Your boss may love their job, have a great relationship with their co-workers and be well remunerated for the long hours they put in.

But if you have a bad boss, it doesn’t matter what they think.

Research suggests most people who work with a bad boss have thought about quitting.

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A bad boss doesn’t need to be a bad person, either – or one of those dreaded workplace psychopaths who sets out to intentionally undermine others. They can simply be incapable of leading a team due to their own incompetence, insecurities or lack of training.

“I have had jobs in the past that I loved, but I left because of a terrible manager,” says Adelaide-based Workforce Learning Strategist Dr Lindsay Ryan.

“One was a micro-manager and instead of being able to get on with my work, I was spending most of my time addressing his agenda.”

The New Daily asked the experts about the common mistakes managers make.

Bad bosses don’t communicate. Photo: Shutterstock

Communication

According to Mr Ryan, many managers think they are communicating with their staff, but they often see things a little differently.

“The number one problem bad managers have is communication,” Mr Ryan says.

“They often think they are keeping people well informed, but staff often want communication weekly, whereas many bosses think every few months is about right. There has to be a balance between the two, but you really can’t communicate with staff too much.”

Psychologist Eve Ash agrees, adding that it is the type of feedback that bosses give that really makes a difference.

“Many don’t give quality feedback. They will talk to a staff member but their feedback will be very generalised and pathetic,” Ms Ash says.

“Even when giving positive feedback, it’s not enough to just say, ‘You did a good job’. You have to be very specific.”

Unclear goals, expectations

There is nothing worse than toiling away at something you don’t really understand the purpose of. Mr Ryan says his research over the years has consistently shown people want to feel the work they do has meaning.

“In bureaucratic organisations this can be a problem because it becomes about the process not the outcome,” he says.

“Many managers fail to show a worker how their role contributes to the overall goal of what the company is trying to achieve. It is more significant than providing pay for people.”

Good managers nurture their tall poppies, they don’t cut them down. Photo: Shutterstock

Failure to look after high-achievers

In any workplace, there are likely to be a few tireless tall poppies, those innovative souls who are capable of great success.

Bad managers cut these people down, or fail to properly nourish them, according to Ms Ash.

“High achievers are the people who you need to really invest in and find out what their career goals are to help them achieve them,” she says.

“You may feel that you are helping them to move on, but you can’t keep people forever and it’s important to see them not (as a commodity) but as people whose career you can advance.” 

Never wrong

Bad managers are above reproach, and they rarely show signs of weakness or vulnerability.

“It’s that whole Peter Principle thing: people are generally promoted to a level above their actual competence,” says Mr Ryan.

“The problem is many managers cannot admit when they are wrong. And I am not saying you should announce it to the world if you don’t understand things, but the most effective managers are those who can admit they don’t know about something and use the strengths of their staff to come up with a solution.”

Ms Ash says many bad managers often fail to live up to the rules they set for others.

“You have to make sure you are reflecting the values of the company,” she says.

“You have to think of your legacy and how staff will remember you. You want to be one of those bosses that people rave about because you were such a great leader.”