MORSi ROAStS IRAN - Kuwait Times

FRIDAY, AUGUST 31, 2012
Just kiddin’, seriously
Mismanaging managers
Nobody leaves a bad job but people will leave a bad
boss. The manager and the employee relationship is
not always like bread and butter. Sometimes, if not
most of the time, it’s like a predator and a prey. If you think
I’m exaggerating then you would be one of those people
who are lucky and haven’t come across a bad manager or a
boss.
There are so many kinds of managers and here are some
examples:
Managers who cannot work alone but can with their own
team: These managers are a fatal threat to new employers.
It’s like a pack of wolves that stick only with each other and
reject any outsiders. The new employee will feel like he’s
entering a lion’s den. This kind of manager will make the new
employee’s life miserable in every sense until they push them
to quit. They will intimidate him; weave untrue stories to put
him in trouble until he leaves.
Managers who take advantage of employees: These kinds
of managers will oblige the employee to work their backside
all day and night and take complete credit for it.
Managers who perceive a smart employee as a threat:
Some managers push the employee to the corner when they
are threatened by a smarter, more knowledgeable and
KUWAIT: Watermelons
are piled up in front of
an ‘electronics’ shop -
with its signboard only
in Bengali with a bit of
English and no Arabic -
in Hasawi. — Photo by
Fouad Al-Shaikh
By Sahar Moussa
sahar@kuwaittimes.net
charismatic employee. They feel threatened to the extent of
using every trick in the book to safeguard their ‘throne’. May
God have mercy on the employee.
Managers who don’t appreciate a good employee and
end up taking him for granted by never giving him a bonus
or promotion.
Managers who misuse their power and position and end
up using it for their own personal advantage by sexually
harassing them.
Managers who are not fair and not even close to knowing
what this word means, by not giving the employee his salary
or any extra money for any overtime job.
Managers who are workaholics and don’t have a life and
assume that their employees don’t have one either.
Managers who create problems and talk bad about
employees, following the rule: ‘When you divide, you rule’.
Managers who use employees to get what they want by
manipulating them to do their dirty jobs.
And finally, managers who simply excel at mismanaging.
To be objective, there are managers who give you inspiration
and you learn a lot from them, and consider them as
leaders but I believe that they are only few. I write this column
because it applies to every country and employee in the
whole world. This topic deserves attention as Kuwait has a
large number of expats who come from all over the world
just to work here. Many silently suffer bad bosses because
they have no choice. I hope that Human Resources team in
every firm or company will pay more attention to helpless
employees and listen to their complaints with compassion
and understand where they’re coming from.
To every bad boss you should know that Karma is bad too.
Local
Kuwait’s my business
D: The personality
we love to hate!
By John P Hayes
local@kuwaittimes.net
At my business seminars, the majority of attendees are
Dominant personalities, as opposed to Influencers,
Steadies or Compliants (also known as Competents). In
business, the D personality rules! And why not? Ds are problem
solvers, decision makers and goal getters. If you want to sell
something, or build a business, you need Ds. The Ds are hard
working and energetic. Ds aren’t troubled by challenges, or
people who say “No.” The D says, “Tell me what you want done,
and then get out of my way and I’ll do it!”
Dominants (sometimes called Drivers) are popular because
they naturally take charge and get results. They are leaders.
Board Chairs, CEOs, Vice Presidents, Directors - they are almost
always high D personalities. They are known for getting things
done! But it’s the way they get things done that gets them into
trouble. If you get between a D and his goal, you will be
ignored, run over, or worse. At a minimum you will be blamed
for getting in the way or slowing things down! Ds don’t like
rules and regulations. They invented the saying, “Rules are
made to be broken.” And they break the rules hourly.
Ds are “fault finders,” and it’s never their fault.
Consequently, they’re often seen as rude and selfish. They’re
rarely good team players, unless they lead the team, and things
will always be done their way. The D’s saving grace:
Performance! Ds will make more sales, recruit more people,
and climb more mountains than anyone else in the company.
Perhaps it’s easy to see why other personalities clash with Ds. If
you’re a people person (an Influencer), a loyal person (a
Steady), or a stickler for details (a Compliant), you get easily irritated
by brash Ds, both at work and at home.
You can get the best of the Ds, however. And by the best, I
mean you can let them do their thing while also appreciating
them. A good D can’t be stopped, so put them into situations
where you need results. Give them the authority to make decisions,
but check on them - every day. Even the Chairman of the
Board must be accountable to other board members. Most
importantly, praise the Ds! In spite of their gruff exterior, they
seek your praises. They want to be congratulated and rewarded.
They want everyone to know - friends, family, colleagues -
that they’re important. Shower the D with gifts and awards -
they prefer cash! - and the D will continue to perform for you.
NOTE: Dr John P. Hayes is a marketing professor at Gulf
University for Science & Technology. Contact him at
questions@hayesworldwide.com or via Twitter @drjohnhayes.