AKA The Worst Managers In Business!

Get Help With These 25 Bad Managers!

Let us know which ones your are experiencing.

‍
1. Too Talkative
You know the ones, the ones who only talk, they never listen and expect you hear their unspoken words.
When they are questioned they continue to talk without making any progress or just say generic business speak.

2. “Leaders” Who Talk But Don’t Say Anything

The “hands on”, that manager who talks an incredible amount but rarely says anything of meaning or importance.
Does not inspire the leadership team or “the troops”.
Wants to lead every video call with a rally cry…but they tank.

3. Two Mouths, One Ear – Not Two Ears One Mouth

The old school manager, led huge teams and does not stop talking about their last place and refers to it as “we” still. Talks, talks and talks but rarely listens.
Often performance manages anyone out who doesn’t “listen” to them or challenges them.

4. My Team – My Meeting
Those managers who create a deck and talk through their points in team meetings just to fill the whole team meeting. Highly opinionated.
Asks if any questions but rushes out as constantly has time clashes or their one to one is conveniently after the team meeting.

5. Team Meetings As Status Updates Manager
Those who waste team meetings and everyones time for basic status updates that could have been a quick chat, an email or a slack chat.
Doesn’t dive into the issues or the wins of the team but think they are doing it right as they bring everyone together.

6. Drop Everything For Me
Dominance leader, expects everyone to drop everything they are doing when they talk.
Emails and instant messages out of hours and expects an instant answer.
Takes the texting if they do not receive an instant reply.
Will happily call your personal mobile on evening & weekends when they have a “thought”.

7. Managers Who Never Contribute
Has hugely important projects, never gives the team enough time to complete the projects and reviews the presentation at the last possible minute with requests of changes.
Changes rarely make any sense and kills the flow of the deck.
They add their name on lead slide, print as a PDF & send as their own work, presents to upper management and never gives any feedback.

8. Informal Number 2
The extra chummy right hand man of the big boss.
Loves to think they take control of meetings. Is constantly land grabbing and doesn’t speak for “we”, talks for “me” only and attempts to critique everyone’s else teams but has no control over their own.
Plots for domination.

9. The Empire Builder
Has a mid sized team but doesn’t understand why his team isn’t as big as others.Whenever a fellow manager leaves, they are the first person to offer to look after the team.
Makes everything his team is working on as the most important project of all time and needs headcount ASAP.
Doesn’t quit asking and telling everyone that will listen.

10. Promotes Based On Loyalty
Has a couple of very close people to them.Always loves a loyal member of the team, ensures they are looked after as they are their people. Promotes them for time served.
Calls out other people publicly with their flaws.
Likely is a clock watcher on those he doesn’t trust aka not loyal.

11. Busy By Calendar
Those always busy managers, regardless of the time, the day or the projects that the team has on.Has never helped to develop the team, or the individuals within their team, but thinks they do.
Takes being busy and a full calendar as being a good at their job, likes to think they are a good manager.
Zero idea of an issue until notices are handed in.

12. Find A (Impossible) Time In My Diary To Discuss
Busy bee manager who loves to find time to discuss but expects her team to find slots in her calendar that does not exist.Has kept those recurring meetings in their calendar just in case and to tactically block out time.
But always finds time for a coffee with fellow management team members.

13. Confuses Busy Over Effective
The mid level manager who has forgotten that being busy does not mean he and his team are delivering on their targets or goals.
Always in back to backs and rarely communicates with the team.
Wants to nudge meetings as too busy but struggles to find another time.

14. Management Over Email Not In Person
Sitting at the head of the desks in the office, they sit there and email you rather than speaking to you directly.They chase on email. They also proudly say “I’m at inbox zero”.
These managers are awkward and never manage in the moment.
Actively hates 1-2-1’s and tells you so in every 1-2-1.

15. Drop Me An Email On It
The frantic manager, the manager who sprints around the office and talks too quickly.
Often too caffeinated and doesn’t have time to have lunch.
When caught between meetings for an important decision, shouts walking away….drop me an email on it.
Rarely replies back.

16. My Door Is Open…Closed
Truly believes they are always available and wants to the team to know their door is always open but struggles to find the time or has a decides not to.
Happily blames their team member for them not finding the time or coming to them and saying they are struggling. But “does care”.

17. Loves Conflict Combat
The manager who loves to discuss everything and challenges the team on their points.
A bit of a know it all, but knows nothing about the team and never fights for them.
Fights against the team, not for the team.
But actively bows down to their manager.

18. Argues To Win Not Learn
The manager who was promoted too early because they were good at what they do but had no experience in management.
They argue with the team to win the argue and show their dominance but doesn’t discuss to the learn from the team.
Can’t quite admit defeat even when it is obvious. Dislikes the new, up and coming star of their team.

19. Read The Book Boss
The boss that has read the book on subject.Follows said book by the letter of the law and will say you are wrong when it challenges their interpretation of the book.
Suggests everyone reads said book and references paragraphs to sound smart.

20. Show Me Evidence
The ROI obsessed manager. Only cares about the return on investment of every activity.
Wants evidence shown for everything.
No guidance given, just wants to look good to his boss and his buddy, the CFO.
Always questions “Does our competitor use that or do that”.

21. Throw Staff Member Under The Bus In Front Of The Company

Never likes to look stupid and is careful with their own words..
BUT
Will happily throw their team member under the bus as they have failed to do their work or missed the deadline.
Doesn’t understand why her team doesn’t speak to her.

22. We Don’t Do It Like That
It’s my way or no way kinda manager.
They are a stickler for their own way and reminds everyone out loud that we don’t do it like that.
Has a very precise template for everything and if you stray – you will be told about it and reminded in your 1-2-1.

23. I Have Some Feedback For You
‍Feedback is a gift, you are reminded of it every week. The feedback is never positive and often reminds you of that one error you made and wants to bring it back to “improving you”.
The feedback king or queen cannot take any feedback and is dismissive when the roles are reserved.

24. Hires On CV/Resume
The manager who obsesses about being able to say they have hired someone from a ‘top university or college’. Obsesses about hiring people from top tech firms over those who have done the job or has the precise skills you need to round the team off. Makes a huge thing on company wide email that they hired X from Goo-book-zon.

25. Death By Reports, Death By Dashboard
The want to be next CIO. The person who loves reading every report out loud and loves making dashboards and checking the numbers.
Buys another tool to make better not pretty dashboards.
Has 16 dashboards on his third monitor. And the app…

Share The Worst Managers In Business Article: Go and share this on slack or Microsoft Teams or Email. See what your colleagues think.

Or text our Anonymous Text HelpLine on +447480064060 for help with your bad boss.