GREAT LEADERS, Good Bosses and Bad Bosses by Bill Stankiewicz, Savannah Supply Chain Guy
The word "Boss" is from Middle English bos, bose, boce, from Old French boce (“lump, bulge, protuberance, knot”), from Old Frankish *bottja ("a shoot, sprout"; whence also Italian boccia, bocciolo (“bud”); Italian bozzo (“bump”); French bosse (“bump, hump”)), a derivative of Old Frankish *bōtan (“to push, thrust, strike, beat”), from Proto-Germanic *bautaną (“to push, beat”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰÀud-, *bʰÀu- (“to beat, push, strike”). Cognate with Old Frisian botta (“a shock, thrust, blow”), Middle Low German bote, bōte (“bundle of flax”), Old High German bōzo (“bundle of flax”), Old High German bōz (“a blow”). More at beat. From Dutch baas, from Middle Dutch baes (“master of a household, friend”), from Old Dutch *baso (“uncle, kinsman”), from Proto-Germanic *baswô, masculine form of Proto-Germanic *baswǭ (“father's sister, aunt, cousin”). Cognate with Middle Low German bās (“supervisor, foreman”), Old Frisian bas (“master”), Old High German basa ("father's sister, cousin"; > German Base (“aunt, cousin”)). Originally a term of respect used to address an older relative, later, in New Amsterdam, it began to mean a person in charge who is not a master.
When asked about advice from students & folks entering the workforce on how to be successful at work I say pick your boss then pick your job. I work part time as an Adjunct Professor for Savannah Technical College and meet some great students. I enjoy being a mentor and helping students young & old.
I have been fortunate to work with some great bosses like Phil Hashway from Inmac Computer Supply and John McVaney from Eagle Global Logistics, now called CEVA Logistics. Jack Roeser from Exel Logistics was in this same league who is now retired and based in Florida. There has also been many challenging folks that I have worked for & because of their unethical business practices I had decided to leave those companies. You can learn sometimes from a bad boss, you need to remember most people are good but may have weaknesses that are showing in other ways that manifest or hide other faults.
It has been shown that overly tough bosses create stress, and lots of it, as the research has shown: A University of London study found an especially strong link between heart disease and boss-inflicted stress, (Mama-Mia) while a University of Concordia study found that employees who rate themselves as highly stressed added 46% to their employer’s health care costs. Research from the Institute of Naval Medicine found that overly tough bosses cause people to seek jobs elsewhere, to perform at a lower level, to decline promotions and even to quit. Finally, a survey from Randstad Consulting showed that most employees would trade in their bosses for better ones rather than receive a $5,000 pay raise. People don’t leave jobs; they leave bad bosses.
I have seen & heard that complaints from bad managers include micromanaging, bullying, yelling-swearing, avoiding conflict, not available, disappearing from work with no notice, ducking decisions, always stealing credit, shifting blame, hoarding information, failing to listen, setting a poor example, slacking, and not working on developing staff. With such dysfunctional behavior would make anyone unhappy and unproductive at work. But remember, that whatever bad habits your boss has & commits, you need to manage your relationship with him or her and it is a critical part of your responsibility. By going forward, and doing your job well will always be a key indicator of how effective you are at work.
According to the most recent Gallup “State of the Global Workplace” study, half of all employees in the United States have quit jobs at some point in their careers in order to get away from their bosses. The figures are similar or even higher for workers in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. The same survey, consistent with previous ones, also shows a clear correlation between an employee’s engagement (that is, motivation and effort to achieve organizational goals) and his or her relationship with the boss. While 77% of employees who said they were engaged at work described interactions with their managers in positive terms (for example, “my supervisor focuses on my strengths”), only 23% of those who were “not engaged” and a mere 4% of the “actively disengaged” did the same. This is worrying because research has shown that an engaged workforce is a key driver of organizational success, and yet according to Gallup, only 13% of employees worldwide fall into that category.
So what do you do if you have a bad boss and you feel it is effecting your performance at work? Sometimes look at yourself first & seek out feedback with your peers. Also take advantage of group training programs to get advice from your peers. If feedback from your colleagues doesn’t help & provide any insights into how your behavior might be hurting you; your next step is to try talking to your boss about the problem. Here again, approach the conversation delicately, you need to frame your questions in a positive way: “How can I better help you achieve your goals?” rather than “What am I doing wrong?” Look at yourself as seeking advice or even mentoring. Request a one-on-one meeting to do this, and give your boss an idea of what you’d like to discuss: performance issues and the development of your management skills. It may work, if it does not, some next steps may be to talk with HR and or leave the job as a last resort.
I know that I got lucky in having good bosses in some organizations, many have since past away or retired. There are alot of bad bosses who demotivate employees, slow their growth, and may take credit for others’ work. You may be usually stuck with whomever you get. But there is nothing that stops you from being a super-boss, and be kind. As you begin to achieve success, start helping others and nurturing your colleagues and subordinates. Show the leadership qualities that you’d like your own boss to have. You will gain as much as the people you help and you will build a better company. Thank you for reading this post & if I can help you in any way let me know? We need to all help people and be kind because that is very important. People you may meet may be going through many different struggles, so be patient & be understanding.
Peace & Be Kind.
regards,
Bill Stankiewicz
BillStankiewicz@savannahsupplychain.com
Phone: 1.404.750.3200
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Bill Stankiewicz
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#26 many thanks Gert Scholtz for your kind words. regards, Bill Stankiewicz
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Bill Stankiewicz
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Bill Stankiewicz
7 years ago #5
@Aurorasa Sima, you are very right with many folks that are in negative situations, some get trapped because of financial reasons and get stuck. Here to help all bees & friends, regards, Bill Stankiewicz
Bill Stankiewicz
7 years ago #4
Thank you Todd Jones for sharing your feedback & I have seen the same outcome in several companies. There are also many folks that are still in the same boat looking to escape with people that may have left the company to work with them. Over the past 20 years I have helped to place hundreds of folks by my contacts by word of mouth. I have had several owners of large Executive Recruitment Companies call me wanting to hire me & get mad because I have said I don't want any money to help people get placed. Over the years I have worked as being a trusted adviser to business friends & family, trying to be kind and helpful. Best regards, Todd from Bill Stankiewicz, www.savannahsupplychain.com
Bill Stankiewicz
7 years ago #3
Bill Stankiewicz
7 years ago #2
Many thanks again for your kind feedback here Aurorasa Sima, being in logistics and having been part of acquisitions of companies I have seen some great ones & some challenging ones. And you are very right, a bad one does effect your productivity & sometimes your health. All the more reason to be helpful, listen & share kindness with folks, thats why I love the founders of beBee.com, Juan, Javier & all the bees here like you & others! Great folks!!!!
Bill Stankiewicz
7 years ago #1