justin hughes virginia: know your bosses
TRANSCRIPT
THE SIX TYPES• latpro.com’s Eric Shannon identified the different leaders
• Control Freak
• Autocrat
• Blame Fixer
• The Soft Heart
• The Politician
• The Team Builder
• Each has a different way of interacting with team members
• Be honest– which are you, or which do you have?
• What can you look towards changing? How can you deal with these types?
THE CONTROL
FREAKMicromanager Extraordinaire
THE CONTROL FREAK: CHARACTERISTICS
• Constantly asking for status updates on projects
• Butts into personal time (breaks) to talk work
• Prevents you from making own decisions
• Doesn’t teach you how to handle problems
• Not good at delegating tasks/responsibilities
DEALING WITH THE CONTROL FREAK
• Stay one step ahead: flood them with info
• Make them feel good by overloading them with info
• Make peace with the fact you cant change a control freak
THE AUTOCRAT
Survival of the Fittest
THE AUTOCRAT: CHARACTERISTICS
• Refuses team input
• Can’t admit mistakes
• Won’t encourage team members
• Doesn’t allow for autonomous employee decision making
DEALING WITH THE AUTOCRAT
• They’re only out for themselves– use this to your advantage
• Share goals with them
• Be secure and take a hard stance on problems
THE BLAME FIXER
Why are you even a boss?
THE BLAME FIXER: CHARACTERISTICS
• Better at getting workers to fix their own problems than actually managing
• Won’t accept responsibility for own mistakes or those of employees
• Doesn’t really get anything done
• Won’t share credit
• Points out problems, but won’t fix them
DEALING WITH THE BLAME FIXER
• Fix the problem, don’t worry about deflecting accusations
• Keep a paper trail of all communication
• When something goes awry, they may blame you
• Paper trails provide solid alibis
THE SOFT HEART
New or Not Ready
THE SOFT HEART: CHARACTERISTICS
• Tells you what you want to hear, not what you need to hear
• Isn’t sincere
• Wishy-washy; indecisive
• Fears being disliked if totally honest
DEALING WITH THE SOFT HEART
• Question them. Ask why they agree or disagree
• Actively ask them for ways you can improve
• Respect their words and listen to what they have to say
THE POLITICIAN
Just as it sounds.
THE POLITICIAN: CHARACTERISTICS
• Charismatic; Life of the party
• Use employees who make them look good
• Full of half-truths
• Not competent at the job itself, but controlling people
DEALING WITH THE POLITICIAN
• Be the person who makes them look good
• They may take you with them as they get promoted
• Just as they use you, use them for networking
• When you’re ready to shine, use that network for new opportunities
THE TEAM BUILDER
Dream boss.
THE TEAM BUILDER: CHARACTERISTICS
• Know what they’re doing
• Encourages employee growth
• Honest and open
• Gives credit where it’s due
DEALING WITH A TEAM BUILDER
• Don’t hold anything back– be honest and open
• Ask for help when you need it
• Give proper commitment to the task at hand.
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