What You Can Learn From Your Bad Boss

No matter how much we complain about our bad boss, there is much to be learned by working for these types of bosses that will come in handy throughout your career.

Here are four common traits of a bad boss and what you can learn from them.

            Your Boss is a Finger Pointer – he is quick to blame and whine whenever something goes wrong. Lesson: Become a problem solver. You will be more valuable to your company, learn to think on your feet and upper management will quickly realize that you are the go-to person (not your boss) when there is a jam - and on the fast track to a promotion.

            Your Boss Loves to Criticize – criticizing others takes the focus off the incompetent behavior of your bad boss. Lesson: when your boss criticizes you, don't get defensive. Figure out how to do your job better. Companies value stand-up employees who don't wimp out at the least bit of disapproval and who are eager find new ways to perform with excellence.

            Your Boss Wants to Be King, Not a Team Player – insecure bosses (which are just about all bad bosses) want to grab the spotlight when it comes to company successes. Lesson: nowadays, more work is done in teams so being a good team player is essential to get the job done. A good team player, unlike a narcissistic boss, is a good listener and is flexible in considering how to get things done especially with ideas other than their own. Team players come with the attitude "how can I contribute to help make my team a success?"

            Your Boss is Lazy – lazy bosses expect their workers to keep up on the latest technology and procedures while they happily go about their business firmly stuck in the 20^th Century. Lesson: invest time and energy into improving your skill set and expanding your knowledge of your job and the company. Even if that means signing up for classes during your off hours, developing your talents will make your increasingly valuable to your company or to a future employer.

          

Be Courageous! Listen to your Bad Boss with an Open Mind.

It takes courage to listen to what a Bad Boss is saying--or screaming or demanding, as the case may be.

Winners know you’re not going to get anywhere if you don’t stay open to what you’re hearing, even if you don’t like it.

“Receiving,” in this case--receiving information from your Bad Boss, “is as much about what you don't do as it is about what you do,” says Peter Bregman. Bregman encourages us to “Resist the temptation--blatantly or subtly--to be critical of the speaker or what the speaker is saying. Don't argue with her, poke fun at her, shame her, act aggressively, turn on her, become defensive, or act cold toward her.” 


Instead, listen up! Pluck the nuggets of what you need from your Bad Boss’s spewing, and use it as best you can to do your job courageously.