Bad bosses are a big deal. In one survey, workers even chose bad managers as the No. 1 reason for leaving their jobs. Of course, if you’ve ever worked for a less-than-ideal boss, you’re probably not surprised.
Not all bad bosses are equally terrible, however. Some people don’t have a gift for management; others steal family heirlooms. Yes, really. In this week’s roundup, we look at the winner (winner?) of Ask a Manager’s annual worst boss of the year competition. Let’s just say it was clearly a tight race.
And on a more cheerful note, there are posts on morning rituals that will make you happy all day and how to get people to say yes to your plans … WITH SCIENCE.
Alison Green at Ask a Manager: The Worst Boss of 2016 Is…
How bad were this year’s bad bosses? Well, the candidates included:
- An employer that fires workers if their families don’t adhere to the organization’s religious values.
- A manager who crashed an employee’s wedding … and then wrote her up when he was escorted from the premises.
- A boss who literally killed an employee’s horse through carelessness.
Note: none of these people/companies won. The real winner was worse. Find out how bad a bad manager can get, here.
Eric Barker at Barking Up the Wrong Tree: Morning Ritual: The 7 Steps That Will Make You Happy All Day
“Research shows that being happy actually makes you more productive. So let’s kill two birds with one stone and focus on smiles,” writes Barker. “What’s the first step? Here’s a little secret: happy mornings don’t start in the morning…”
Having something to look forward to can help you get your day off to a good start, he writes. Other tips: eat breakfast, do something you dread, and kiss someone you love. More here.
Christina DesMarais at Inc: How to Get People to Say Yes to What You Want, According to Science
“…[P]ersuasion isn’t just for charismatic types–anyone can be better at getting people to say ‘yes’ to requests,” writes DesMarais. “Take it from Dr. Jephtha Tausig-Edwards, a clinical psychologist practicing in New York and Massachusetts, who says science has uncovered a wealth of data on the subject.”
Her advice, which DesMarais outlines, includes using the right words and focusing on what the other person has to gain. Find out more techniques here.
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