Bad Bosses… We’re Calling You Out By Name!

May 14

I’ve been talking about the topic of bad bosses on my segment of the CelebrityU Radio/TV show, and I am also going to feature it on the blog as a series.  If you’d like to see/hear part of this segment, check it out here:
Carolann talking about bad bosses on CelebrityU Radio/TV

I’ve compiled a list of twelve bad boss types into what I call “The Dirty Dozen” (stay tuned!).  These are folks behave in a dysfunctional and destructive way.  I want to make a distinction between the bad boss types in The Dirty Dozen, and people who lack the management and leadership skills to be effective.

Today, I started talking about the impact of the Dirty Dozen to the organization as well as to the individual. This costs money.  Here’s an example:

Screaming Mimi manages a group of fifteen project managers in a project management office.  Their average salary is $75,000 a year, which translates into $37.50 an hour, per person.

When Screaming Mimi hears bad news, feels criticized, is under stress, gets shown up by her colleagues, or it’s a rainy day, Mimi takes it out on her staff by yelling, belittling, and bullying.  As a coping mechanism, her staff avoids delivering bad news, even if she needs to hear it, doesn’t escalate issues, and tunes her out.

On average, ten members of her team spend two hours a week venting about Mimi.  That’s $19,500 in lost productivity this year.

Two members of the team quit and had to be replaced with higher salaried people.  The costs associated with the hiring process, onboarding , training and the higher salaries was $$120,000.

Screaming Mimi’s team uses up all of their paid 5 sick days.  Contrast that to a company average of 3 days.  That’s net cost of $13,500.

We haven’t counted the project costs because of project overruns that could have been avoided had Screaming Mimi’s staff escalated issues to her in a timely manner.  We haven’t time lost to her peers gossip about her.  Nor have we counted that any employee with any “get up and go” has already “got up and went.”  And, Screaming Mimi has already cost the company $153,000 just in lost productivity and attrition.  That’s two project managers in Mimi’s company.

Screaming Mimi is also costing in the long term.  Mimi doesn’t exist in a vacuum.  Her organization allows it, and perhaps even rewards her for it.  She isn’t developing leaders, and if she is, certainly not the kind of leaders that make a company successful.   And, chances are, Mimi isn’t alone.  Where there are Screaming Mimi’s, there are others.  When the baby boomers retire, her company will face a leadership vacuum.

What to do?

This requires large scale cultural change at the corporate level and vigilance at the individual level.   CEO’s hear this:  If you want to have a competitive organization in the new age, you MUST create environments where people want to do their best work every day.  Because if you don’t, the GenX, GenY, and Millenials will leave.  GenX and GenY are you next set of executives.  Where will you be when all the good ones have jumped ship?

Be Your Best You Today,

Carolann Jacobs

Tags: Action Coach, Brain-based Coaching, business coach, Career Coach, Career Management, Carolann Jacobs, coach, coaching, Corporate Coach, DFW, Executive Coaching, Extraordinary Results, facilitation, Inimitable Leadership, Leadership, Legacy Leadership, vivid epiphany

One Response to “Bad Bosses… We’re Calling You Out By Name!”

1. How to Shut Screaming Mimi Up « Vivid Epiphany says:

   May 20, 2010 at 7:26 am

   [...] Mimi costs the company more than she’s worth.   She’s needy, fickle, and stubborn, and her peers and subordinates never know when [...]