Bad Managers: How to Spot Them and What to Do

Do you have a bad manager? If so, you’re not alone. A study by CareerBuilder found that nearly two-thirds of employees have had a bad boss at some point in their career. If you’re dealing with a bad manager, it can be really tough to move up the corporate ladder and get ahead in your career. In this blog post, we will discuss how to spot bad managers and what to do if you are unfortunate enough to have one!

Signs that you have a bad manager

• They are constantly changing your goals and objectives
• They are never available when you need them
• They micromanage everything you do
• They make decisions that impact you without getting your input
• They jump to conclusions fast without trying to understand all sides of the story
• They take credit for your work
• They blame others for their own mistakes
• They play favorites with their employees
• They are excessively critical
• They are bullies

If you are unfortunate enough to have a bad manager, there are a few things you can do to try and improve the situation. First, try to have a conversation with your manager about what is not working for you and see if they are willing to make some changes. If that doesn’t work, or if you don’t feel comfortable doing that, you can try to build a relationship with another manager in the company who may be able to help you. Finally, if all else fails, you may need to look for a new job.

What Not to Do

Don’t try to ignore the problem and hope that things will magically change. If you spot any of the signs mentioned above then give some time (around a month max) to see if it is a pattern or a one off thing. If after one month you still see any of the above signs then its time to make a move. First, talk to some other managers and peers in the company to get their insights. You don’t need to give all details of your specific situation but you can talk in generic terms about whether the behavior you are seeing is normal. If you get enough people telling you that the behavior is abnormal then it is time to take further action.

What to Do

There are a few avenues you can go down:

• The first and most difficult is to talk to your manager about the problem. This will only work if your manager is reasonable and willing to change their ways.
• If the first option doesn’t work try talking to the skip level manager and see if its possible for you to move under a different manager.
• If both 1 and 2 don’t work then you should start looking for another job. Its better to start looking when your relationship with your new manager is just getting started. Don’t delay it too long or else you will have limited options if things turn really ugly. During this time try to act neutral and helpful to your manager as much as possible. Tell yourself that this is only for short term while you find another job.

Conclusion

Bad managers are unfortunately quite common and can really hold back your career. If you find yourself in this situation, don’t despair! There are things you can do to improve the situation or get out of it entirely. Just be sure to take action before things get too bad. Read this blog post to learn more about top people manager mistakes.

Do you have a story about a bad manager? Share it in the comments below.