Don’t be Naive: Don’t Complain About Your Boss
Do you have a bad, incompetent boss? Are you compelled to tell the higher ups about your situation? If you do tell your boss’s boss, are there any ramifications for you? Will “management” really do “something” about your bad boss?
Don’t fall into the trap that once did, by mistakenly informing the higher ups that my boss was incompetent. Check out BusinessWeek’s “The Welch Way, Jack and Suzy Welch answered the following question regarding bad bosses:
“My team has been forced to put up with an incompetent manager for two years. I spoke to the regional head and was told they were “working on it.” That was six months ago. I don’t want to be seen as a whiner, but I am thinking of going to the CEO to get some action. Your opinion?”
Jack and Suzy’s replied:
If you take your case to the CEO, you’ll get some action all right! And that sound you’ll hear is the collective groan of everyone who has ever watched in wonder as some poor, naive soul has tried to pull an end run…the answer is no–unless you have a big safety net or another job in hand. End runs backfire 80% to 90% of the time. Few bosses reward people who sneak around the organizational chain of command. Moreover, most companies are painfully aware of bad bosses and struggle to find a way to force them out.
Click here to listen to The Welch Way podcast.
Been There, Done That
When I read the question, my face winced . I picture that poor guy, asking the question of Jack and Suzy, going to the CEO, complaining about the incompetent manager, as the CEO quickly figured out a way to get rid of two employees. I know this doesn’t sound fair. It’s not. But companies aren’t stupid. Bad managers are identified, as the higher ups are trying to figure out how to “manage out” the bad manager, hopefully without a huge severance package and with cause.
Bad C-Level, Attentive CEO
I fell into this trap twice, by telling highers up about my bad boss. I was lucky on both counts, but learned that companies do know when they have a bad manager in their ranks. I also learned that it’s not easy for them to fire these people, especially if it’s a C-level. I remember a C-level who depopulated a department I was working in. I remember my C-level having a meeting with me asking me to get on board with him or else. I was quiet. I had another job that I had accepted; however, I didn’t tell him during this meeting. I thanked him for the meeting. I was strangely silent. Literally, after this meeting, I walked down to the CEO’s office. His admin looked at me with wide eyes as I said, “I need to meet him.” “Oh no, you’re quitting aren’t you! Because of your boss!”
I met with my CEO, who said, “I understand. I’m taking care of it. Take a two-week break, come back and I’ll have it taken care of for you. Can you not start your other job? Give me a chance.” I knew my CEO had good intentions, but he was also going on vacation during that time. Would not have a chance to take care of “things” and I couldn’t risk being at risk. I did accept the job. In fact, it took my CEO six or seven months to get rid of my bad C-level because my CEO wasn’t going to fire the bad guy. He alienated the bad guy. Tortured the bad buy. When I say “tortured” I mean humiliated him by taking away all direct reports, banishing him to a floor under construction, as my CEO waited for this guy to leave. And the bad guy left and without the severance.
Lesson Learned, Don’t Do It
My lesson learned? The boss’s bad boss already knows. Everyone knows. It’s not our responsibility to tell your boss’s boss that your boss is incompetent. These matters are extremely complex, highly political. These bad managers often have to be surgically removed.
So what can you do? If you don’t think anything’s being done, then determine if you should leave. Why work at a company that would allow this to happen? If you rat on your boss, then you’ll be labeled so that’s not an option. Remember, it’s all about you, not the bad boss. It’s about your coping strategy and having a successful exit if you have a bad boss that is entrenched. Yes, it’s complicated. Yes, it would be nice to tell someone have the bad boss removed without harm to you and your career in your company, but according to Jack and Suzy, this scenario is only likely 10% to 20% of the time. Not good odds.
