Help – My Boss is Incompetent!

It was not even remotely astonishing to me to read research posted on Business News Daily that a third of employees who were polled “think their managers are completely or somewhat incompetent.” The poll was asking employees how they rated their manager’s performance, and only half responded that they thought it was “competent or very competent.”

An organization called the Americas for Right Management conducted this poll and reported that they were surprised by the results. They believe it is an indicator of the lack of trust between employees and their managers.

The ultimate result may be a lack of trust, but I believe that much of what contributes to this experience is a lack of training, and a lack of strong communication skills. In my experience as a former C-level executive, and as a consultant working with hundreds of managers and leaders, oftentimes a person is promoted to a manager position because of their “technical competence.” They have never been taught management skills. They may not inherently possess strong communication capabilities, they may not be a “people person,” they may not know how to set objectives and create plans to meet those objectives. They may not know which information to impart, which to hold back and which to hold as confidential.

In many cases, a person in management might not have a strong inner sense of self. They may lack confidence. They may feel they have to show their sense of importance and ego to “prove” themselves. It can be daunting for someone who hasn’t been taught or coached in strong management skills to know what’s best.

Truth be told, some people are simply good at managing up. They have been able to present an image and a level of confidence such that the person or people above them might believe them to be a good manager, but that same person might not be so good at managing down. They may not know how to transfer those communication and influencing skills in the other direction.

Let’s look at six basic steps a person new to management can take to improve their leadership skills and be seen by their employees as “competent or very competent.” If you are a manager, consider whether you could benefit from learning one of these, or if you have a boss that might need some help, print this blog and leave it confidentially on his or her desk…

1. Learn, or relearn, the art of active listening. Employees are often hesitant to share ideas with management. They may “see” things that you don’t see, but should know. Watch for any body language or verbal responses that indicate a desire to shut down communication. Some managers take the attitude of “Don’t bring me problems, bring me solutions,” but keep in mind that sometimes employees need a safe place to brainstorm or convey an observation. The more you listen, the more you will learn.
2. Give your employees the gift of problem-solving skills. When employees do bring problems, you might have a tendency to just want to solve it. “Make it go away” is a comment I often hear from managers. Your employees might not know how to solve things on their own. Help them think through (a) their desired outcome and (b) their options for getting to what they really want. Many times employees feel stuck and don’t know what to do next. Acknowledge this, and then help them get unstuck.
3. Set clearly defined goals. Be sure you are able to convey to staff where you are headed, and what you need to accomplish from both a qualitative and quantitative perspective. As an outgrowth of the goals, help staff understand the priorities. With limited time in the day, what’s most important to least important? Don’t assume staff knows this; help them to understand it.
4. Be careful how you convey what’s “urgent” and what’s not. Too often a manager will instill a fire-drill culture where people are asked to respond to everything as if it were the most important. In company with #3 above, don’t be guilty of throwing everything off your desk and expecting it “NOW!” You will find that your staff gets things done that don’t really matter and leaves others undone that are critical. Have a clear vision and convey that vision each time you hand out an assignment.
5. Get proficient in understanding communication style and approaches. Did you know that only a small amount of the population learns simply by reading? Do you deliver important information solely in the written form? Adult learners need to understand new information in the context of what they already know. Do you make the link and connect the dots so your staff can clearly see the impact, and understand why and how information pertains to them? Are you self-aware about your own style? Do you come across as intimidating or resistant in your approach? This is one of the most critical areas of success, and yet few managers know much about it. Learn.
6. Be like a good parent. Make the limits clear and reinforce consequences, but also see each employee for the valuable human being that they are. Make it your job to find what’s good about each person, and help them to flourish in their role and on your team. Hold them accountable and be fair to enforce rules across the board, but know that each person is different and offers you a gift. It’s your job to find ways to open that gift and reap the benefits.