I was interviewed by Sue Shellenbarger for a Wall Street Journal post on whether or not more bosses want to change their incompetent and mean spirited ways these days, and how they can do it. The post just came out today, and Sue does a nice job of suggesting that there is more pressure on bosses to reform these days because, as we come out of the recession, retaining good people becomes more important as they have more exit options (see this post) — and there is plenty of evidence to suggest that people quit bad bosses, not bad companies. Sue describes a couple bosses who changed their ways:
One, a division manager, had a habit of yelling when he was disappointed
in people’s performance. Like many bad bosses, he had no idea how mean
and scary he looked when he delivered criticism. Coaching and pressure
from his own superiors prompted him to ask subordinates for feedback,
and he gradually learned how to deliver criticism in a more constructive
way.
Another manager was a control freak who also yelled a lot, rather than
trying to help subordinates develop their skills. It was the adoption by
his company of a formal performance-review process, whereby employees,
peers and bosses all offered candid feedback on his destructive
behavior, that helped this executive see the light.
Sue also describes my perspective on reform:
The key to reform, says Robert Sutton, author of a forthcoming book on the
topic, “Good Boss, Bad Boss,” is to learn to notice how
your behavior affects others. Almost all of us fail sometimes to contain
“our inner jerk,” he says. The key to change is to train yourself to
notice that you are behaving badly, stop, apologize, and work
consciously on being less destructive in the future.
Sue has generated almost 50 vehement comments by asking questions WSJ readers whether reform is possible and how it can happen. What do you think? Can bosses reform? Are any of you bosses who have changed for the better? Or is it one of those things that companies and management pay lip service to because they are naive or don't have the courage to get get rid of these rotten apples?
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