In 18 years as part of the workforce, I have encountered a wide range of bosses. Fortunately, the two guys that I have worked for over the past 10+ years definitely fall into the category of “good bosses”. In contrast, the former boss list also includes:

-A guy who would sit in the truck and watch us work, until his boss arrived and then would scramble out and pretend to be working himself.

-A guy who randomly fired me. 

-A guy who would place trash on the floor and then would time how long it took someone to pick it up.

It is the boss’s responsibility to uphold a high personal standard so that employees can generally say that he or she is a good boss to work for. And while some will end up being bosses, EVERYONE will be a direct report for significant portions of their work lives. Based on my experience, there are a few main mistakes that employees can make as they relate to their bosses.

Two Mistakes

1. Overinflation – Exaggerating beyond what is appropriate. As Jeff Hunter says, “When you hold hire/fire power over someone, you hold the keys to that person’s psychological kingdom”. While this is always true to some extent, some employees turn their keys over to an unhealthy level! They spend countless hours worrying about what the boss will think of it, and speaking/acting in a way that they hope will impress their superior. The focus for these employees is not on doing good work or accomplishing organizational objectives. Instead, they work to avoid getting in trouble while displaying people-pleasing tendencies. Often, this type of employee suffers from insecurities that were formed earlier on in life, and the boss is unfairly expected to fill large emotional gaps. Instead of being treated like another person, bosses can be turned into figures that are largely overinflated.
2. Indifference – Lacking interest or concern. While mistake #1 is the unhealthiest, the mistake of indifference is just downright confusing! The employees who function this way are hired and paid to do a specific job for a specific reason. A boss has been placed alongside them to remove barriers and help them do the best job possible. In response, these employees act in a few unwise ways. First, some treat the boss like a college buddy…just someone to hangout around and shoot the breeze with. Second, some treat the boss like a vending machine…just constantly asking for things that they want. Third and perhaps worst of all, some just treat the boss like an annoying inconvenience…complaining about healthy accountability and huffing and puffing when asked to do basic functions of the paid job. Instead of being followed, bosses can be ignored and treated with indifference in the workplace.

In Closing

As I have shared before, the key to many things in life is maintaining proper balance. This is certainly the case in how a person exists with their boss. Too much of a miss, in either direction, leads to problems. Maintain balance, follow best practices, and help yourself, your boss, and your organization WIN TOGETHER! 

Which of the two mistakes are you prone to make? What adjustments can be made to move things back towards equilibrium?