Why bad bosses need an HR fix (Web Sight)

Putting a stop to the havoc caused by inferior superiors in the workplace

Whether they’re bullies, micro-managers, bad-tempered, incompetent or merely dim-witted, bad bosses are a big problem. An inferior superior can wreak havoc in the workplace. In a battle for talent, organizations can’t afford to have their reputations tarnished by departing employees. Learning to handle bad managers is an important issue for HR professionals. Here’s a look at some sites that offer insight.

AN HR PROBLEM

humanresources.about.com/od/badmanagerboss

The “Human resources” section of the About.com site provides plenty of articles and resources on how to deal with a bad boss. One article, entitled “Stop toxic managers before they stop you,” outlines why people who are difficult to work for are an HR concern and what can be done. The article says human resources professionals should be able to identify bad apples then deal with them by being direct and telling them what the problem is and why it must be stopped. Other articles include “Bad to the bone: Dealing with a bad boss or bad managers,” and “Bad bosses and how to deal with them,” which outline various types of bad behaviour and how to deal with each.

UNDERSTANDING BAD BOSSES

www.badbossology.com

The Badbossology website describes itself as “protecting people and companies from difficult bosses.” This site features access to more than 1,200 articles and resources on solving problems with difficult managers. The main page lists links to several pages and resources, including general solutions and advice, common bad boss behaviour, books and discussion forums. There’s also a link for bosses, executives and board members who are concerned about minimizing the impact of bad bosses, such as turnover, absenteeism and lost productivity. It also includes information on stress, bullying and how to prevent it, as well as links to articles from a variety of publications. There’s a free “Vault” function, which provides a secure repository for resources that users can bookmark for fast future reference. The vault function requires users to register and allows them to add their own notes and comments for each stored item.

SCAN THE RADAR

www.workindex.com/editorial/hre/hre0211-03.asp

This article by Carol Patton from Human Resource Executive magazine is entitled, “Help employees survive bad bosses.” It outlines several tips on how HR departments can identify troubled managers and assist the employees who work for them. Ideas include tools like biannual surveys that query employees about their relationship with their boss, using company ombuds who act as neutral third parties and report to senior-level management, and inviting a third party to discuss sensitive issues between an employee and a boss.

AN OBSTACLE TO PRODUCTIVITY

www.managementmalpractice.com

“Management malpractice has become the norm in today’s organizations,” according to this site’s manifesto, which adds that “working people around the world, from executive to entry levels, must rally together in opposition to what is becoming an epidemic of malpractice and abuse, before it destroys more lives and organizations.” Links on the left navigation bar are organized into three sections: “See it,” “Expose it” and “Prevent it.” Click on “Surveys/polls” under the “See it” section for a list of employee satisfaction surveys to see what’s described as “alarming statistics.” Under “Expose it,” there’s an intriguing function that promises to automatically generate a management malpractice memo to senior executives of any company that has received 10 different stories of management malpractice from disgruntled employees. The “Prevent it” section offers a list for managers entitled “50 Best Practices for Preventing Management Malpractice.”

Ann Macaulay is a freelance editor and regular contributor to Canadian HR Reporter. Her Web Sight column appears regularly in the CloseUp section.

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