Boss and Workplace Issues

When your boss talks to you, do you learn something? Or do you learn nothing and suspect that your boss is either trying to hide something from you or is just ignorant? 

If you’ve never had a boss who teaches, and you don’t know what that would look like, listen to a speech by President Obama. Every time he talks to us, we learn something. He’s not trying to keep us in the dark, he’s trying to help us understand the impact of our actions. Do you appreciate knowing? Take this desire to the workplace. 

This is what a good boss does. If you’re not learning useful things from your boss, ask yourself how many years you’re willing to stagnate. Now go on job interviews, even if you’re not looking for a new job -- go just to find out what other bosses are like, to gauge how well-off you really are in your current job. Interview potential bosses--as they interview you. Listen for the ones who teach. Do you learn something? Do you like it? 

When you see the difference, you may change your life.

Want to learn how to be a good boss? Just watch President Barack Obama. 

Pay particular attention to his focus on transparency. To his openness to new ideas--from any source. To his enforcement of ethics.  

His methods could fix an ailing America. Or an ailing soul.

Illinois Governor, Rod Blagojevich, was caught on tape, in his own words, abusing the authority granted to him as a representative of the citizens--trying to sell a political appointment to the US Senate for his personal gain. 

If such blatantly unethical, abusive behavior happens at this level, why would anyone doubt that bad bosses, all the way down the hierarchy, do the same thing with their authority? 

If you’ve reported to a boss who behaves like Blagojevich, you’re not at all surprised. Just sick to your stomach all over again, and wishing you could have recorded your slimy manager--but it was illegal for you to do so. 

On the other hand, if you know anyone who tells you about the nightmare in which s/he lives with a bad boss, now you have reason to start paying attention and stop pretending it can’t really be happening. 

The investigators in this case said that the public must speak up to help them stop criminal behavior. That’s how democracy can work. But, sadly, workplaces operate outside of democracy--where you can be punished for trying to stop criminal behavior in your employer’s organization. 

Values in our country have shifted from “do no harm” to “don’t get caught doing harm.” Perhaps we’ll get back some day.

Labels: bad boss, Blagojevich, democracy, ethics

In these challenging economic times, it may be difficult to choose a gift for those who’ve been struck by job loss. This is not the time to think about luxury items. It can be depressing to receive a new gee-whiz electronic gadget when you don’t know how you’re going to put food in the fridge or gas in the car. Practical gifts that don’t look or feel like charity can be most appreciated. Here are a few suggestions.

Gift cards

Gift cards allow people to make their own decisions, which helps maintain their dignity during difficult times. Wrap gift cards in a big box to create a festive holiday feeling.

1. Warehouse-store cards (BJ’s; Costco; Sam’s Club; etc.). These allow recipients to obtain items ranging from pharmaceuticals to food; books; office supplies; and luxury products. Include a membership with this gift if the recipient does not already have one to the club you choose.

2. Discount-store cards, to stores with a wide variety of items including food; clothing; and housewares (Target; Walmart; etc.), allow people a wide range of use to stretch their budget or enjoy a little splurge.

3. Sundry-store cards to corner stores like CVS and Walgreens provide a wide range of buying options.

4. Pet-store cards can relieve the guilt of caring for a pet when it can be hard to care for the family--and keep a family from surrendering its pet to a shelter. Pets help relieve stress for the whole family.

Memberships

Memberships to service organizations that offer discounts can provide a sense of security. 

5. Auto clubs, such as AAA, can provide peace of mind in the event car-towing or a battery-charge is needed. These services are free to members. Often, membership discounts are available for other products and services too, like eyeglasses and insurance.

6. Food-of-the-month clubs can be found that deliver items ranging from meats (Omaha Steaks) to fruit (Harry & David) and other items (http://www.monthclubstore.com). You can specify the number of months and keep the pick-me-up of gifts coming on a regular basis.

7. Children’s day-care or play-care organizations offer free time for parents to concentrate on job searching. Check the reputation and references of any provider you consider.

Services

Some things must get done--and its good not to have to think about them.

8. Prepaid cell phones can help people stay connected and, perhaps, give up the cost of a land line.

9. Transportation tickets (bus; train; shuttle) can help city dwellers get around easily.

10. Prepaid grooming and cleaning services (haircuts; dry cleaning; laundry) are useful. Think about including a bunch of dollar bills for tip-giving.

11. Prepaid babysitting or day care for dependent adults are helpful. You can make up coupons for you to provide these services, too.

12. Prepaid utilities (gas; electric, cable TV) can relieve budgeting burdens.

Entertainment

Recreation is important for clearing the mind of worries--even if only for a little while. 

13. Memberships to video stores and video delivery services.

14. Tickets to a show; concert; sporting event; or cultural event/venue.

15. A fully-supplied picnic basket with prepaid entrance fees to a park.

These gifts may not be fun for you to buy, but they’ll be used; appreciated; and remembered. 

Want a lesson in corporate wiggling-out-of-responsibility? Watch the C-span video of AIG’s just-in-time-former-executives, Martin Sullivan and Robert Willumstad, at their House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing held on Tuesday.

You might think they learned their interview techniques from just-in-time-former-Attorney-General Alberto Gonzales. But, no, this is just the corporate way. Look for these five techniques: 

1. Never admit guilt

2. Never answer a question directly

3. Never veer off of a carefully-crafted, corporate-attorney-prepared script

4. Never tell the whole truth

5. Always imply that the interviewer is ignorant

They think they're so much smarter than the rest of us that, after we bail them out, they thumb their noses in our faces by spending almost half-a-million of the bailout money on an exclusive vacation. As if they deserve it. And in addition to the huge bonuses they walk away with.

Now that we’ve seen even more examples bad corporate bosses managing investor's money, and felt the pain collectively, doesn't that make us want to run out and invest our money in the economic gas chamber of corporate stocks?  

Labels: AIG, Alberto Gonzales, House Overisight and Government Reform Committe, Martin Sullivan, Robert Willumstad

Every reporter who interviews me about bad bosses asks the same question:

“Why do they do it?”

My answer? 

“The JIG.”

“Huh?”

Jealousy 

Insecurity

Greed

Yes, bosses can be jealous of the people who report to them because employees are better liked; better looking; more confident; more capable; etc. And bosses can be insecure  because they didn’t earn their job; don’t have the skills for it; don’t do it; etc. And bosses can be greedy when they want more than they deserve; more than they earn; more than their brother/sister/neighbor/colleague has. 

Eliminate these three frailties from humanity, and workplace evil will disappear. But how? Some have mocked me for suggesting that newly-promoted managers get sent to therapy, but that’s the only way to get a person to change her/his personality--maybe. But, in addition to being unreliable, that's costly.

So does this mean we have to accept workplace evil? No! Absolutely not! All we have to do is stop letting bad bosses get away with it--by holding them accountable for managing the managers who report to them. They do it when they want to fire an employee--careful documentation of an employee’s performance. So where’s the documentation on all the people who are not being fired? The documentation that indicates the boss in managing those people?  The point of managing people is that one person can help 10 others achieve more than that one person can achieve alone. But managers don’t like to manage people--and no one’s holding them accountable for doing it. 

And...employees aren’t going to sue employers for letting them keep their jobs.

In a survey of over 900 managers, 70% chose “Mom” as the leader they most admire. Who else made in onto their lists? Not their bosses. Not their department or group heads. Not their CEO. In fact, no one from their workplace got mentioned as an admired leader. 

These managers developed a workplace leadership model, during facilitated workshops, based on the characteristics of “good” mothers. Not surprisingly, their model differs from other leadership models that are written by people at the top levels of organizations, like CEO’s and their favorite academic consultants. A significant difference between those top-down models and this new bottom-up leadership model is the assessment of a leader’s intention. Of special note: employees (including managers) use this bottom-up leadership model to evaluate management in every interacation. 

Their story is told in the book, “Kissing the Corporate Frog: An Enlightening Story about Leadership Traits 21st Century Employers Admire and Respect.”  Chapter 1 is available for free online at http://www.bigbadboss.com/BAD_LEADERSHIP.html.

Labels: bottom up leadership, leadership, mom, mothers, new leadership model, working mothers