Keep a record of the things they promised to do for you & emails they haven't responded to, and then follow up with them in the next 1-on-1 or with a gentle reminder. There's a good chance they got where they are (or stay where they are) by being responsive to their boss, not to others, including their reports.
@@obgfoster good luck with that. If your manager is in the clique with upper management, chances are you will leave rather than your manager. Middle management kiss a** to their uppers for a reason.
Gtfo. Nobody deserves to work for an incompetent "leader". When they can kick you out for any/no reason there is no patience or empathy to be had. We need to stop bootlicking those working against the working class.
I don’t feel sorry for any bosses, they are paid good money to manage people. If they can’t do the job, then they should do the decent thing and leave or demote from their role
@@matthewsmith2787 yep and everyone says WE should be the ones to leave..why? so the next person can suffer and i can give up the last 8 years of working my ass of to move up??
😅 Some are simply competent at creating problems. And then complaining about the messes they create! There's always a scapegoat to conveniently blame. It's almost as though they're rather accustomed to conflict and crisis as they keep on causing them. Along with the blame shifting, oftentimes there's emotional immaturity, outbursts and an inability to engage interpersonally. But listening to them you'd think that they're infinitely adept at just about everything. It's always someone else's fault and despite your being a victim of such conduct, they claim to be victimized again and again. If it's not you, it's another employee or previous ones or, people they do business with. I guess they just deem themselves entitled to waste your time, devalue one's knowledge, experience and efforts and coast along through life insulting people. Let's not forget all the ethical flexibility on top of it all. These people don't take classes, read books or do research to become better leaders. They know everything and will go to great lengths to prove that they are experts and that the people around them working on their behalf know nothing. I can have empathy for those that are objective, have a growth mindset and are conscious about improving their leadership and skills. Others though that are clueless and see nothing wrong with how they conduct themselves is another matter!
It is amazing how incompetent people get promoted, most often times due to luck, nepotism/cronyism, or a lack of qualified applicants applying for the job.
A boss not knowing what he/she is talking about is the same thing as a boss following dumb orders from senior management. In both cases, you smile, find a better job and leave. If you complain, especially publicly, you will be label as evil and unprofessional and be used as a scapegoat - You will be blamed for their failures. They have a bigger voices so too few will hear your side. Its best to leave a mess as it is almost impossible to save it.
@@JenniferBrick I come from a culture where we try not to give up and are taught to endure suffering. So I mistakenly stayed at a toxic job in hope it will be better. I learned my lesson the hard way and learned to throw traditions and culture and religion in the trash when they lead to nonsense and pointless suffering.
Worse than when they don't know, is when they think they know and can't even be brought back to best practices, because that deviates from their unworkable solution
That is true. I’m glad you said that. Makes me feel better about my very very clueless boss…. At least he admits he doesn’t know what he’s doing….. It still makes me feel like I’m going along with INSANITY.
If the boss has no idea what they are doing, the hiring managers don't either, which ultimately means the entire company doesn't. Cover your butt, and start trying to get out of there.
@@Ratwere Sometimes, even mangers need help from their employees. They don't always know everything just because they are a manager. Sometimes, the employee, knows more about the job than the manager does and that can be embarrassing for the person in charge. But let's work together to solve a problem, rather than saying it's not my problem.
Quit. A clueless manager is inept Management. The buck will be passed to you( it becomes toxic when management plays blame game). Stay at your own risk
I feel like a lot entrepreneurs confuse business skills with management skills and assume because they know how to make money, they're going be a great manager. Nope!
It’s not that the boss is an idiot but it’s the fact they don’t even appreciate you. There a reason why famous entrepreneurs succeed as a good boss as they acquire people smarter than them.I had a boss who had no idea how to manage and just told them to hurry up and put crazy pressures so that he can look good and not see how his own team suffered.
I have more resentment than empathy. I don’t take on responsibility unless I’m confident in my ability. Just pretends to listen. Goes in one ear and out the other. So everyone goes to their boss when there’s a problem
This is the worst when it happens, Krisi. It's like when you're dating someone who is a jerk but you haven't broken up with them yet and they decide to break up with you. First things first: getting fired NEVER feels good in the moment. But it does mean you don't have to deal with this terrible manager anymore. When you're dealing with a manipulative + insecure boss, what I often see is they are VERY threatened by people who a) they know have more potential than them, b) are aware of how bad they are, and c) with manipulators they can't effectively control (this outrages them). So what do we do? We hold a funeral. Mourn the job... not that you're probably upset about not working with that bad manager anymore... but it's the idea of the job and of course the sense of security it gave. Cry and mope, watch the Devil Wears Prada (its like the bad boss movies but like so badly done), hate-read their Glassdoor reviews, and complain to people who will *get it* (leave the people who won't out of it!). But don't stay in that deep. When you're ready (or when you reach a max time there, I'm a fan to max dwell times).... Write down all the great things that you did at the job and the job before. The things you're great at doing and that you love doing. Find the commonalities and focus on marketing those in your job search and pursuing opportunities that align with those things. The great side effect into digging into your awesomeness is it's gonna give your confidence booster you need for your job search (I always argue confidence is number one in job search).
Rub it in there face how much work they will now have to do when you aren't there carrying them as they fire you. Or if you see it ahead of time quit at the worst possible time before the firing happens. Bonus points if you go out with a bang
You hit the nail with this one. I got fired because the boss just got word of a mistake I made and he blew up the context into something that was not even important. Fuel the fire and then without warning fired me the same day. I felt betrayed and annoyed. It was all for the best as after he fired me, he gotten demoted and lost all his respect from fellow employees who felt really bad for me as I did a lot for the team. I eventually found a better job with a great boss. It still bothers me to this day as I’ve never been fired, unemployed unexpectedly, and was let go because some personal intentions. I learn a lot how these smaller companies run and how the few bad eggs can ruin the culture of the company.
If you're in a hopeless situation and your boss takes feedback negatively, you can look for another job and put your 2 weeks notice in. Try to be as pleasant as possible, just do what your told, and just pretend to like your boss the best you can until you can finally leave.
It's a job. You deserve decent leadership to fulfill your employment contract. If your boss is defective, ask how you're expected to complete your job function and move them out. On the job training is not an option for management.
My manager is more the type to bury her head in the sand, which sucks. Too afraid to make waves. I do have empathy for her current situation, she has a lot going on at home. But that's also not my fault
My new boss is a friend of the owner and desperately in need of a job. He has zero experience in our field and should be an entry level person under my management. I have tactfully made my case to the owner as to why this person should not be making decisions and changing systems that I set up - that were very productive. He was given admin level access and he has caused many problems that I am expected to go in and clean up (some irreversible) - which is time consuming, frustrating, and takes me away from my other responsibilities. I some times wonder if I am actually on a prank show, or are they trying to get me to quit???
My first boss was weird, she sometimes was very friendly and laid back, and other times she was horrible, nitpicking. You never knew where you stood with her. When she left her role, another boss took over who was even worse still, you wonder how is it possible ?
I've had to cover for so many incompetent bosses in the past I can't even count it. Yes, normally I try to help them and teach them...but all too often they're mad on power and will just tell you off for telling them how to do their job, and subsequently punish you in some way for it. On the times they appreciate the help, it all too often just results in you doing their job for them on the regular without getting the same pay - and then you'll be passed over for promotion, because hey, if you are doing it for free anyway, why would they offer to pay you more for it? I have had one or two times the bosses have took on my advice and help, then followed my example and become better bosses as a result, eventually learning to do it right on their own, but bosses... people...like this in my experience definitely seem to be the exception and not the rule. It seems like 90÷ of the time you're just better off not getting involved and if it becomes heavily detrimental to your working life, just moving on to greener pastures.
You have a lot of great points. However I'm not sure how managing a boss (or lead) is beneficial. Shouldn't they already come with the basic skills of the job before working in the position? And wouldn't that be over-stepping boundaries?
First of all - I bet you anything the 4 people that gave this video a thumbs down are the bad managers LOL. No but seriously, love this video. My faaaav tip is "don't ask for permission"! THIS IS GOLD! I mean it's all gold but that one really resonates. I need to share this EVERYWHERE! Also empathy is often the one that is forgotten, so that was a great place to start as well.
@@JenniferBrick Love how you are always fair in your analysis and critique. I'm not going to lie. There are a lot of managers that can care a RATS ASS about people - some I've come into contact to recently. I had a call with a manager who said she saw it to be a "waste of time" to train herself cus all her employees deserved good enough. I have to tell you it took all of me not to hang up the call with her. I did NOT accept her into my training program because someone like that is exactly who is causing issues. BUT I also know there are many that care and want to do it right. So I love the balance you struck in this video and equipping your people with the knowledge to get through the many dunces out there.
so helping the person who makes more money, has a better car, has a better house and can afford better vacation and lifestyle without having the knowledge or doing what you can do.this to me sounds idiotic
Yep. That’s why i quit. How can I respect my boss when she doesn’t know how to use photoshop, how to put an SD card into a computer, and how to create a marketing campaign (which is crazy for a social media manager). She gave me strict deadlines and tell me to go back home if I was more than 5 mins late. while she had set no deadlines for herself, came in late frequently (would always give some vague excuse), and would leave early frequently even though she’s the salary worker and I was paid by the hour lol.
Been through several regimes at my company and sounds like a few leads and actual shift managers. When you have to show them things and etc and they ask you "you know you have been here for a long time" it means they are not willing to learn and just hired to push people around which makes people quit and business go down.
This sounds so much like my old boss: inept, insecure, and seemed threatened by me.... My new boss is just flaky: harmless, but flaky, LOL. I can deal with a flaky, well rounded boss. It's like the lesser of two evils
Ugh. I had so many incompetent bosses when I worked for the state. BUT, as opposed to the types you talked about in this video, they thought they were the best, smartest, and most skilled bosses ever. They were complete idiots. Eventually, 11 years of this, and I just quit about 6 weeks ago. Can’t do it anymore.
This where I currently am; my current supervisor came in about seven years ago and just started changing things right away...without any understanding why certain procedures were in place. She continues to challenge me every step of the way, and I have had it. I am currently seeking another job and cannot WAIT to turn in my two weeks notice.
I have extremely egotistical incompetent bosses who believe they know what they're doing and keep screwing up pieces of my work based on the idea that they know. And now they are trying to promote their family member who is even less competent and more insufferable.
My lead is so incompetent. She has to sign off on certain things and I cannot move forward until she approves it. Problem is I have to consistently remind her for. She is very disorganized, all over the place, and then doesn't follow through on things. My supervisor tells me I have to run everything through her and it's a nightmare! She is also manipulative and has lied on me before. I tried talking to her before and she gets defensive every single time.
yes i would love a video on the insecure incompetent threatened boss... wish i saw this years ago..ive had three thus fr based on a reorganization..started with a great boss- then a restructuring - started to report someone who had no business being in charge..
i have had enough empathy at this point. i gave her so many excuses and so much mercy. it is ONE thing if you admit that you struggle and apologize now and then..an entirely OTHER thing if you have only TWO employees bc you couldnt get along with/fired the other two...and STILL cant handle even THAT. and worse: if every time SHE doesnt know her shit, she makes ME feel incompetent out of her own insecurity. over. it.
it's the EMPATHY for me. The new boss is literally new on our system. She doesn't know the system at all and etc and was thrown their just 3weeks ago. I have to be more understanding. The last boss I had was condescending at times but he gets the job done. And I like it. The new one has a soft spot people can see and might use it to gain something.
I am in the latter. I think it's fear with both of them. I have proven over the years that I can work without supervision and make the decisions that need to be made for improvement
me, when i was young and naive: "just try to be more empathetic to your boss. you should serve him well and you will get rewarded :D " me, today after experiencing life for what it is: "you should kill him, and steal his money"
I have a meeting to discuss a process where I unintentionally accepted blame for discrepancies & you helped me polish my proposal to show them what I do so that they'll get a better understanding. My job recently laid off tons of people essentially out of nowhere & people are rightfully jumping ship. Might be time to reconsider.
My boss is bringing hell to me he doesn't understand anything I'm literally a whole IT team by myself, I'm really at a stage were I think he might tell me to strip dance for him. He thinks I am supposed to know and do everything just cause I'm a software engineer graduate
Most of my inept bosses was when I was in the army,stationed at Ft Hood,Tx-1stCav Div.I have sooo many stories I don't know where to start!!! LOL.I mean all my sgts were lazy,inept,weak and didn't care about running our platoon.I went to complain to my 1st Sgt and this is what I said-1St Sgt ALL MY NCOs ARE WEAK and LAZY. He replies as his head drops-I KNOW.WELCOME TO THA ARMY.
Its affects the value placed on your work hence less pay because they dont see how much effort the job requires. If you need their approval finances then No. You cant be proactive.
Being proactive and creating opportunities to make an impact and expand your skills will at minimum add value to your resume and make you more competitive in the job market. More often then, it gets you noticed by senior leaders, or if your clueless boss just hasn't been enabled (true for most), they will acknowledge your accomplishments.
@@JenniferBrick That works if the Manager is willing to give you that visibility. If he doesn't, there is nothing you can do. This was me at my internship. Always removing my names from the documents that are signed by upper management and then denying it when I bring it to him privately. Trust me, incompetent bosses are the worst! They will make life a lot harder. They would change the process and not inform you. In their head, you should know what to do. Funny enough, I am finding this as an engineering intern new in the industry lol.
I know a supervisor that has someone doing almost everything for him, he talks too much trying to make himself look good but he does so often it is obnoxious but the fault is also of the person that hired him and their low standards.
It’s always important to remember you and your boss are on the same team (most or the time) so working with them is better than against them. Great video!
What?? We have obviously tried working WITH them and that failed, or we wouldn’t be watching this video. OP has to be a bot to be making such an unaware comment.
I tried empathize and being helpful, letting them know I understand it's hard to get used to our store. First weeks, they appreciated my help, I have no motive to see them fail. One day when he came in,I updates him on the morning affairs, as I had been and not in front of anyone , so he wouldnt feel stupid. He came in and I was ignored, and made to feel like I was over stepping,,and I was always careful not to. Realizing he had just hired his friends and family members. He had used me and cast me aside. Now those who are friends and family, are blamed for everything
Leadership is an inborn trait mostly, but as long as someone is not a know-it-all (rare) and they’re motivated to learn, it probably can be taught and it’s not anyone’s fault but their own if they aren’t “training” for it. If you want to be good at something, then teach yourself!
I am responsible for over 20 patients some nights and it's so difficult to properly take care of everyone the way they're supposed to be taken care of... our census is considered low by management so one or two cnas are removed from the schedule each night and when I told my supervisor to quit putting people off work because it caused involuntary neglect of our residents because they don't receive proper care I was informed that nightshift has it easy.... whatever
I think you’re speaking of a boss who may lack technical knowledge that can be learned. The worst is when a new boss has little ability to think critically and those who focus on operational stuff and refuse to go up to a more strategic way of thinking. That kind of boss needs to leave as it has little to do with technical knowledge
Empathy has a very short shelf life, they get paid to learn FAST so as people leaders they need to emerse themselves and show some urgency to get up to speed as they are responsible for a 'team'. Unfortuantely a team enevidably takes the 'just do it' approach and with turns out making a new boss look like they are contributing effectively. Wich couldn't be further from the truth.
My boss was my boss my a previous job & personally selected me to come in as the assistant manager. This new job is showing his weakness, and now I’m suffering with cut hours, projects that are way beneath my skill set, and a position that I am only “acting” in & will not be submitted to HR. I’m hurt. & there’s more to the story.
My incompetent boss demands the employees do his job so he can stay in his office and play Facebook. Every employee works 3 or 4 titles while our boss is one. I told him to take a 30 minute walk outside of his office to see the farm and the employees (with his own eyes) instead of relying on employees to tell him what is going on and he said “if I have to micromanage employees they shouldn’t work for me.” All I could think was since when is checking in on your employees once a day micromanaging? He was wrongfully promoted to nepotism and every day his ego grows yet he offers employees nothing.
My boss has an enormous ego and doesn't seem to get anything right. It almost makes me sick trying to complement him for anything as there is nothing, really... I can't find a single thing to thank him for or appreciate. It literally would feel like blowing the air up his bottom
Honestly , for the sake of me being polite I am going to call my boss Barbie you see Barbie has a lot to learn she lacks empathy she is I will say very understanding how ever I think she overlooks too much on the amazing talented people and she promotes and hires her best friends then Barbie gets defensive if I have to correct her said friends I honestly i am tired of seeing her friends get away with murder it’s mentally exhausting
I worked at Wild Oats about 15 years ago. My store was a magnet for the most incompetent managers in the history of the Human race. My dept. Had E. And A., The employee theft twins. E. would steal every day and A would fill a traditional grocery paper bag with about $200 of merchandise and walk out the door. I would tell my dept. Manager about it. His reaction would be to turn his head to the side, his lips would form a "o" and he would just stare at me. It's as if he could not comprehend what theft is.He was not in on the theft, he was just a absolute moron. E.and A. Would do about 15 minutes of work in a eight hours shift. E. And A. Would go on 20 minute smoke breaks or just stand around. A. would volunteer to throw trash and she would be gone 45 minutes. It turns out it took 5 minutes to throw trash and she would spend 40 minutes on a smoke break. One time, I was sick, but decided to go to work. Because I was sick I didn't get everything done. The dept. manager wrote me up for not getting everything done. He never wrote up anybody else. E. Would also go around the dept. doing the Nazi salute and laughing. Our store manager wanted to collect a paycheck and not do any work, so she would not do anything. Our regional manager was famous for two things. 1. A hair trigger temper. 2. He didn't use deodorant. When he would yell at us, which was almost every day, you could smell his underarms because he kept waving his arms while yelling. When Whole Foods bought us, the regional was demoted to dept. manager. He was later fired because he had no regard for food safety. He would use machines that touched food on a daily basis, but only clean them once a week. He was also warned about using a method to extend the shelf life of food which caused the bacteria in food to multiple. He chose to ignore the warning and got fired. I was so happy. I have more stories about my managers utter incompetence, I'll share another time.
When u're proactive in specific area they don't want to focus on they put boundaries or ask to do it u're self or give it to enother person or changing u're duty
I worked in a department store electrical department selling TVs etc and my manager had no idea about the products or what we did. To be a manager at this store you had to have a university degree - any degree. I have a Diploma in Sales Management and Marketing from a private college but not a uni, so it didn't count. She had a degree - in Physical Education. So she was my boss...
I would say leave. it is an untenable situation, Because a clueless boss KNOWS you know more than he does, and that offends his ego. And because of that, he will hold you back and sabotage against you. You will have to walk on eggshells not to offend his delicate ego. Its pathetic but very very real.
Some gets promoted does not check the basis competency boxes like fundamental knowledge and skillsets (like basic finance / accounting, problem solving, risk management) when this person is a line manager to a whole team of qualified accountants. The only skillset this manager has good at talking and nothing more.
I have to carry out a responsibility under my boss’s direction and my boss really doesn’t understand it. It’s something that requires strategy and judgement each time because it depends on the current conditions, and he just guesses it blindly. This almost always means we take a financial loss. Then he gets upset by the result and makes me undo it as quickly as possible, which means a further loss. Then he refuses to do anything at all for a while, so we miss opportunities and lose more. All this is evident in the results. I have a lot of experience in this field and was trained in my previous company by an expert. I have tried to tactfully “provide context” and make a suggestion. Only once was I ever allowed to carry out a suggestion , and we made a financial gain. But he wouldn’t let me do any more, which was… er, interesting. I think he’s partly simply forgetful - he has a dreadful memory and will often repeat a mistake because he’s forgotten he did it before. But it’s also that he isn’t strategic, and is threatened by a strategic approach because he can’t grasp it and see it through. This shows in much of our work. I don’t see any options other than accepting it or leaving. I’m staying for various reasons, but I still cringe when I have to carry out his instructions ( which involves me instructing an external party - who must think that I’m the idiot)!
Hi Jennifer, great video. I'm working at place Toxico and Drama Queens, my boss female told me to do it sometime and next day change her mine, this morning ask me with hands inside packets " who's told you to bring stuff overthere " I respond " you told me . I thought you said everything. She Respond me " Don't Thought I Think and you do it" can you explain is a Boss leader or Nazi Boss. Thank you
You know, this is a great video, but why are excuses allowed to be made for incompetent bosses; excuses top down are NEVER made for individual contributors... Let's talk about it.
What can you say about my boss told the new 2clerks and Utility personnel to observe my every move and report to them And my boss entrusted the office key to the new 2 clerks not to me I just got hold the key one time, I've been working there for 3 years
🦋Block your name!!!! Change your name!!!! Add another name but in my case: I was working beautifully all of a sudden my uneducated boss who is illegal and not because she is illegal it’s because her decisions are very poor and low-quality even how she eats, and what she speaks! And the supervisor is worse and the people who they brought in the dietary department are low-quality with drug problems low vocabulary although I can careless I’m more focus 🧘🏾♀️ on me my wedding and a high-quality clean 🧼 husband the fact that they use witchcraft, too when I’m a college level student and on top of that I took many educational classes! My own advice just keep documenting everything she speaks and keep trying to do the best I can! 🦋
For me, i like to remix a song in my head. Take the song Crazy Love, by Poco, it's now sung as....It happens all the time, this CRAZY boss of mine. You'll have to fill in the rest.
You lost me at have empathy for them, no I will not, worst advice ever there at the beginning. I've never felt over my head, and having an incompetent boss means you need another job of do whatever you can to have that idiot removed.
Too bad the incompetent ones are also usually very controlling and demanding, and they’re also snakes because they know they’re fucking up and they will scape goat your ass to make themselves look good. Ive seen this happen sooo many damn times. And I’m sorry, ive had men and women bosses, usually in my experience, this happens with women. 🤷♂️ i currently still work for women… 6 in fact. Makes ya wonder why the only people above me are female and they are mostly terrible leaders that are extremely unhelpful. I miss my old bosses that were dudes. Just being honest. Ive had one boss that was a female before and she was amazing, one of the best bosses ever. However every single one since her has been a joke and an idiot, and rude! Lol
