A good manager is someone who motivates you, gives you confidence and the desire to stretch yourself. A good manager promotes autonomous team working and allows you take the initiative, knowing how to rein you in if necessary. A good manager is easily able to identify your strengths and weaknesses and push you forward. Unfortunately though, not all managers are good managers and those that are not are to be avoided! Here is some advice on how to spot them in a meeting, during an interview or at your place of work.

Bad managers are authoritarian, arrogant and more than willing to belittle their employees

Bad managers are often arrogant and authoritarian, believing they know more than you, which is often accompanied by a tendency to refuse to delegate anything important. Petty tyrants believe they can do it all themselves, without their team; they would feel they were losing power if they were to do things differently. Managers know how to recognise the value of people, things and situations. They see the potential of their employees and, above all, know how to communicate a positive vision of the future.

Bad managers do not share information, promote autonomy and obstruct any initiative

If a manager is evasive and answers your questions in an ambiguous manner, this is not a good sign. Managers who prefer to keep information to themselves have got it all wrong. They may feel that by controlling everything they are holding on to their power and authority, but employees judge their manager in terms of their skills, energy and ability to motivate their team. Managers do not solve all the problems for their employees: instead, they take time to teach their employees how to solve problems themselves. They are not “all-powerful”.

Bad managers do not encourage their team and take all the credit for themselves

Managers who try to take all the credit for work carried out by their team will dishearten their team in the short or medium term. Managers should not talk about their team and the results achieved using “I”. Managers should support their employees and help them to progress, not the opposite! When his men were discouraged and wanted to throw him overboard, Christopher Columbus was able to see “the Indias” in the distance and had enough energy to remotivate his crew so they would sail a bit further!

Bad managers with a “petty tyrant” mentality are therefore harmful individuals demonstrating at least one of these characteristics. You have to be able to recognise them in a company so you can avoid them, but you must also make sure you don’t become one!

 

Have you ever had to deal with bad managers during your career?