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by Brooke Eaton
Monster Staff Writer
“If you want something inconvenient for him, it’s too bad for you, and he will use the structure of the organization to make things work the way he wants. And make no mistake: He wants what he wants just like any other crazy boss. He’s just too chicken to do it out in the open.”--
Crazy Bosses: Fully Revised and Updated by Stanley Bing
Strong leadership and communication skills are staple traits of a good boss –- traits inherently absent in the Wimp. For
Monster member Greatly_underappreciated18049, getting answers from the boss proved to be a struggle:
I had to process at least a half dozen pallets of putaways every day. Why? Because the only other order picker in that area, who had plenty of time to screw around, was exempt from that requirement. I questioned both the line lead and shipping manager repeatedly on why this was. The shipping manager's answer: “Oh, that's something I'll have to take up with the line lead.” Quite interesting, given the answer I got from the line lead was to nod in the direction of the shipping office and say, “They don't want him to.” I would add this was in a facility that claimed to have a zero-tolerance policy on drugs and alcohol, and the individual who was exempt from handling putaways came in reeking of alcohol daily. Everybody knew it, and nobody did anything about it.Bing’s Diagnosis“This poor guy was dealing with a bunch of wimps,” says Bing. “The wimp will do anything to avoid decisions and responsibility. He hates to be blamed and loves to get credit. He also has a thing for committees and consultants. Wimps are very good at falling back on rules and structure. They are particularly adept at creating rules that make no sense and then forcing people to obey them.”
In this case, it’s the opposite -- there were legitimate rules in place, and the boss was too scared to enforce them. Bing says this can be attributed to an endless feeling of inadequacy. The wimp would rather turn a blind eye to bad behavior than deal with it directly.
Bing Suggests“The best way to respond to wimps is with force,” advises Bing. “Wimps hate direct confrontation -- as evidenced by the nodding line lead in the anecdote. Pointing out inconsistencies and wrinkles in the system is far less effective than simply stating, ‘Nah. That makes no sense. Let me know when you work this out,’ and then going about your basic duty. If asked to take up the slack for a drunken coworker, a quiet, ‘I don’t think so. Have Barry do it when he sobers up,’ may be highly effective.”
While this may seem risky, remember, Bing says it’s unlikely
greatly_underappreciated would be the one to get fired or even reprimanded. After all, he’s not the one showing up to work intoxicated.
More Help for Dealing with a Wimpy Boss:
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