We can often learn more from seeing how NOT to do something than from seeing it modeled perfectly. In the summer of 2011, I had just such an experience as I headed down to Panama City for 6 weeks with a Christian campus ministry group. The time was to be spent learning about God and growing in our faith. Part of the deal was that we would get jobs in PCB and work those throughout the time there. As it played out, my job was working in the kitchen/poolside grill at a chain hotel. 

One day during the 5th week, I was asked by a supervisor to go retrieve some fish filets from the kitchen and bring them outside to the grill. They were sealed in packets and packed in ice, so I put the container on a cart and hauled them out as requested. Upon walking into the grill, I looked back and saw the head chef storming my direction. “Uh oh, this can’t be good” I thought. This boss had been part of a number of negative encounters with me and other college students over the past weeks. Day to day, he could either be in a fantastic mood or a terrible one, and on the bad days he would verbally degrade employees and make fun of us while comparing us to himself. 

As I moved the fish into the grill, he stomped up and started flying off the handle about the way that I was apparently improperly transporting the product. He hollered that he wasn’t going to put up with this type of bad attitude and that I was being fired from my job. He instructed his assistant to escort me to the edge of the property, take my Hawaiian work shirt from off my back, and then send me on my way. “WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!”.

What lessons can be learned, both by bosses and employees, from the time that I got fired?

Two Lessons for Bosses:

1. Take Full Ownership- Had I been a lax employee with a bad attitude, it would have still been this boss’s responsibility because he interviewed, selected, and hired me. Even after hiring, he would have had the ability to evaluate my performance and give me feedback each day in an effort to help me improve. On top of this, the chef could have invested the needed time training myself and other employees on even the basics of food safety, something which was completely neglected. A boss cannot expect employees to know things that are specific to their business without proper training and coaching. As former Navy Seal Jocko Willink says, a leader must take 100% responsibility for any and every failure that occurs on their watch. In reality, it IS the leader’s fault when anyone is allowed to perform under par over time. Do you see something that is not up to standard in your organization? Bad news, it’s YOUR RESPONSIBILITY! Take ownership and do something about it!
2. Be Consistent- There’s nothing worse than a “bipolar boss”. One minute they are kidding around and positive, then the next they are on the warpath. On Monday they are riding everyone’s case, then on Tuesday they are cool as a cucumber. This confuses people and leads them to work out of fear and play it safe. People move into self-protection mode because of the possibility of stepping on a landmine at any moment. It’s not a question of whether or not you as a boss are generally on good behavior. If you act aggressively and negatively, even just a couple of times, people will be terrified. When a leader observes a mistake, which will happen, they should immediately point it out kindly but candidly. Overall as a boss, you should aim to be clear, communicative, respectful of direct reports, and very consistent. This will help your organization reach its objectives more effectively. But it will also help you avoid the mistake of creating a toxic work culture for employees. Good bosses work hard to avoid making the lives of their employees WORSE because of the job environment that they create. 

Two Lessons for Employees:

1. Choose a Boss Wisely- The most powerful quote that I have ever heard goes as follows: “When you hold hire/fire power over someone, you hold the keys to their psychological kingdom”. I couldn’t agree more with what Jeff Hunter is sharing in this thought. As an employee, be aware of this phenomenon and then CAREFULLY select who you will work for. When we say boss, this most specifically refers to the person who you will directly report to, aka your direct supervisor. After choosing a good boss, work hard to not “give your keys away” to an unhealthy degree. Thinking back on the summer of 2011, I don’t think I gave my keys away to this chef too much. But had I been in a situation of choosing a longer-term job and getting a feel for the type of boss that he would be, I’m certain I would have chosen to take a job elsewhere. 
2. Take Full Ownership- Understand that even if you do something 95% right, the other 5% still has a negative impact on your boss, a coworker, or a customer. Take full responsibility for any aspect of your work that does not meet spec. When you do this and make quick adjustments so as to avoid the same mistakes over time, any reasonable person will thank you and move on to the next thing. Mistakes and failures will happen every once in a while. Take responsibility for your actions, but be sure not to fall into a death spiral of dwelling on small mistakes.

One tangible action FOR BOSSES:

Assess whether or not you are a boss who takes ownership and is consistent. One easy way to do this is to ask people who work for you who you trust. You might have to do this anonymously, via Google form for example.

Pro Tip FOR EMPLOYEES:

In job interviews, ask great questions about the culture and the person/people who you will directly report to. Get a sense of the boss’s strengths, weaknesses, what they like, what they dislike, what type of employee thrives under them, etc. Don’t come off as demanding, but do your due diligence to ensure that you are giving your keys to a fair, helpful person in a good company so that your life will be better for having chosen to work there.