The 10 Types Of Nightmare Bosses

I’ve been lucky to have some great bosses over the years (hat-tip to Anita) but I’ve also had some really bad ones. Dealing with difficult or nightmare bosses can be both physically and emotionally draining and unfortunately it can also have a direct impact on your career and your effectiveness.

The following are ten types of nightmare bosses (behaviour patterns) that I’ve come across. In my experience, it’s rare that a bad boss fits the exact stereotype but rather will demonstrate his or her own unique set of unproductive or destructive behaviours. Also, good bosses particularly on bad days or in bad situations can behave badly on occasion. I know I have!

#1. The Indecisive Boss
#2. The Workaholic
#3. The Micro-Manager
#4. The Therapist
#5. The Bull-Shitter
#6. The Bipolar
#7. The Bully
#8. The Dictator
#9. The Politician
#10. The BFF

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9 Habits of People Who Build Extraordinary Relationships

The most extraordinary professional relationships are built by ordinary actions like these.

1. Take the hit.
2. Step in without being asked.
3. Answer the question that is not asked.
4. Know when to dial it back.
5. Prove they think of others.
6. Realize when they have acted poorly.
7. Give consistently, receive occasionally.
8. Value the message by always valuing the messenger.
9. Start small... and are happy to stay small.

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Video: The Art of Organizational Manipulation

We often hear engineers lament how hard it is to get anything done inside of a big company. The trick to overcoming this is to know the right people, understand how power flows in the organization, and, most importantly, what you can get away with and when. We'll help you understand the human element of navigating companies both big and small through a series of (hopefully) amusing anecdotes.

Watch this 56 min. video

Top Ten Reasons Why Large Companies Fail To Keep Their Best Talent

Whether it’s a high-profile tech company like Yahoo!, or a more established conglomerate like GE or Home Depot, large companies have a hard time keeping their best and brightest in house. Recently, GigaOM discussed the troubles at Yahoo! with a flat stock price, vested options for some of their best people, and the apparent free flow of VC dollars luring away some of their best people to do the start-up thing again.

Yet, Yahoo!, GE, Home Depot, and other large established companies have a tremendous advantage in retaining their top talent and don’t. I’ve seen the good and the bad things that large companies do in relation to talent management. Here’s the Top Ten list (by the author Eric Jackson) of what large companies do to lose their top talent:

1. Big Company Bureaucracy.
2. Failing to Find a Project for the Talent that Ignites Their Passion.
3. Poor Annual Performance Reviews.
4. No Discussion around Career Development.
5. Shifting Whims/Strategic Priorities.
6. Lack of Accountability and/or telling them how to do their Jobs.
7. Top Talent likes other Top Talent.
8. The Missing Vision Thing.
9. Lack of Open-Mindedness.
10. Who’s the Boss?

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10 ways to be more persuasive and win your case

Although technical ability is important for any IT pro, equally important is the ability to persuade co-workers, clients, and bosses that your ideas merit action.

#1. Show how the other person benefits from listening to you
#2. Have answers to objections
#3: Ask questions when possible, rather than make statements
#4: Have supporting evidence in hardcopy
#5: Confront with the evidence
#6: Get third-party testimonials
#7: Show cost-benefit analysis
#8: Acknowledge weaknesses in your position
#9: Set expectations for the other person
#10. Address buyer’s remorse

Persuading people need not be a difficult task. Knowing people’s objectives, having answers to their objections, and considering their point of view increases your chances of being persuasive.

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Gen Y: How Millennials Are Changing the Workplace

At 76 million strong, more than double the size of Generation X (1965-1979), Generation Y is the largest generation to enter the American market place since the 80 million baby boomers born in 1946. Referred to as Gen Y, Millennials or Next Gen (roughly 1980-1989), this group already has established a name for itself — and not a particularly favorable one. Known as the “what’s in it for me?” generation, Gen Y is presenting challenges for managers and impacting diversity and inclusion initiatives.

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17 Rules Successful Companies Use to Attract and Keep Top Talent

This book is about developing outstanding employees and getting them to stay. It’s about building a workforce that’s truly engaged, committed, aligned with strategy, and capable of incredible performance.

Simply put, it’s about optimizing the #1 factor associated with outsmarting, outhustling, and outexecuting your competition: your people.

You’ll learn exactly what great companies do differently when it comes to managing their people. And you’ll learn how to apply those lessons in virtually every aspect of your organization: from resourcing and compensation to leadership development, culture, and beyond.

Want people who care, engage, work hard, support your strategies, and deliver results? Start right here.

The 17 Rules Are:

Rule #1: Understand why employee comw and why they stay

Rule #2: Play “Win-Win” with Your Employees (and Allow Them to Be All They Can Be for Self and Company)

Rule #3: Cultivate Leadership, Not Management, and Know the Difference!

Rule #4: Provide Ample and Appropriate Resources

Rule #5: Demand Contribution; Be Worthy of Receiving It

Rule #6: Applaud Effort; Reward Contribution

Rule #7: Cheerlead; The “Magic” of M&Ms

Rule #8: Build a Workplace on a Foundation of Respect

Rule #9: Cultivate the Risk-Trust Dynamic

Rule #10: Make Room for Fun in the Workplace (Nurture Lightheartedness/Levity)

Rule #11: Create Opportunities for Employee “Alignment” with Vision, Values, and Mission

Rule #12: Understand Human Capital

Rule #13: Treat Employees as “Volunteers”

Rule #14: Know Your Culture

Rule #15: Understand the Nature of Change and Prepare Your Employees to Embrace It

Rule #16: Cultivate Organizational Ethics; Demand and Reward Ethical Behavior

Rule #17: The Last and Overarching Rule: Tell the Truth! (and a Few Action Items to Grow On)

Author: David Russo

Free Your Staff to Think

With sophisticated document management systems, global connectivity, and on-line networks professionals can find research reports, best practices, articles and experts from anywhere in the world. Because professionals have such direct access to information and people, many companies have let most of their administrative assistants go, leaving it to professionals to manage their own information. Over the last decade self-service has also replaced much traditional customer service.

Thinking is the core of most professional work. What if you as a manager expected staff, communities and teams to set aside time to think — and let them know that their think time was not to be given away?

Knowledge intermediaries manage the flow, kitting structures information into relevant, easy-to-use categories and think tanks reserve time for disciplined individual and collaborative thinking. All mitigate the impact of self-service information management. There are undoubtedly many more things you can do to free your staff to think. Let me know which ones you use.

Even if you don't have the authority or resources to free your staff to think, you can at least free yourself to think.

Read this HBR blog post

How to Get Involved Without Micromanaging People

One of the more vexing problems most managers face every day is how to get involved in the work of their people without doing the work themselves or micromanaging those doing it.

Here we focus on using Prep-Do-Review with your people. Start by expecting your people to use Prep-Do-Review themselves in their work. Not only will it make them more effective, but it will provide a way for you to become involved in their work as appropriate for the person and the situation.

Read this HBR blog post