People love to complain about their bosses.
People like to complain about their bosses so much I sometimes find myself
wondering how it’s possible that SO MANY people who are apparently both totally
useless and totally evil manage to get into such senior positions. I mean, if I
believed half of what I heard, I’d think there was some conspiracy afoot to
promote only incompetent minions of Satan.

That’s, of course, not true. Most bosses are
just trying to make a living.

But we’ve heard it all, haven’t we? So I used
those complaints, conducted a survey – and used the internet, of course – to
compile a list of reasons people hate their bosses.

If you’re in charge of a team, you want to be
liked. Don’t listen to people who tell you it doesn’t matter. It does.

Here are 10 reasons why employees hate their
bosses. Some of these are the same reasons your co-workers hate each other,
which we recently discussed. OK. Onward…

Why you’re a jerk, Boss:

You’re not qualified to tell people what to do, or at least they
don’t think you are: A recent study
by talent management firm DDI showed that nearly half of employees feel
they’re better qualified for their bosses’ jobs than their bosses. Be aware of
your limitations.

You’re condescending: It’s never
acceptable to be condescending (and even worse if you’re not qualified!). Who
do you think you are? Be respectful of your employees at all times and never
talk down to them.

You don’t listen: Listen when people
talk to you. The same DDI study showed 35% feel that their bosses never or
rarely listen to their concerns.

You fly off the handle: I hear stories
about bosses who have screaming fits or throw tantrums. If this is you, cut it
out. Anger is your enemy. You look like an idiot.

You’re too demanding: You ask people to
do extra work, stay late, and pile and pile and pile things onto their plates.
This is understandable. The demand is usually coming from above you, but be
aware that people are going to hate you for it.

You’re too casual: A lot of bosses try
to be one of the gang, like Steve Carrell’s character on TV’s The Office (I
actually hate that stupid show) but it’s difficult to be buddies with people,
then expect them to respect your authority. It shouldn’t be. This isn’t your
fault. But it’s true.

You’re grouchy: I once had a boss I
HATED. She was just a sour witch, all the time. In retrospect, she was probably
just stressed out, unhappy or…I don’t know…suffering from mental health
issues. Crap rolls downhill. So, you’re probably grumpy because someone higher
up is stressing you out. But don’t take it out on your team.

You don’t give compliments: And you only
give negative feedback. That is the worst. Your team does their job correctly,
even exceptionally, 95% of the time, but you only open your mouth to point out
mistakes and never give pats on the back. When someone does a good job, say so.
Say it loudly and say it often.

You take credit for other people’s work:
We know you do it and we can’t say anything about it. You say things like “I
came up with…” or “We did…” when in reality you did nothing and someone
else did it all. You’re a jerk.

You’re a weasel: You’re so concerned
about your own neck that you don’t have your team’s back when something goes
wrong, and you throw people to the wolves. Shame on you.

Ever had a boss you hated? Tell us about it. We won’t
tell. We promise.