There have been many stories lately about disappointing or plain ol’ bad managers (they aren’t good enough to be called leaders) who are narcissistic, show czarist traits or those who make you think of an infamous line from Forest Gump.
Take a break from your work day and see which of the outlines applies to your boss—then, use the crosswalk below to see how you can positively affect business and what you should do about them. (Feel free to cast your vote as to which type you’ve encountered in the comments!)
The Scapegoat: This is the one to whom all problems lead, but somehow manages to point a finger elsewhere (even though it should be pointed right back in a mirror at the top dog). Never this one’s fault, but will grab the closest underline to throw under the bus. Example
The Squirrel: You know how nuts are hidden by this rodent all during the fall for self-preservation through a winter storm and it seems to be a never ending hole to supply food (aka excuses)? Yep, same concept. According to the squirrel, everyone else hid the fruits and the head nut has no clue. Illustration
The Badger: “Luke, I am your father,” and you better not question me or you’ll get sent to your room over and over again. Loyalty is demanded of you or prepare to be tossed off the island—poof! Highlight
The Goldfinch: When a whole lot just seems like a way to get a lot more; Alfred Hitchcock had a great representation of how this type can multiple and become a real nuisance by volume alone, regardless of their real-world impact. Bankroll
The Rabbit: While seemingly cute on the outside, the crazy-maker bouncing around everyone’s projects and wanting it ALL with unreasonable timelines and no substance to support the tasks, well…“Thumper” only refers to the foot-hitting the workers on the head or in the butt to move faster (and frequently not in the right direction as well as not accomplishing anything). Bunny-foo-foo
The Blue-Footed Booby: Wanting something so bad it brings a drool to one’s lips, bad choices are made over and over again in the drive get higher on the ladder. Pride goeth before the fall, even when it causes embarrassment in public life. Drumroll
The Sloth: Often rising above level of competency, you have no idea how getting that far was possible given productivity and disinclination to do more. You are reminded… constantly… why it is one of the seven deadly sins, particularly when a problem balloons to epic proportions. Cartoon but real world
So you’ll notice in this last depiction I reminded you of the seven deadly sins. Frequently, it’s easy to see sins in others, particularly when they make our lives miserable and threaten our paycheck. Take a look again at the typecasting for the animal-ification (as opposed to personification) of those sins: Scapegoat = Envy; Squirrel = Gluttony; Badger = Wrath; Goldfinch = Greed; Rabbit = Lust; Blue-Footed Booby = Pride; Sloth = well, Sloth.
I did not use the typical references for these examples because rarely do we find the perfect beast in the real world. However, to counter these office monstrosities, we do need to use virtues and some common sense that seems so rare when problem-solving.
Since you could follow superhero comics, you know that good is used to battle evil. Your company’s outward-facing communications and appearance need to ensure it doesn’t reflect your animal-ification above. Here are the “goods” you need to use in order to “fight the stupids” (as they used to say at the Maple Street Book Shop). These are derived from Greek philosophy as well as theological virtues that all have applications in the marketplace. Here’s how you can overcome the top-down impairments to help your business to succeed.
- Best used in defense of Envy is Prudence (Timing) - Timing is everything, including doing the right thing at the right time (which is prudence). If it hurts others, don’t do it; know that envy stems from people realizing that you personally can do more and almost always do it right (which feeds their envy). To whom much is given, much is required—this means you. Realize, too, that it may be you that listens to a customer complain about the beast.
- Best used in defense of Gluttony is Temperance (Restraint) - You need to display mindfulness of your surroundings with self-control and moderation, balancing the good of the business with the cray-cray tasks requested. If you focus too much on the insanity, it causes you to forget to contribute to “the bottom line” in a positive way, giving those higher up a sign to show you to the exit. They say moderation is best, and this applies to your attitude as well as price hikes or sales cuts, too.
- Best used in defense of Wrath is Faith (Truth) - When you don’t add logs to a fire, the diminishing fuel can no longer sustain the burn once the original logs are gone. When you look at what’s right and don’t feed into the hostility or conflict by antagonizing the situation, you show respectful trust that the end will be right, regardless of the anger shown by someone giving orders. Angry customers or angry coworkers will always appear; let them vent and then get back to solving problems.
- Best used against Greed is Love (Goodness) - Two wrongs don’t make a right, so consider that behaving in the right not only helps you sleep at night, but others will notice that you chose the high road over and over again. Customers are moving more toward socially responsible companies, products and their customer service avenues that it literally pays to do the right thing.
- Best used in defense of Lust is Justice (Process) - They say justice is blind, but those who help bring justice to situations are careful to note the rules and apply them. You cannot despair or be fearful, but rely on the truth to get you through a myriad of intimidation tactics. If you are handling a recall or accident, the truth is always the best policy. It’s the only thing that will stand of its own accord at the end of the day and it will keep you standing tall, too.
- Best used in defense of Pride is Hope (Encouragement) - When you focus on the outcome of a project or assignment rather than how you look doing the task, respect is earned from those who truly matter. Hope is one tool that you should consistently use to empower as well as encourage others around you to help fight the battle instead of fighting the wacko all alone. Customers will rave about your helpfulness and likely seek your advice when making purchasing decisions.
- Best used in defense of Sloth is Courage (Strength) - Being careful and honest in your worth ethic carries your reputation a long way. Everyone knows it takes longer to build than destroy, so make sure to show your strength because you aren’t giving up on doing what’s right or what takes some work to accomplish. Courage is a cousin of patience, because you know you are going to be stomping mad at the slow progress, so apply them both for improving the situation at work.
These are the ways we work together to fight egos and temptations. It’s a community effort, with a variety of tools (voting, purchasing power and more) to show what we believe and not let the bad folks win. Nowhere do I note that you fight a battle alone, though admittedly sometimes that happens. You control your own behavior and rise above - the cream goes to the top.
Be a warrior from the top even if you aren’t at the top… your actions will soon get you there.
Heather M. Hilliard is Principal and Chief Strategist for R. Roan Enterprises, LLC, a professional services consulting firm supporting businesses in pointed areas of expertise as well as with individuals for targeted projects or career development. For more articles like these, visit her posts on LinkedIn or on G+.
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