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The Boss-Employee relationship determines business direction
Image taken from the NSSF whistle blower advert. Failure of employers to cater for retirement benefits of their workers can be a source of friction between workers and their bosses
A 2015 report from the market research firm Gallup found that out of 7, about 50% left their job “to get away from their manager.” There’s nothing worse than a bad boss! You have heard the old saying: People don’t leave jobs, they leave managers. Being under a bad boss brings stress and lowers productivity of the employees. Human beings are not robots; they have conscious, feelings and they are entitled to opinions. Therefore they ought to be handled as human beings.
In a new study from Georgetown University, 98% of people reported experiencing toxic behavior at work. The study found that toxic relationships negatively influence employees and their organizations in nine notable ways: First of all 80% of the work time is lost worrying about the incidents, the commitment to the organization declines, employee performance declines, work time is lost trying to avoid the offender, the employee intentionally decreases the time spent at work and the quality of work.
The fear monger boss is one of the commonest bosses. This gem of a boss gets his way through fear and intimidation. He feels he needs to scream to be heard by all, and he feeds off the fear of his employees. Often this sweetheart carries through on his threats and has a high turnover rate from all the firings and from good employees running for the door. The key to a handling such a mean boss is to address it head on. Don’t be aggressive like he is, but again don’t be a pushover.
There is also the micromanager type. You may be an adult, but to the micromanager boss you are still child who should be trusted. You’re still a child that needs constant supervision. You may be an adult, but to the micromanager boss you’re still a child that needs constant supervision. So he will keep in close vicinity to ensure that you have no breathing space.
The know- it- all bosses are not just dumb but they are not as smart as they think they are. May be they know a lot because, if they don’t then they would not have reached where they are. The negative things about them are that they don’t trust people under them because they aren’t as smart. Secondly they don’t listen because others aren’t as smart as they are, so they don’t have anything worthwhile to say.
There are many ways of dealing with I- know- it- all bosses: When you present ideas to them, only paint half the picture and let them paint the rest. Yes, that’s playing up to their ego, but it gives them part ownership, so you will get their immediate buy in. And it will keep them busy and allow you to do your job.
In some organizations the relationship between the boss and the employees is punitive. Punitive relationships are those where one person punishes the other for behavior that doesn’t align directly with their expectations. The major issue with punitive types is that their instinct is to punish, without adequate communication, feedback, and understanding. This belittling approach creates conflict and bad feelings.
It is important to understand that to survive a punitive type, you must choose your battles wisely. Your voice won’t be heard if you dive right in to every conflict. They will just label you as someone who is too sensitive.
There are also relationships built on lies. These types get so caught up in looking good that they lose track of what’s fact and what’s fiction. Then the lies pile up until they are the foundation of the relationship. People who won’t give you straight answers don’t deserve your trust. After all, if they are willing to lie to you, how can you ever really depend on them? When you remove trust from any relationship, you don’t have a relationship at all. Building a relationship on lies is no different than building a house on a pile of sand. The best thing you can do is to count your losses and move on.
A good relationship between employees and their boss is the basis for excellent performance and productivity at the work place. Without it the desire and the will to work dies and work becomes a punishment. Both the employer and the employee have a role to play in ensuring that there is good relationship and therefore a conducive work environment. If each party dedicated time, effort and commitment to their work with love there would be harmony. It is also important that each party recognizes and appreciates the contribution of the other party in trying to achieve the common goal.
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