You can't fix your boss, but you can 'manage up'
Advice Line has tips on what to do with a boss who's a poor leader
Follow @ITCatalystsDear Bob ...
I found "First Refuge" (Keep the Joint Running, 5/26/2009) very interesting. [Its premise: Coercion is the first refuge of the lazy leader. - Bob]
[ Find out what techniques Bob Lewis recommends for dealing with other types of bosses: the screamer, the telecommuter, and the micromanager | Get sage advice on IT careers and management from Bob Lewis in InfoWorld's Advice Line blog and newsletter. ]
I work for a small manufacturer that employs about 100 people. Examples of lazy management seem to be the rule rather than the exception. We have to hire two or three people before we find one that actually can do the job for which they were hired. Information about projects is doled out on an absolute need-to-know basis. There is little sense of teamwork. The president rules with an air of dismissive impatience. He has his favorites, and if you aren't one of them, you are treated like the plumbing: Something to ignore until a problem demands attention.
I have one person reporting to me. He is excellent, able to solve all kinds of problems, not just those within his job description, using his curiosity, intuition, and logical thinking skills. We communicate often and regularly about the tasks at hand. I express my admiration for his successes and make it a point to be aware of his weaknesses -- looking for opportunities to nudge him in the direction of taking responsibility for improving his performance and skill set. If I meet a strong resistance, I comment on that ("Wow, you seem to dislike that idea"), and we talk about where that resistance is coming from and whether we can come up with an alternative with which he can function more comfortably. Sometimes I just have to tell him to do it anyway and let him know that I'm open to suggestions of how to do it differently next time. Other times, he looks at me like I have suddenly grown an extra nostril, and with a little coaxing, I get him to tell me where I'm all wet.
To sum up: We seem to have a sense of teamwork and comraderie that is rare in my company. The top brass seems to manage from an emotional distance -- I suppose they would call it "professional." I would call it the "Holding Employees at Arm's Length So They Can't Hurt Me With the Truth" management method.
