Five Traits of Bad Managers

Bad Managers

We have all worked for and with bad managers, and I would hope that the reason you are reading this blog is to find out how to become a good manager. To get better at anything you need to understand what is the wrong way to do something so you can avoid doing things that will keep you from being the best.

I am sure that you can think of numerous bad managers that you have had to deal with throughout your career. Think about what made those managers bad. What were the traits they displayed, and what were the characteristics they lacked that rendered them ineffective in their job?

In looking back on my career, I have identified five qualities that I believe make for a bad manager. Consider if you display any of these qualities and if so think about what actions you can take to change them.

So, here are my five traits of bad managers:

1. Distrust. A belief that all people are inherently lazy and work avoiding. This characteristic keeps managers from developing strong relationships with their people. Managers who display this trait form alliances with a few employees that they feel they can trust and give favored preference to these trusted lieutenants playing one employee against another to try to motivate underperformers and failing to create trusting cooperative teams.
2. Micromanaging. Managing every small detail and not allowing employees the freedom to make decisions on non-critical tasks.
3. Commanding. Bad managers enjoy ruling over others and generally see punishment as a motivator. Typically, this trait is a product of the manager's lack of understanding and confidence in their ability. It is also a product of ignorance of human nature and fruitful social interaction, and the response becomes that people need to be ruled over. When there is a lack of trust and belief in people, then the leader feels that the only way to motivate people is to hold the threat of punishment over them. In reality, discipline is often demotivating and affects not just the individual, but the entire team as constant threats break down team morale.
4. Dishonesty. A bad manager isn’t honest with themselves or others about their shortcomings or failures which cause them to blame others for mistakes without taking ownership of their role in those mistakes. They always look to place blame on someone other than themselves. Did the manager fail to communicate properly or give clear instructions? Did the manager fail to see a problem and then looked to blame their short-sightedness on others? Bad managers are often insecure in their abilities and knowledge and therefore do not like to see where they are falling short. It is much easier to criticize others than to take accountability for one’s actions and take actions to change oneself.
5. Unreasonableness. Bad managers see every problem as a nail and therefore act like hammers utilizing the force of will and effort to respond to challenges. Often this is manifested in yelling, screaming, and putting employees down. Engaging in threats is how they react to almost all problems which create fear and an inability to act.

Conclusion

The overall general characteristic of a bad manager is a lack of honesty with themselves, and therefore a general distrust of people. Bad managers lack introspection and fail to take accountability for their shortcomings. They project their insecurities onto others and act out in ways that discourage cooperation, creativity, and risk-taking, all essential elements to healthy, successful teams.

By understanding what makes a lousy manager you can begin to look at your actions and see where you are acting like a bad manager to take steps to correct those actions.