How to Recognize a Bad Manager (and What to Do About It)

Bad managers are fun to watch on TV, like Michael Scott on “The Office” or J. Peterman on “Seinfeld.” 

But bad managers aren’t so much fun to work with in real life. 

Whether or not employees like their jobs has a lot to do with how much they like and trust their managers. A good manager brings out the best in people. Bad management wrecks motivation and creates frustration and division. 

Weeding out bad managers or molding them into good ones is crucial to business success, especially for smaller companies. Effective managers play a pivotal role in driving productivity and fostering a positive work environment. Bad management styles, on the other hand, lead to a host of detrimental business outcomes if they’re left unchecked, including low employee morale, high turnover rates and decreased overall performance. 

How to Recognize a Bad Manager 

As a business owner, a bad manager on your company’s team may be obvious to you. This may be the person who’s constantly negative, complains a lot and hints that the company has problems but rarely offers suggestions for addressing them. It’s likely the manager is communicating with the same kind of negativity to supervisees. 

Sometimes, however, a bad manager puts on a “positive face” with company leaders while treating employees with disrespect or exhibiting other undesirable tendencies in interactions with them. 

One of the key indicators of a bad manager is an escalating number of employee complaints. If employees routinely raise issues about a manager’s behavior, decisions or communication style, company leaders should listen to and address those concerns. 

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Frequent internal transfer requests and high turnover rates in the staff of a certain supervisor are also signs of problematic employee management since bad bosses are often the reason people leave their jobs. 

Even if you’re not hearing rumblings about the people who are responsible for managing others in your company, it’s a good idea to gauge managers’ performance periodically by anonymously surveying employees who work for them. Workers’ feedback can provide valuable insights into the strengths and effectiveness of managers, as well as help to identify areas for improvement. 

Traits of Bad Managers 

Understanding and being alert for behaviors that characterize bad managers also can help small business owners identify the individuals they need to guide in a different direction. Ineffectual managers typically fall into one or more of the following categories of bad management styles: 

• The Bully Manager

  The bully manager uses intimidation, belittlement or harassment to control employees. This manager creates a toxic work environment that can cause stress, low morale and decreased productivity. 

• The Absentee Manager

  Absentee or neglectful managers, who fail to provide the necessary guidance, support, resources and recognition employees need. These disengaged managers leave employees feeling neglected and unsure about how to carry out their roles and responsibilities. Employees who work for an absentee or neglectful manager are likely to lose motivation and eventually become disengaged. 

• The Micromanager

  Micromanagers, on the other hand, exhibit excessive oversight and scrutiny. They breathe down employee’s necks, stifling creative thinking, preventing employees from taking ownership of their work and making staff members reluctant to take initiative for fear they’ll be told they’ve made a wrong move. 
  
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• The Indecisive Manager

  Indecisive managers create confusion and frustration among their team members. They limit productivity by guiding employees to take certain actions, only to change direction a short time later; or they won’t make decisions at all, causing work to lag and employees to lose interest. 

• The Autocratic Manager

  Autocratic managers, who make virtually all decisions without involving their staff, can lead to a lack of employee empowerment and a diminished sense of teamwork. 

• The Overly Critical Manager

  Overly critical managers focus on pointing out mistakes and rarely offer constructive feedback or recognition for a job well done. 
  
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• The Complacent Manager

  Complacent managers resist change and hinder innovation. They fail to adapt to evolving business needs and prevent their teams from taking actions that would be beneficial to the company. 

• The Disorganized Manager 

  Disorganized managers create chaos, start-and-stop performance, missed deadlines and a lack of clarity, leading to inefficiency and frustration within their teams. 

• The Passive-Aggressive Manager

  Passive-aggressive managers withhold recognition and praise, pit employees against each other, restrict information employees need to do their jobs effectively and may give staff members the silent treatment as a way to punish or control. Because these managers keep their teams off balance, staff members end up second-guessing and attempting to cover themselves. They focus on trying to figure out how to please the passive-aggressive supervisor, rather than on producing great results for the company. 

How to Avoid and Address Bad Managers 

To avoid bad managers in the first place, consider a person’s character and soft skills before filling a management position – abilities like clear communication, consistency and reliability, a problem-solving orientation and strong interpersonal competencies. Candidates who make good managers are collaborative and have a demonstrated aptitude for motivating, engaging and inspiring people. 

If you discover managers who are not performing up to expectations after they’re already on the job, there are still steps you can take to correct the situation. If feedback from employees or from a survey has brought the bad manager’s actions to your attention, acting on this feedback demonstrates your commitment to maintaining a positive work culture. So be sure to implement action plans based on the employee input or survey findings. 

Offer ongoing coaching and training to enhance the offending manager’s skills, focusing on areas where they can improve. Engage in the process by also holding regular one-on-one meetings with the manager to provide support, guidance and an opportunity for either party to voice and address concerns.  

To make sure the manager is doing a better job after coaching and training, besides considering your own observations, conduct a follow-up employee survey to ensure that supervisees are seeing improvements, as well. 

The time you invest in your managers’ development pays big dividends, because they’re integral to your company’s long-term success. Good managers inspire engaged, productive employees, without whom no business can survive.