Dealing with Your Incompetent Boss

http://blogs.hbr.org/hmu/2011/06/dealing-with-your-incompetent.html
1:26 PM Monday June 6, 2011 
by Amy Gallo

Everyone complains about his or her boss from time to time. In fact, some consider it a national workplace pastime. But there's a difference between everyday griping and stressful frustration, just as there is a clear distinction between a manager with a few flaws and one who is incompetent. Dealing with the latter can be anguishing and taxing. But with the right mindset and a few practical tools, you can not only survive but flourish.

What the Experts Say
"Most people have had experience with someone who is incompetent, or at least unhelpful," says Annie McKee, founder of the Teleos Leadership Institute and co-author ofBecoming a Resonant Leader: Develop Your Emotional Intelligence, Renew Your Relationships, Sustain Your Effectiveness. Ineptitude in managers is unfortunately common. McKee says that's because too many companies promote people for the wrong reasons. People get ahead because they show results or have the right technical capabilities, but they often don't have the requisite people skills. Michael Useem, the William and Jacalyn Egan Professor of Management at the Wharton School and author of Leading Up: How to Lead Your Boss So You Both Win says that whether your boss lacks technical or managerial ability, the results are the same: bad bosses sap motivation, kill productivity, and can make you want to run from the job screaming. While leaving is an option, it's not the only one for coping with a bad boss. Consider these tactics first.

Understand the incompetence
Before you declare your boss useless, check your bias and better understand what you are seeing. "When you're looking at your boss, the first thing you need to do before you judge, is look at yourself," says McKee. Many people have blind spots when it comes to their bosses. Ask yourself whether you are jealous of her position in the organization or if you have a natural tendency to resist authority. Your assessment of her incompetence may be unfairly informed by these beliefs.

Consider also whether you have all of the relevant information. "Be cautious about your judgment until you collect the evidence," says Useem. Remember she may have stressors you don't see or fully understand. "It's very common for people to completely miss the pressures their boss is under. Partly because a good manager will buffer you from them," says McKee. By learning more about your boss and developing empathy for her, you may reevaluate her competence. Remember, even if you conclude that she is indeed incapable, that she is human and don't demonize her.

Ask others for help
Look to peers or people outside the organization for advice and a place to vent. This doesn't mean indiscriminate moaning about your boss. "You're not going to help by joining in on the complaining," says McKee. Instead find confidants: a trusted colleague, a spouse, a mentor, or a coach. Explain what you are seeing, how it is impacting you and your work, and ask for advice. "This is not to conspire against your boss, but to check your point of view," says Useem. People outside the situation can give you a fresh perspective or offer helpful suggestions for how to cope.

Make it about you, not your boss
Regardless of your boss's competence level, you need to work together to get your job done, and presumably advance your career. Managing your boss works best if you frame requests and interactions around your needs. "Telling someone who is not self aware that they aren't self aware is generally not helpful," McKee explains. Instead, say something like: "I want to do a good job and achieve my goals, and I need your help to do that." Be specific about what you want: his input on your work, an introduction to another colleague, his permission to reach out to a client, etc. If he is unable to help, suggest an alternative: perhaps you can ask one of his peers or superiors for input or an introduction. Help him solve the problem.

Lead up
Rather than giving up on an ineffectual boss, focus on what you can do to fill in the holes. "It's the calling of leadership to understand what the office or organization needs, and what the customer deserves and to then help them get it. If you recognize [your boss isn't] fulfilling the mission of the enterprise, more power to you for stepping up," says Useem. You don't have to cover up mistakes but do what's best for the organization. "Leadership goes up just as often as it goes down," says Useem. You need to do this without harboring resentment. Do it because you know that it's necessary for the good of the team.

Think twice before ratting anyone out
When you're working for someone who isn't getting the job done, it can be tempting to go to your boss's boss or another leader in the organization. First consider the consequences. "Hierarchy is alive and well. And this person has more power than you do. If you're going to expose them, you need to understand the political current in your organization," warns McKee. People at the top of an organization may feel threatened if they see someone trying to take down their peer and may be unwilling to help. Useem agrees. "It's hazardous to speak up in a very pragmatic sense. If it becomes known that it was you, who's going to be the first to go?" he says. So if you do decide to formally complain, he advises doing it carefully. Test the waters with someone you trust before going to HR or a superior.

Both McKee and Useem emphasize that there are times when you are obligated to speak up. "In extreme circumstances, if the boss is involved in malfeasance, you have a duty to act," says Useem. In these cases, you need to go to HR and report what you have observed. Be ready to share evidence.

Take care of yourself
Working for an incompetent boss can be bad for your health. "There is a lot of research on the negative psychological effects," says McKee. She suggests creating psychological boundaries that protect you from the emotional damage. We have a tendency to point to a bad boss and say, "He is ruining my life." But, this ignores the fact that you have agency in the situation: you can decide whether to stay or not. "Once you become a victim, you cease to become a leader," she says. Focus on what makes you happy about your job, not miserable. "We can come to work every day and pay attention to this horrible boss or we can choose to pay attention to the people we are happy to see every day or the work we enjoy. We can choose which emotions we lean into," says McKee.

Of course, if you aren't able to do that, you shouldn't suffer indefinitely. Consider looking for a transfer to a new boss or a new employer.

Principles to Remember

Do

• Have empathy for your boss and the pressures he may be under.
• Create psychological boundaries around work so that your boss's incompetence doesn't negatively impact your health or wellbeing.
• Focus on the broader good of the organization and what you can do to contribute.

Don't

• Try to point out to your boss all the ways that she is incompetent.
• Go to your boss's boss unless you are aware of the potential ramifications.
• Stick it out if none of your coping strategies are working — know when you need to leave.

Case Study #1: Focus on what you need
Hilary Parker* had recently moved to Baltimore* and was excited about her new job with a state agency. She was hired by her new boss, Jeremy*, to create a new state-wide alliance focused on environmental issues. Jeremy had been with the agency for years and was well liked across the organization. Three months into the job, however, Hilary noticed that Jeremy was not introducing her to people or setting up the meetings he had promised to. These connections were crucial because Hilary's project depended on forming relationships. "It felt like he was blocking me a bit," she says. Over the next few months, things seemed to get worse. He failed to make introductions, took a long time to get back to her on time-sensitive issues, and took things off Hilary's plate without explanation. "I saw that he was very good at parts of his job but he was terrible at supporting and developing the new program that I was responsible for," she says.

Hilary was frustrated but still determined to get her job done. So she created a detailed table of the projects she was working on, including information about their status and the contacts and support she needed to make them successful. She then presented the document to Jeremy. This exercise helped her organize her thoughts and ensure she was meeting her boss's expectations. But she also used it as a way of gaining permission to seek help elsewhere. Specifically, she asked if she could contact Jeremy's boss Michael*, the chair of the organization, who eventually helped her move some of her projects forward. Michael also sensed Hilary's frustration and encouraged her to be open about it. "He was very supportive. He gave me the feedback I'd been hoping for from Jeremy," she says. In the end, with Michael's support, Hilary decided to leave her position. A few months later, he hired her to work on a consulting project for another agency.

Case Study #2: Protect yourself
Stephanie Fadden* has been in the marketing and communications industry* for more than 16 years. A year ago she took a job at a Fortune 100 company. Michelle*, her new boss, had a similar background but had never managed others before. Early in their working relationship, Stephanie began to see that Michelle was not a clear communicator, could not articulate priorities, and struggled to make decisions. Stephanie was particularly frustrated when Michelle returned her work with line edits that had little to do with the content but were more about stylistic differences. She saw that this boss had little to teach her.

Fortunately for Stephanie, she had a direct route to Michelle's manager because he had recruited her into the organization. She explained to both the manager and Michelle that she didn't think this specific job was a good fit and proposed a move to a new position with a different boss. She framed this suggestion about her needs and refrained from complaining about how she was being managed.

The new position didn't come to fruition, but Stephanie resolved to not let Michelle get her down. Instead she developed coping tactics. "I ask her for exactly what I need. If she is unable to provide it, I provide her with a recommendation," she says.

She has also shifted her mindset. "I've stopped trying to change her," she says. She tries to look at her with compassion. "It's so obvious to me that she's not comfortable in those shoes. She may not know that she's incompetent but she must know that she's not hitting it out of the park. She's trying to do what she thinks a good manager is supposed to do." Stephanie has also made peace with her own situation. "I've accepted and embraced that it's my choice to stay here. Knowing that this is something in my control and I'm not a victim has helped me tremendously," she says. There are days that Stephanie wishes she could just leave but she reminds herself that she is choosing to stay. "If I focus on the things in my control, I have a more productive day."

Six Common Misperceptions about Teamwork

http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2011/06/six_common_misperceptions_abou.html
5:50 PM Tuesday June 7, 2011 
by J. Richard Hackman

This post is part of the HBR Insight Center Making Collaboration Work.

Teamwork and collaboration are critical to mission achievement in any organization that has to respond quickly to changing circumstances. My research in the U.S. intelligence community has not only affirmed that idea but also surfaced a number of mistaken beliefs about teamwork that can sidetrack productive collaboration. Here are six of them.

Misperception #1: Harmony helps. Smooth interaction among collaborators avoids time-wasting debates about how best to proceed.

Actually: Quite the opposite, research shows. Conflict, when well managed and focused on a team's objectives, can generate more creative solutions than one sees in conflict-free groups. So long as it is about the work itself, disagreements can be good for a team. Indeed, we found in our earlier research on symphony orchestras that slightly grumpy orchestras played a little better as ensembles than those whose members worked together especially harmoniously.

Misperception #2: It's good to mix it up. New members bring energy and fresh ideas to a team. Without them, members risk becoming complacent, inattentive to changes in the environment, and too forgiving of fellow members' misbehavior.

Actually: The longer members stay together as an intact group, the better they do. As unreasonable as this may seem, the research evidence is unambiguous. Whether it is a basketball team or a string quartet, teams that stay together longer play together better.

Misperception #3: Bigger is better. Larger groups have more resources to apply to the work. Moreover, including representatives of all relevant constituencies increases the chances that whatever is produced will be accepted and used.

Actually: Excessive size is one of the most common--and also one of the worst--impediments to effective collaboration. The larger the group, the higher the likelihood of social loafing (sometimes called free riding), and the more effort it takes to keep members' activities coordinated. Small teams are more efficient--and far less frustrating.

Misperception #4: Face-to-face interaction is passé. Now that we have powerful electronic technologies for communication and coordination, teams can do their work much more efficiently at a distance.

Actually: Teams working remotely are at a considerable disadvantage. There really are benefits to sizing up your teammates face-to-face. A number of organizations that rely heavily on distributed teams have found that it is well worth the time and expense to get members together when the team is launched, again around the midpoint of the team's work, and yet again when the work has been completed.

Misperception #5: It all depends on the leader. Think of a team you have led, or on which you have served, that performed superbly. Now think of another one that did quite poorly. What accounts for the difference between them? If you are like most people, your explanation will have something to do with the personality, behavior, or style of the leaders of those two teams.

Actually: The hands-on activities of group leaders do make a difference. But the most powerful thing a leader can do to foster effective collaboration is to create conditions that help members competently manage themselves. The second most powerful thing is to launch the team well. And then, third, is the hands-on teaching and coaching that leaders do after the work is underway. Our research suggests that condition-creating accounts for about 60% of the variation in how well a team eventually performs; that the quality of the team launch accounts for another 30%; and that real-time coaching accounts for only about 10%. Leaders are indeed important in collaborative work, but not in the ways we usually think.

Misperception #6: Teamwork is magical. To harvest its many benefits, all one has to do is gather up some really talented people and tell them in general terms what is needed--the team will work out the details.

Actually: It takes careful thought and no small about amount of preparation to stack the deck for success. The best leaders provide a clear statement of just what the team is to accomplish, and they make sure that the team has all the resources and supports it will need to succeed. Although you may have to do a bit of political maneuvering to get what is needed for effective collaboration from the broader organization, it is well worth the trouble.

J. Richard Hackman is the Edgar Pierce Professor of Social and Organizational Psychology at Harvard University and a leading expert on teams. The misperceptions that are summarized in this post are explored in greater depth in his new book Collaborative Intelligence: Using Teams to Solve Hard Problems (Berrett-Koehler, 2011). He is interviewed by HBR in "Why Teams Don't Work" (May 2009) and is the author of Leading Teams: Setting the Stage for Great Performances (Harvard Business School Press, 2002).

How to Recover from a Blunder

http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2011/06/eventually_every_leader_will_m.html
10:28 AM Thursday June 9, 2011 
by Dorie Clark

Eventually, every leader will make a mistake for which he or she must apologize. The screw-up might be personal (Arnold Schwarzenegger's extramarital escapades), corporate (TEPCO president Masataka Shimizu's mishandling of his company's nuclear power plant crisis), or simply banal (inadvertently insulting a colleague's wardrobe).

The rash of mea culpas we've seen in recent months — culminating this week in Congressman Anthony Weiner's press conference to explain his tawdry tweets — had brought to mind a mistake-fuelled media frenzy from my past: Howard Dean's famous scream, and the lessons we learned from it.

As New Hampshire communications director for Dean's 2004 presidential bid, I watched on TV as he gave that now-infamous concession speech after the Iowa caucuses. Disappointed with his third-place finish, he decided to rally the troops with his bold vision for a national comeback. "We're going to South Carolina and Oklahoma and Arizona and North Dakota..." As the list of states got longer and Dean's voice became more feverish, our press intern Greg laid it out: "He looks like the Incredible Hulk." This was not good.

When the campaign plane touched down in New Hampshire at 3 a.m., we greeted the candidate with a rally and Joan Jett concert at a freezing air hangar in Portsmouth. But we knew the "Dean Scream" was going to become a problem. In truth, he didn't do anything wrong: the room in Iowa was painfully loud; he was only screaming to be heard above the crowd. But that's not how it played (again and again) on cable TV, which turned a minor screw-up into a media maelstrom. So how do you move forward?

First, you have to acknowledge the elephant in the room. If you're running a business and something publicly embarrassing has transpired, no one can focus on real issues (sales targets, expansion plans, the quarterly financials) as long as they're fixated on the error. It might temporarily feel better to slink off but to admit the mistake expedites the recovery process. (Weiner could have saved himself a world of hurt by admitting upfront he sent the naughty tweet, rather than letting it play out in the media for a week.)

Next — if appropriate — try to laugh at yourself. That gives others (much-needed) permission to do the same. Dean went on David Letterman and subjected himself to a scream-related "Top 10" list of campaign turnaround strategy suggestions. (The first was "switch to decaf.") After all, nobody wants a leader who takes himself too seriously.

You also have to reframe the discussion. An endless stream of television pundits spent weeks replaying the clip and parsing whether or not Dean was crazy — a storyline (fueled by opposing campaigns) that's not exactly helpful to a prospective commander-in-chief. We had to present a different view of Dean — and fast — to counteract the scream airplay. One of the best ways to show the kinder, gentler side of candidates is to have them interact with their families. Though Dean's wife Judy was camera-shy, she agreed to do a Diane Sawyer sit-down with him following the caucuses so others could see his "husband-and-father" side, fleshing out their perceptions of him.

For a variety of reasons, Dean never got to be president of the United States. (While the techniques above did help him recover to a respectable second-place finish in New Hampshire, he had already squandered his frontrunner status (before the Scream) in losing Iowa to John Kerry and John Edwards.) But his career since highlights the most important tenet when it comes to recovering from a screw-up: don't forget your base.

Even after leaving the presidential race, he relentlessly campaigned for other candidates and supported state Democratic parties across the country, building loyal connections that helped him win the Democratic National Committee chairmanship in 2005.

If you or your company has a mishap — a failed product launch, an unfortunate misstatement, a publicity gambit gone awry — some people will never forgive you, despite your hard work and entreaties. Forget about them. Work hard to repair trust with your base, explain the situation, and let them be your ambassadors in the world.

Screw-ups happen. But communicating effectively means you can limit the damage, change the conversation, and — just maybe — even strengthen your connection with your truest fans.

What are your strategies for communicating in the wake of an embarrassing situation?

Dorie Clark is a strategy consultant who has worked with clients including Google, Yale University, and the National Park Service. Listen to her podcasts or follow her on Twitter.

Employee Morale Boosters For Tough Times

http://managementhelp.org/blogs/supervision/2011/05/31/employee-morale-boosters-for-tough-times/
By Marcia Zidle on May 31, 2011

It’s the small things everyday that can bring down employee morale and it’s the small things everyday that can raise it as well.

When money is tight and raises are non existent or when the heavy work load seems never-ending, managers tend to forget the “basics” of management- that the supervisor’s recognition and appreciation are the key drivers for employee motivation and morale.

Morale Boosters

Here are seven quick, inexpensive things managers can do that will keep workers motivated during tough times.

1. Say thank you.Show appreciation for good work by baking a batch of cookies for the team or surprising them with pizza,, or sending them flowers, chocolate or a bunch of balloons. It shows your people that you care and appreciate them.

2. Have informal coffee talks.Pull an entire work team together to openly talk about what’s going on in the world and how it affects business. Encourage employee questions. This decreases negative rumors and also gets employees focused on work rather than on griping.

3. Surprise with spontaneous treats.Rent an ice cream cart or a popcorn machine. Take coffee and donuts to each person’s work station. How about a package of Lifesavers™ during a stressful time?

4. Offer stress relief activities.Hire a local massage school to offer free 10-minute chair massages once a week. A distinctive and fun way for a company to convey that it recognizes the rough times and it cares about their staff’s well-being.

5. Support community involvement.Provide company time for teams of employees to serve dinner at a local shelter, help build houses, adopt a family for a holiday, or collect money for a common charity. It not only serves as a motivator in that people feel they are doing something with a purpose but also creates a positive public image.

6. Make people feel valuable.Talk with key employees about the types of projects, training, or experiences they would like to have. Times may be tough for people to get jobs, but your best people are also the most marketable. One of the main reasons people leave or are unmotivated is because they don’t feel valued by their manager or company.

7. Free car washes.Express exterior car washes cost around $5  per wash. That means for $100, you can give 20 employees a shiny car every month. Or have a fund raiser for a community organization  on your parking lot. They bring the people and the supplies and you pay them $5 for each car washed. This tells the employee you appreciate them and tell the community you care.

Supervision Success Tip

Sometimes, simple works best.  These seven morale boosters are a great way to create positive energy, develop pride and keep workers motivated during tough times.

Managing Is Hard Work: Avoid These Four Mistakes

http://managementhelp.org/blogs/supervision/2011/05/25/managing-is-hard-work-avoid-these-four-mistakes/
By Marcia Zidle on May 25, 2011

Many are promoted into management positions because they do their present job well, perhaps better than others on the team.

Unfortunately, many new managers are just thrown in without training and then left to sink or swim. Some make it; some don’t.

Avoid these four mistakes that many new supervisors make. Included are comments from supervisors who are or have been in your shoes.

 1. Not hiring the right people from the start.

• “Hiring people who are too similar to me has been a mistake.”
• “I didn’t pick up in the interview that they were exaggerating their experience and I got burned.”
• “I encouraged a group manager to hire an internal candidate when an external candidate was better qualified.”

2. Letting poor performance go unchecked.

• “I kept someone on who should have been let go.”
• “I didn’t recognize that someone was in way over her head.”
• “Keeping a person in a position where he failed was my biggest mistake.”

3. Not realizing the importance of employee recognition.

• “I didn’t give credit when it was due to individuals who made major contributions.”
• “I failed to acknowledge someone who needed to be rewarded. I have regretted that for years.”
• “I didn’t give enough praise to someone who turned out to be one of my best employees and she left.”

4. Not pay attention to what’s going on with staff.

• “I didn’t pick up on signals from disgruntled employees.”
• “I regret not seeing the signs that someone was going to leave.”
• “I failed to clearly understand an employee’s situation and ended up losing him.”

Supervision Success Tip:

Many new managers fail to reach out for help thinking they have to be all-knowing. Soon they find themselves dealing with one crisis after another. This can lead to a failed project or, even worse, the loss of their job.

So, don’t be the Lone Ranger. Quickly acknowledge what you don’t know or are uncertain about. Then find those around you who have the experience or knowledge to guide you. This accomplishes two things: It recognizes them for their expertise and gets them committed to your success.