Five Lessons I Learned from Bad Managers

Five Lessons I Learned from Bad Managers I think (and hope) I speak for all of us. We hate working for bad people. I have heard it many times in my career, from co-workers running for the exit: “People do not quit their jobs. They quit bad managers.” It is not about money, benefits, or the tasks. What is a manager? To me, managers focus on tasks, metrics, reports, and business processes. The emphasis is business operations. The non-human pieces. Why? Computers, reports, processes, and procedures are inanimate. They do what they are told. Do not confuse managers and leaders You may be wondering how leaders differ. Once leaders have the manager piece down, they become strategic and forward-thinking. The long-term future is the goal. Leaders invest in their employees, their most valuable asset. They motivate. They move people toward a common goal. They earn trust because trust is everything. It is critical not to confuse managers for leaders. Because you can. Below are some powerful, useful lessons I learned from prior managers and applied as I moved into leadership. Note: I use “manager” broadly to include supervisor, mid-level, and senior managers. Bad managers fear change Part of a bad manager’s “success” is the ability to maintain the status quo and control people with an iron fist. New ideas float in. A potential threat appears. They become paranoid and look to remove it. Why? Bad managers cannot handle unknown variables that loosen their grip. Knowledge is power. They guard information tightly because if you need it, they can control you. They are stuck in archaic ways. Like the telegraph, payphone, and dial-up modem. Already irrelevant. Soon extinct. It is no surprise that bad managers use fear as a tool. When people fear for their jobs, they go into self-preservation mode. They do not draw attention. They do not ask questions. They do as they are told, because misspeaking puts them next. Bad managers need people who say “yes” and nod on command. How do you overcome a manager like that? Share ideas from your industry. Do not reinvent the wheel. Improve it. Watch what happens next. Once the information the bad manager hoards is out in the open, the bad manager is out too. Out of the organization. Bad managers lack dignity and respect You are nodding and mouthing “duh” like any reasonable person. But I have personally watched appalling situations where managers chose to treat employees differently. One senior manager of mine thought calling me “Young Jon” was appropriate because my ideas were progressive, innovative, and “risky.” I could have called them an old, archaic, Tales from the Crypt keeper. I did not. I just smiled. I would rather be young than irrelevant. Nicknames are for animals. Not your employees. Unless it is mutually accepted. It is completely unacceptable for any human being to dehumanize others. I have seen bad managers treat employees like servants and animals, then discard them like trash when they were done. Despicable. Respect people because they are never a means to an end. They are the end. They are individuals. Human beings. If you see anyone dehumanize an employee, report it to HR or a senior manager. One of the most intimate, personal documents we receive at work is the annual performance review (the well-written, objective ones, anyway). Everyone takes what is written about them to heart. Whether we admit it or not. Want to spot a monster in the making? Read the review a paranoid bad manager writes. The most resourceful, innovative employees are surprisingly “bad” performers. If you are the one administering the review, read it thoroughly, several times, on different days. That removes mood swings. If possible, have your own manager or HR review for objectivity and fairness. Do not give surprise reviews. Employees hate that. Provide a draft well in advance so they can read, re-read, digest, and flag obvious errors before the meeting. Even with a tough review, that demonstrates respect and fairness. The employee keeps their dignity. Facts are not always facts In Star Trek (nerding out for a second) the Ferengi have a rule: hear all, trust nothing. You will find bad managers quoting “facts” and “data” the way they first learned them. The data is often archaic and no longer relevant. To prop up the sideshow, bad managers surround themselves with yes-men who march to the bad manager’s drum. Examine the sources. Is the information a primary source? Is it objective? Current? Reasonable? Probably not. You will hear bad managers state one fact and contradict it with another. Keep this in mind: paradoxes do not exist. If you hear one, check the premise. Something is wrong. A tactful approach I was taught: “That is not how I learned it. Could you help me better understand that conclusion?” Bottom line. Managers are people. They make mistakes. Their conclusions can be unfounded. Be skeptical. Verify everything. Age and experience are not wisdom or future performance A “seasoned vet” does not necessarily know what they are doing or how to keep up with changing times. The game plan from 20 years ago is probably irrelevant in today’s market dynamics. These managers dig in their heels. They do the same things over and over for the same bleak results. They miss Einstein’s famous line: “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” Reading the Wall Street Journal or watching CNN all day does not create competitive advantage. They ignore Professor Porter’s Five Competitive Forces in their industry. They reject formal training, coaching, self-development, and critical thinking assessments. Overestimate your organization’s capability and you will always be disappointed in its actual performance. Be pragmatic. Business competition is fierce. Every business is one Google search from a price match, a substitute, or a competitor’s catchy gimmick. Wise leaders welcome criticism and openly debate their logic on strategic decisions. We are on the same team. Why not have teammates check our work and question our assumptions to save the company time and resources? Two sides of a story can both be wrong Bad situations happen at work. Each side has a warped story. You are thinking: “Jon, you just said paradoxes do not exist.” One of the most profound lessons I learned from a bad manager: both sides of a story can be so misguided, so plagued with individual bias, that the truth ceases to exist. In self-preservation mode, people lie, withhold information, and distort reality until the truth never emerges. Witnesses forget. They invent. They stop caring enough to share what they saw. Working with bad managers, you reach a fork in the road. The question is this: Are they making errors of knowledge (honest mistakes) or committing ethical transgressions (acting in bad faith)? Firsthand, I learned that not everything unethical is illegal. So you decide. Do you want to be part of that organization, helping that bad manager’s agenda, or not? If you need help, ask where your heart is. If it is not there, the answer is clear. Never sell your dreams or settle for less than you are worth. Unethical people will happily buy. --- Jon Orozco has worked in Service Delivery and Operations Management for credit unions in Pierce County. His background includes over 12 years with financial institutions and several years in human resources and consulting. He currently serves as the Volunteer Coordinator for the South Puget Sound Chapter of SHRM, Committee Member for the Pierce County Chapter of Credit Unions, and is actively involved with several non-profits. Jon holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Puget Sound in Business Administration and American History, and a Master’s in Human Resources and Organizational Leadership from Chapman University.