
Corollary to #8: Don't tell your staff how they're doing until you deliver their annual reviews, then drop the bomb.
October 2, 2009 1:24 pm
Oh, yeah. The old kick 'em in the pants when they're not expecting it routine.
October 2, 2009 2:35 pm
Passive aggressive sarcasm.
October 2, 2009 3:06 pm
I love this post! One of my bosses was horrible at handling customer complaints, and would yell at us when customers complain would about HIM. He would also prevent us from helping other departments because they had enough staff to do everything themselves. So my two points to add: Don't encourage teamwork and be a hypocrite [from your employees perspective].
October 12, 2009 7:41 pm
I love how an insecure boss will handle a new employee who is having problems. Instead of coming along side that person to see if they can be developed, the boss who strives to make your list will distance him/herself from that person and help them out the door.
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