We’ve all had a bad boss at some point in time.
A difficult boss can come in various forms but according to a study by Florida State University, these are the main reasons employees consider someone to be a bad boss:
- Failing to keep promises.
- Not giving credit when due.
- Giving the “silent treatment” for prolonged periods of time.
- Making negative comments to other employees or managers.
- Invading privacy.
- Blaming to cover up personal mistakes or minimise embarrassment.
Other reasons I’ve come across often include displaying incompetence, over-controlling behaviour, having unreasonable demands and using threatening/yelling routinely.
The effects of a bad boss can be quite damaging.
For over 30 years, Gallup surveys of more than 100,000 employees in 2,500 businesses have revealed that one’s immediate boss has far more impact on engagement and performance than any other factor. In studies done over several years and covering various professions, personality-assessment specialist Robert Hogan, learned that 75% of people reported that dealing with a difficult boss was the most stressful part of the job.
In fact, many research efforts (Université François Rabelais and Baylor University among others) have shown that a bad boss can harm your family life and make you very ill. Here are some of the negative effects:
- Hurting a person’s self of autonomy and competence.
- Damaging how an individual relates to other people, be it colleagues or family members.
- Increasing conflict and relationship tension with a spouse.
- Inability to engage fully in family life.
- Stress and problems such as poor sleep and irritability.
- Heart Attack. People with a bad boss are 60% more likely to suffer a heart attack or other life-threatening cardiac condition. By contrast, employees who don’t have a difficult boss are 40% less likely to suffer heart problems.
So if you have a bad boss, it’s clearly something that you should deal with right away. The solution may not be easy but consequences of not dealing with a difficult boss are far worse.
