13 Things Your Unproductive Boss Won’t Tell You

Interruptions, workplaces distractions, and last-minute fire drills.

You do your best to avoid them and stay productive.

Non-productive team members impact everyone’s ability to get work done.

However, this impact is far greater when the team leader is the source of disruption.

What happens when it’s the boss that’s unproductive?

The Unproductive Boss 

It is bad enough when an idle team member drags down the efforts of the group.

However, the impact can be exponential when it is the boss who is unproductive.

“An unproductive boss can destroy the productivity of an entire team, department or even company.”

Have you worked with a boss who has negatively affected the team’s ability to be get work done?

Do As I Say, Not As I Do

Studies show that most employees “quit their boss” rather than their job.

When a boss constantly creates more work and complication for their team, it can be a great source of friction.

Does your boss’s behavior cause unnecessary work and last-minute urgencies?

Do their actions seem to say, “I have no qualms about wasting your time to save mine.”

Here are 13 Things Your Unproductive Boss Won’t Tell You…

1. I don’t really need it now. Ever been asked for quick turn-around on a task only to find that your work sits on your boss’s desk for a week?
2. I send emails to look busy. Some bosses think the more emails they send, the more important they appear. Unfortunately, many companies fall for this type of behavior.
3. I am calling this meeting because I don’t know what is going on. When the unproductive boss doesn’t know what is going on, he/she calls a meeting. Of course, this wastes the entire team’s time.
4. Other times, I call meetings just to look important. Other bosses will call meetings… just because they can.
5. I take credit for your work without attributing it. The “email pusher” boss will forward their team’s work as their own. Email makes this particularly easy. (See #2)
6. That offsite meeting was actually an executive golf outing. The executive team thinks they are sneaking away for an afternoon of play, calling it an “offsite meeting.” However, word quickly spreads as to where they really are.
7. I was late to the big meeting because I was talking to another executive about their new car. The unproductive boss doesn’t mind wasting the team’s time while they chat socially.
8. That quick turn around task has been sitting in my inbox for a week. The urgent task that “just came up” has been sitting in their inbox for over a week. It is only urgent as a result of their inaction.
9. I withhold information to maintain importance. Ever worked for a boss who withheld information just so they would look important? These information-hoarders are a bane to productive teams.
10. That fire drill was caused by the task I didn’t address. Who started the fire? Your boss did by their own disorganization. Now it is a fire drill for the entire team.
11. I don’t read all my emails. Those unanswered emails probably weren’t even read. One boss proudly announced that “he didn’t need to read email.” He didn’t last long.
12. I don’t prepare for my meetings. The only thing worse than unnecessary meetings is unprepared meetings. Ever been to a meeting where half of the time is spent finding the materials or setting up the equipment?
13. I surf the web half the day.  While chastising their team for web-surfing, some bosses spend more time on eBay and Amazon then they do doing actual work. A recent executive I encountered, spent the better part of his day planning his anniversary date. (A noble effort, but at the wrong time.)

Unproductive Leadership

An unproductive boss can drag down an entire team’s productivity.

Their actions take the organization in the wrong direction.

If you are in charge of a team, make sure sure that your actions enable your team, not hinder them.

Question: Has an unproductive boss impacted your team? How many of these behaviors have you seen in the workplace?