An Explanation.
Too many people prefer a boss who rescues them from choice.
Which explains the bad boss.
Gell-Mann Amnesia Effect.
You read a newspaper article about a topic you know well, and notice that the journalist got many things wrong — facts, interpretations, conclusions.
You turn the page to an article about a topic you don’t know well, and assume it's accurate — despite just seeing how unreliable the reporting can be.
You sit in a meeting where the boss and her minions plot how to circumvent doing the right thing to achieve their outcome.
You spend the rest of your time at work accepting the mission, values, and policy statements - despite witnessing how the boss really thinks.
You’re the boss and you hold meetings where you encourage your minions to circumvent doing the right thing to achieve your outcome.
You’re the boss and you look out into your staff meetings, perplexed as to why everyone appears so jaded.
How to Control Your Life.
Be punctual.
Do what you say you’ll do.
Only say you’ll do things you know you will do.
Think through consequences of your actions.
Be polite.
Use the above behaviours as measures of your esteem - not their results, or the measurements and affirmations of others.
Breeding Programme.
A bad boss breeds bad workers who accept their bad boss because:
a. they don’t know any better, or
b. they know he’s bad and therefore can't recognise they’re bad too.
Two Bookends.
Our lives are bookended by Birth and Death.
Birth stands up right and takes care of itself.
But if we don’t attend to firmly establishing the other bookend - Death -
Then the chapters and volumes of our life in between the two -
Never quite stand up.
The Information Gap.
We naively assume that an information gap explains another’s conduct.
‘Let’s give that person the benefit of what we know! That will cause them to change their minds and behaviour!’
No amount of information will be enough.
Their minds are made up.
It’s not lack of information that’s the problem.
It’s lack of desire.
And … ACTION!
And … ACTION!
Bad Boss enters Stage Left.
Soliloquy.
Boss exits Stage RIght.
CUT!
Sycophants rise to their feet and applaud and stomp the floor.
Tripping the Power.
If too many people in a team or organisation actually fully applied their total capacity.
They will draw too much attention away from the boss.
Tripping the power.
They Said.
‘Innovate!’ they said.
‘Seek excellence!’ they said.
‘Be brave!’ they said.
‘Goodbye.’ they said.
The Clock Isn’t Ticking.
A broken clock is right twice a day.
A fool who doesn’t fix the clock thinks it’s always 2 o’clock.
An ignorant fool who only ever checked the time once thinks it’s only ever been 2 o’clock.
An ignorant insecure fool who once asked someone the time and was told ‘It’s 2 o’clock’ feels affirmed in their stupidity.
Rock the Boat.
If you’re going to innovate, you’ll end up rocking the boat.
Just make sure the captain is okay with that.
Matter and Manner
“I take issue with the decision you made to cancel my membership.”
The ‘matter’ on which we disagree.
“I take issue with the decision you made to cancel my membership - you idiot.’
The ‘manner’ in which we disagree.
Survivor’s Guilt.
Bad bosses must cope with survivor’s guilt.
‘I am a bad boss, and yet I’m The Boss, so I had to make those decisions affecting Good People.
So they tell themselves a story:
‘Someone had to do it. I did. Even though I know I’m a Bad Boss, I still made those decisions.’
‘I am a brave Hero.’
