If you’ve ever seen the movie Horrible Bosses, you’ve probably laughed so hard you cried. The “horrible bosses” in the film were truly wretched and cruel. Now, I’m not advocating for violence or murder, but if you are a small business owner you may want to spend some time on self introspection before you develop a troop of angry individuals plotting some serious revenge.
Here are the tops signs that you might be a horrible boss.
1. The turnover is high
If you feel as though you are constantly posting ads to hire people, you can take that as a sign. While you might also be bad at finding quality applicants, you must take notice when people are continually handing in their 2 week notice or just not showing up for their shift.
Also keep in mind to not take each resignation personally. People do sometimes move on for genuine reasons and if you start taking each one personally, it will not go over well with the rest of your crew. You can be offended, just don’t get in a habit of showing it.
2. Your employees work around you
Have you ever noticed that your employees are doing things without asking or not following your explicit instructions? One of two things is likely happening. Either they are afraid to approach you or they think that your ideas or instructions are not intelligent.
Either way, this is a sign that your boss skills need some improvement. You definitely don’t want to be terrifying or appear to be incompetent. You must find that middle ground where you get the respect and your staff follows through.
3. Overpromising
Sometimes a positive outlook on your business can lead you to promise things that you just cannot guarantee. Don’t promise Julie in sales that if she just works hard enough and the company gets large enough, that she will be VP of sales in no time. Unless you are hiring for that position and interviewing her that day, just don’t even bring it up.
Overpromising can lead to hurt feelings and more resignations. It is ok to be a cheerleader for your company, but don’t turn that into things that you cannot follow through on.
4. You can’t make a decision
Running your own show means making decisions…all…the…time. If you are still deciding which tie to wear yesterday or the new logo is taking forever to finish, then you can’t make a decision to save your life. You must drop the other shoe or your indecisiveness will get you nowhere fast.
Also, it is super annoying to make a decision and minutes or even hours later change your mind. It happens, but if you are doing it too much then you displaying to your staff a huge lack of confidence. Employees do not take well to a boss who is not very confident.
5. You Run Your Mouth
It is very tempting to be buddy-buddy with your employees, but it’s best to just stop. You must draw a line in the sand. You are the boss and they are the employee. It doesn’t mean treat them like crap, but it means to create boundaries for what you will and will not share with them.
It is easy to vent to one employee about the frustration you may have with another. You must stop yourself because employees talk. They discuss things behind your back all day long. Trust no one and it won’t bite you in the ass.
Running your mouth also leads to playing favorites, which will be easily seen among your crew. Do not give your employees a reason to gossip, and that starts with you.
6. Your nickname is “Helicopter Harry”
Do you tend to hover over your staff to make sure they are getting stuff done? Yes, it’s true that sometimes you must babysit certain employees or they won’t work as hard, but drop the helicopter act. You must give your staff some room to breathe and a chance to get the job done.
You will definitely lose respect if you micromanage and tower over your employees’ every move. Show that you trust them and they will also have a higher respect for their job.
7. You Make Inappropriate Comments
Sexual in nature or not, you need to really check yourself for inappropriate comments. It might be fun to jest with your employees, but some people might be afraid to tell you if they feel like you are going overboard. If you can’t say it in church or to your momma, then you probably shouldn’t be saying it to your employees.
Final Thoughts
Most people can tell if they are a horrible boss. Some people thrive on power and believe they are truly perfect. Take some time to see if you are committing any of these violations before starting a brand new day or new week. It’s not too late to turn yourself around a little bit.