These are the red flags of a bad boss.
Managers and leaders play a critical role in a work environment, from the influence they have over employees to the way a company functions operationally and culturally. Good management skills can spur productivity and motivate employees. But weak manager characteristics and bad management traits can create a toxic work environment that’s detrimental for teams, departments and companies.
Almost every professional will work with a bad manager at some point in their career. Here are some of the most common qualities to look out for if you suspect you’re working for a bad manager. And if you are in a leadership position, review these 21 bad management traits to set personal goals for improvement.
Micromanagement
A micromanager doesn’t trust your abilities and methods for getting your job done. This type of manager may hover over your work, providing too much input and unnecessary oversight. Micromanagers may check in constantly to see how quickly you’re completing the job or may ask you to redo a project to reflect their style rather than your own.
Micromanagement benefits neither the manager nor the employees in the long run. In addition to causing stress, it prevents people from demonstrating their creativity and enthusiasm for projects and sharing innovative ideas. There are many ways to accomplish the same task, so beware of a manager who thinks executing a project in a way that differs from their own is wrong. Micromanaging bosses can drive employees out of the company, leading to high turnover that negatively affects the entire organization.
Doesn’t care about work-life balance
Work-life balance has become more important for employees, but a bad boss doesn’t care about your work-life balance. Does your boss make you feel guilty about taking a day off to care for your sick child? Does your boss discourage using vacation days or regularly expect you to be available outside of your scheduled work hours?
This bad management trait contributes to an unhealthy work environment. When employees feel that their boss cares about their work-life balance, they are more satisfied. On the other hand, discouraging work-life balance leads to overworked employees and higher stress levels at work.
Acts unprofessionally
While managers are supposed to be good role models and exemplify leadership abilities, some bosses fall short of this and instead act unprofessionally. You may have a boss who cares more about maintaining his or her personal life at work than helping their employees.
An unprofessional manager may participate in cliquish behaviors and leave some people out. Other unprofessional bosses might overshare details of their personal lives, grill you on yours or try to force a friendship with you that you don’t want.
Unprofessional behavior from a boss may cross the line from merely annoying to possibly illegal if harassment is involved. If you’re uncertain whether a boss’s antics are bordering on inappropriate or may constitute harassment, talk to your human resources department.
Sets unclear goals
Another mistake managers can make is not setting clear goals for their departments and employees. Goals are important because they help employees to have a clear sense of direction and feel more fulfilled in their roles. Goals also help teams feel more motivated since they have something to work toward.
Conversely, unclear goals leave teams and employees feeling unsure about the big picture and how their work relates. This bad management trait can lead people to look for another job that will provide a clear sense of direction and meaning.
Communicates poorly
Managers who don’t communicate enough with their employees cause confusion and frustration. Ineffective communication skills affect productivity levels since employees have to stop and ask questions since they don’t have all the information they need in the beginning.
Poor communication can range from not giving clear instructions about a project to failing to provide feedback after the work is completed. Some bosses fail to schedule regular times to connect with their direct reports, leaving them unclear on expectations and progress.
Demands authority
Some managers make the mistake of thinking they automatically deserve to be respected because of their title and position. This type of authoritarian boss conveys that they are more important than their employees and have better ideas than others on the team. They operate from a top-down mentality, perhaps hiring people who validate their viewpoint rather than challenge it.
This bad management approach can hurt diversity, equity and inclusion in an organization and may backfire with employees. People are more prone to respect those who have gained their status through positive actions and have created a culture of respect, not those who demand authority based on a job title.
Has an unapproachable demeanor
If an employee doesn’t feel that they can talk to their manager about work issues — or personal issues that affect their work — this can create a barrier between the employee and manager. Some managers may inadvertently or sometimes intentionally come across as unapproachable to their team members. Such managers may convey that they are too busy to be bothered or interrupted by team concerns or may have a closed-door policy that discourages interaction.
These types of bad management traits may cause employees to distance themselves from a manager, which can create myriad problems in the office. It may make it difficult for a manager to resolve problems at work or for employees to accept suggestions and feedback from an unapproachable manager.
Wants the team to make them look good
Another type of bad manager is one who feels that their team should work hard primarily to advance the manager’s own career. This type of boss doesn’t value high-quality work if it doesn’t make them look good.
An attitude like this can crush the enthusiasm and creativity of employees. Once this happens, it hurts both the manager and the company, since employees may disengage if they can’t fulfill their potential and their wins aren’t highlighted to help them advance in their own careers.
Has a negative attitude
Negative managers can take many forms. They may constantly complain about their own job and challenges, succumb to political infighting that causes them to lose sight of team efforts or criticize people who work for them. When a manager is negative, it brings down the morale of the whole department. Negativity is contagious and creates a toxic work environment for employees. Managers who fail to bring positivity to the workplace reflect badly on the organization and its values. Employees will not want to stay long working under a constantly negative boss.
Plays favorites
Some managers lack standardized rules and make the mistake of playing favorites. For example, they may have one set of expectations for you while making exceptions for someone they used to work with or for those who have been in the organization longer, in an attempt to be liked by certain people or groups. They may reserve the most coveted assignments for one person who they like best on the team rather than creating equal opportunities.
This behavior may also involve participating in cliques or engaging in office politics. Managers like this may feel initially powerful in deciding who gets what. But when a manager isn’t inclusive and doesn’t treat all team members equally, those team members won’t respect them.
Doesn’t help employees grow
Some managers fail to help their employees grow in their roles. This shows a lack of interest in their employees and their goals. While cultivating employee growth requires time and effort, it’s well worth it. Good managers will take some time to check in with their employees, find out what their goals are and offer assistance in making a plan to achieve those goals. Then, they follow up regularly.
Facilitating growth makes employees feel more fulfilled, sharpens their skills and strengthens company loyalty, leading to lower turnover rates. Bad managers have no plan in place for employee growth or even discourage it, which negatively affects the organization overall. People won’t stay long in a position when they know there’s no room to grow.
Doesn’t walk the talk
Leading by example is an important management quality, yet some supervisors ask employees to do as they say, not as they do. If a manager fails to practice what they preach at work, it can lead to resentment and prevent the development of a culture of teamwork.
Good leaders don’t see themselves as separate from the team but as one part of it, which requires pitching in with whatever is needed to help the group reach its goals. Walking the talk should also apply to time off and work hours. For example, if a manager asks others to be available online at certain hours, that manager should be similarly available.
Displays low emotional intelligence
Emotional intelligence helps the best leaders understand what each member of their team values to help them get their best work done. Since emotional intelligence involves not only being in touch with your own feelings but also being intuitive enough to pick up on the feelings of others, it’s a critical management skill. If your manager seems to lack empathy or not care about your priorities, they may have low emotional intelligence. Employees under this type of leader can feel disconnected from the department’s or company’s goals, may lack motivation, and can feel burnout and resentment.
Assigns blame
“Take one for the team” is a concept that bad managers don’t understand. They may instead point fingers when something goes wrong to distance themselves from the problem. When this happens, it can alienate the employee who gets blamed for a mishap, damaging the relationship between supervisor and staff. Bad managers care about revealing who was behind an error to protect themselves from blame, while strong leaders focus on problem-solving and creating better team solutions to help everyone avoid repeating the mistake.
Steals credit
Bad bosses care more about how their actions look to their own supervisors than they do about fairness in crediting others for contributions. When a manager claims ownership for a solution that someone on their team generated or that was conceived by the whole group, it can quickly lead to individual or team disengagement. People want to feel like their ideas matter and that they are valued for their thought capital. Once they recognize that their boss is willing to steal credit rather than acknowledge and reward them for their concepts, they will lose motivation and may keep future innovations to themselves.
Doesn’t respect others
Bad bosses make decisions without collaborating with their teams or employees, even when those decisions will directly impact them. This bad management trait often pairs with a lack of transparency. Toxic bosses may also show a lack of respect toward the organization they work for by minimizing its standards and processes. Respect is a fundamental value, so when employees don’t feel respected, they will quickly lose respect for their boss and the organization. This lack of respect also creates a dangerous and toxic workplace.
Doesn’t follow a professional development plan
All leaders should have a professional development program in place to continue to grow and reach their own goals. A leader without a professional development program can quickly get stuck in a rut and also experience burnout, affecting how they treat their employees. Some organizations provide professional development training for their leaders, and a good manager will take advantage of those programs. If you are a leader whose organization doesn’t offer training, try working with a mentor or a career coach to help you create a professional development plan, set reasonable goals and remain accountable.
Doesn’t support flexibility
Flexible work models have proven to lead to increased productivity and engagement — yet some bosses still are skeptical of them and insist on one way of working. Bad managers need to dictate and control where and when work gets done, rather than entrusting their employees to manage their own time and workload, whether they’re working from home, in an office or in a hybrid role.
While some jobs and industries require a boots-on-the-ground mentality of constant work in the office or on site, employees can accomplish many roles and tasks remotely. Being unsupportive of flexible work arrangements in jobs that lend themselves to greater flexibility is a hallmark of a poor manager.
Leaves remote workers out of the loop
A more passive-aggressive way of not supporting flexibility is allowing work from home but setting remote workers up to fail by withholding resources and support. When a manager leaves remote workers out of the communication stream, gives them fewer chances for promotion or doesn’t offer the same opportunities and access given to in-office employees, it’s unfair to staff members who work virtually. Bad managers cultivate a climate that subtly favors people who give the most in-person face time, rather than ensuring an equitable work environment for everyone, regardless of their work location.
Has toxic behavior
Bad bosses come in all stripes, but one of the worst is the toxic boss, who can damage employees’ health and well-being. A toxic boss might have any of the other qualities of bad bosses, like being micromanaging, unprofessional and playing favorites. But you know you’re dealing with toxicity in the workplace if your boss makes you question your self-worth or even hate your job or career.
Look for patterns of ongoing negativity or emotional abuse, such as lack of boundaries, inconsistent behavior, unfair treatment, dismissiveness and blame-shifting. If you have a toxic boss or management team, you may need to seek allies in the company and/or support from human resources. In extreme cases, exploring other companies and opportunities may be the best and sanest move.
Harasses
The ultimate form of bad management is creating a hostile work environment that involves harassment. A harassing boss might make you the target of offensive jokes, ridicule you or call you names. Some forms of harassment are illegal, such as sexual harassment. If you’re experiencing situations with your boss or managers that go beyond annoying and petty — particularly if they happen frequently and disrupt your ability to get your work done — then you may be dealing with harassment.
Keep in mind that even remote workers can be victims of harassment and discrimination at work. If you want to move beyond quietly coping with the situation of harassment from your boss, keep accurate records and consider addressing the problem directly by seeking administrative or legal recourse. If you can’t get support that way, leaving the company may be another route to consider if you have other options for employment.
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21 Qualities of Bad Managers originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 11/27/24: This story was published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.
