Stick around corporate America for any length of time and you will likely end up working for an incompetent boss at some point. Here’s what to do about it.
Most of the time, if you are selective about the positions you pursue, it is relatively unlikely that you’ll end up working for an incompetent boss. However, sometimes you don’t really know what you are walking into until you get there.
Other times, organizational changes mean that you end up working for someone you never planned to work for (e.g. your boss was moved to a different division, took another job, etc).
Regardless of the situation that brought this about, you need to take action.
Now there are all sorts of incompetent bosses:
- Those that lack leadership ability
- Those who can’t make decisions
- Those who can’t handle the technical aspects of their job
- Those who don’t see your true abilities and potential
- …and many more.
Unfortunately, who you work for is a reflection on you. In other words, if your boss is not well respected and/or has a career that isn’t moving upwards, it is probably time for you to find someone different to work for.
Yet how do you do it? Going around screaming that your boss is incompetent from the top of your lungs is not going to help you. In fact, this approach will do more damage to you than it will to your boss.
Move to a different team/group
Aside from simply leaving the company, the best thing you can do is network your way to a new team within your current firm.
Grabbing coffee and/or an after work drink with someone who might be able to influence your movement to a new group (e.g. the leader of another team doing something similar or someone who leads a group doing different work) can be a good stepping stone.
Try saying something like the following:
“I enjoy what I’m doing but I wonder what other opportunities you think someone like me might look at as a next step in the organization.”
Or
“I enjoy the group I’m working in but am not sure that (insert boss’s name) can help me grow in the way I would like. Do you have any suggestions on opportunities to develop my career.”
Remember that as much as this is a casual conversation, it is also a bit of an interview, so be careful not to badmouth your boss and try and be prepared with something of value you can offer the person you are meeting.
Often at larger firms, just sharing information about what you see going on around you can be valuable to the people you are meeting with.
Here are some ways to add value:
- Offer your perspective on a big project or initiative
- Share an article relevant to the person you are meeting
- Share a recent experience you had with the end customer and any trends you are noticing
- Connect the dots for people (i.e. “this is happening because…”)
The more value enhancing conversations like this you are able to have, the more options will appear for you over the long run.
Another important thing to keep in mind is that more often than not, if your boss is truly incompetent, people know it. In fact, his boss may be working on managing him out of the role he is in.
Waiting out an incompetent boss
In other words, you may be facing a bit of a waiting game. The challenge with the waiting game is that your incompetent boss may be in his role a long, long time.
At larger, more bureaucratic firms, there are often long processes for firing people involving lots of “performance improvement plans,” the result of which can be a process that can take over a year or go on indefinitely.
Thus, if you love your work but can’t stand your incompetent boss, you have to be prepared to wait a long time for things to change.
As you wait, it’s important to note that while you may dream of sending your boss’s boss a note, calling your boss out in public or gossiping about how awful he is, none of these solutions will put you in a better place long term.
Instead you are far better off being patient, doing good work, and doing a bit of self-promotion. You would be surprised what your boss’s boss knows about who is doing good work on your team.
My Experience
I was once victim to an org change that resulted in me working for someone that was a pretty poor leader.
What ultimately got me out? I asked to have drinks with someone who I had met during my initial interviews. In our conversation I offered some observations about what was going on at the firm and explained my desire to move into a role with more impact.
It didn’t happen immediately, but 3 months later the person I met with offered me a position on his team… and I never looked back.
As I’ve said elsewhere (See: Your LinkedIn Profile) networking is the key to advancing your career…