“If you’re going to tell me how to do my job, you should at least know how to do my job.”
DOING MY JOB
The worst two people in authority (not Leaders) I ever worked for had several things in common. One that was common to both, was their insistence that they “knew” everything there was to know about my job. The job, by the way, they hired me to do.
Cowardly leaders tend to fall into one of two extreme categories. The first is, they wash their hands of any responsibility and turn their back on the position they were elected or appointed to. The other extreme is when they micro-manage. They insist that decisions be sent to them first. Nothing can be implemented until they approve.
But more critical and more telling is their insistence that they “know.”
WHAT THEY KNOW
I worked for a cowardly leader who went on a rant in his office about how he had worked for the city his entire career, was there long before me and would be there long after me, and the sooner I accepted that he was in charge, the better we would both be.
All of that was true.
However, what wasn’t said was that he had never held my job, was not trained for my job, in fact was a politically connected employee and his sum total of experience in managing a comprehensive municipal parks department was as Director of the city bus service. Cowardly leaders, as I’ve written about several times, have no real interest in leadership. Their interest lies in the power their position holds. Power is not leadership, but they have never grasped that concept.
YOUR OPTIONS
Unfortunately, as cowardly leaders are quick to point out, your options are limited. They have authority, they have power, and they have the position that supervises yours. However, here a few avenues to consider:
- Have a professional discussion- This would ideally be done in a neutral setting. If you have any kind of relationship with your boss, do it at lunch or maybe after work. Otherwise, set an appointment and point out you were hired for a reason and you bring value to the organization and your intent is to use that value and expertise. Simply ask the best method to make that happen.
- Invite the boss to large events, staff meetings, grand openings- opportunities for him/her to see you and the organization in action. Possibly, seeing a well-run machine with excellent leadership (which means you need to have a well-run machine with excellent leadership!) will help get the point across you are indeed an expert.
- Ask for a Priority List- Getting a Top Five from the boss is a good way to focus on what he wants to focus on. After all, it’s his list. That’s no guarantee of success (I did that at my last job, and in six months had accomplished 3 of the 5, was working on the 4th, and the 5th one was out of my control), so if it’s a political environment, your success is secondary to the political whims of leadership. But having a list that your boss creates eliminates any mis-communication regarding what he feels is important.
Therefore, be aware that in a cowardly leadership environment, sooner or later, you will be told by someone who knows little or nothing about your job, exactly how it is you are supposed to do your job.
More fun times in cowardly leadership land!
II-56
