I had the privilege (sarcasm here) of being an employee at different companies and organizations throughout my career.  I became my own boss in 2005 – what a great decision!  The leap into entrepreneurship was due to many reasons but mostly because I needed to escape the varying bosses that had me feeling everything from confusion to frustration to accomplishment.

I think I had every kind of boss out there – relaxed, micro, hands off, mentor, etc.  I also had the two extremes of the continuum when it came to bosses.  I was blessed with one who resembled a cross between a parent, friend and cheerleader that made work fun and social – time flew by so quickly and boy were we productive!!  I was also cursed with a supervisor who was a nightmare (insecure, control freak, inept and political) that created frustration, confusion, tension and resentment.  We spent more time complaining and getting angry than getting the work done.  These two managers were as different as night and day and created teams and results that were as equally diverse.

This situation is not unusual because I see it all the time as a workplace consultant.  The thought crosses my mind the other day – should I have acted differently for each supervisor?  With such differences, was it my responsibility to be a different employee with each supervisor?  Was it in my best interest to accommodate the type of supervisor I had in order to be successful?  I can certainly say my reactivity with the bad boss was much more evident and my level of productivity with the better boss was much higher.

So what position are we putting employees in when they are subjected (or blessed) with a bad or good boss?  Is the type of boss just luck and success should arise because of employees react well under the circumstances?

I would so no.  I would say the responsibility lies with the supervisor to be efficient, a good role model and a effective leader.  I don’t think we should ask employees to change depending on what team they are on and what type of boss they are subjected to.

What do you think?  Are you a good boss or do you have things to work on in order to be better?  Do you have employees whose success depends on the team they are on?

If you are ready to have an outside perspective on your managers and supervisors to determine if that is where the problem lies, check out our Building Better Bosses Program or contact us at pam@thepossibilities.ca or 604-349-8660. We will assess your workplace to find the problems and help you create solutions that are long lasting.