When Bosses Make Hotheaded Decisions

When Bosses Make Hotheaded DecisionsWhen Bosses Make Hotheaded DecisionsWhen Bosses Make Hotheaded DecisionsI heard an interesting story from a coworker this week that sparked the idea for this postMy coworker Bruce has a great rapport with his old company and recently heard that one of his former colleagues found a job somewhere else. The anfhrer was apparently so offended by this employees resignation that he told him not to come back the next day even though hed still be paid for the following two weeks. As a result of this hotheaded move, the anfhrer became frazzled by projects the newly-lost employee left behind, and called my buddy Bruce to bail him out by doing some contract work for mucho buckos. Yay for Bruce but not such a great move for the babo.Many of us have felt the wrath of a bosss hotheaded decision. Here are some cases where the boss shouldnt have taken it personally but did, and how you can handle it if you face a similar situation.The Two Week Notice DenialOfferin g to stay two weeks after resigning is standard practice, but not legally required. Giving notice means you are being mindful of your bosss and companys needs, not wanting to leave them with a handful of incomplete projects. You can tidy up loose ends and/or train the person wholl be filling your spot after youre gone. But sometimes, as in the case above, he takes it personally and tells you to cram your two weeks notice and leave immediately.How to Handle ItRejoice in a paid vacation But, if youve always been on good terms and would value his reference when you leave your next job, then dont let yourself be shooed out so easily. Double-check that theres absolutely nothing you can do in the next two weeks to help soften the blow. If hes still stuck on sending you on your disgraceful way, just smile, wave, and clutter up cyberspace with comments about how terrible he was. Its guaranteed to blow off some steam and feel refreshing, but PLEASE dont use the real names of the boss or the company. Thats simply bad taste (not to mention unprofessional and potentially libelous).The History Repeats Itself ProblemIve personally dealt with this one before, and it sure isnt fun. You get a boss who, by their own poor management, let another employee walk all over them. Then they realize what happened, fire the bad employee, and become steadfast in never letting history repeat itself. Suddenly, someone who used to be a great, laid back yet assertive leader turns defensive and distrustful.What does that mean for you? You get to deal with the new micro-managing, passive-aggressive management style, which can make you feel like crap even if youre doing a great job.How to Handle ItIt may just be a temporary, knee-jerk reaction to getting burned, so give it a little time to see if she chills out. If you have (or had) a good relationship with her, try talking about it. If nothing changes, its time to switch departments or get a new job. That kind of boss can cause more stress than your biggest project ever did, and no one needs that negativity in their lives.The My Problem Is Your Problem DilemmaLets say your boss is up for a big promotion but gets overlooked. Or your bosss boss is unhappy with the departments performance. Or a big project your boss was working on falls to pieces. Now her problem becomes YOUR problem. So she feels like scum for whatever went wrong, and deals with it by delegating all the menial, soul-sucking, I-dont-want-to-deal-with-it stuff directly to you.How to Handle ItSorry to say, your only survival method here is to take the backseat and hope she gets over it sooner rather than later. A good boss is one who helps you grow not one who forces you to drag your heels in their mess. But were all human and can have a bad week or two. Suck it up and bolster her flagging ego for a week or two. And if it looks like your formerly good boss has turned permanently bad, its time to move on.Get Past the Hot AirIm sure there are numerous other scen arios where bosses make hotheaded decisions that leave their poor employees floundering for help. If you have a great boss who remains rational, dedicated, and doesnt take things personally, consider yourself lucky. If not, brush off your resume, departure networking, and get out before you turn into (fictional) Brent Quigley, who wants to leave his boss, but cant figure out the perfect way to say it in a letter.