How to Deal With Spineless Boss

In a workplace one looks for three things:

Interesting work

Good boss

Good money

Even though ‘boss’ is placed 2nd, a bad boss can negate the pleasure of the other two.

Do you have a spineless boss similar to the one my previous assistant Sheila has? She has a lady boss three levels senior to her. Her description of the boss is:

All day busy, on her toes going from this office to that and from one meeting to another. At the end of the day, her useful contribution to the organisation is almost zero.

You hardly find her in her office for any discussion.

She has a nagging habit of following up with her assistants very frequently.

The most irritating thing is telling every body- ‘GM wants it today’, ‘The Director is following it up personally’ or ‘If we don’t complete this, GM will hang us both.’

She neither has any leadership skills nor managerial capability. She can only plead people to do work. She does not know how to get things done. People very often take advantage of her spinelessness and refuse to do or take it easy.

She is afraid of confrontation in any form.

If somebody refuses to do, she tries to get things done from obliging persons, thus overloading them.

If you did a good job, there is a pat on the back but it does not reach higher level. But if there is a problem or delay, it definitely gets reported.

She does not allow you to approach her boss directly or through her.

‘GM does not meet lower level directly. Only people in the rank of boss and above only can. If my boss is willing, I can go with her to meet him but she is not allowing me to meet him’ Sheila told me. It is place where HR activity is at its lowest.

This is the case of ‘you scratch my back and I scratch yours’. Putting it more appropriately, this is ‘you shield me- I shield you’ case. People like this boss come up in job saying ‘Yes Sir’ for everything their bosses tell. Their bosses also came up in the same way. They know their weaknesses and survive by meekly bowing to everybody. Such people will not give any credit for your hard work. They will use it for their climb. They will squeeze you if you allow, as long as you are there. Even if you tell you want to quit, they don’t feel anything about it. Completion of work is not important for them. If you are not there, they have a reason for not completing.

What is the way out?

There will be no use of complaining through a letter or email. It can backfire and they can harass and make your life more miserable. Such methods will work only with true professionals and good managers. Any way, such methods are not required with good managers.

Even if you like the nature of the present job, you have to look elsewhere-either in the same organisation or outside.

It is very unlikely that you will be allowed a transfer. You will not get anywhere with your boss or her boss. If you want to stick to this job and survive, don’t allow other’s work dumped on you and refuse extra work.  

But without recognition to your hard work, there is no point in sticking to the present place. Your best alternative is to look outside for your own peace of mind and good health. I am sure your boss won’t be surprised or sad. Because, she knows what she is capable of. She might have seen so many of her assistants leaving. Don’t waste your valuable time and hard work.

You may or may not get a good boss in the new place but life is built around hope. You do a bit of investigation about the organisations you are opting for and hope for the best.