Last week the reportedly acrimonious relationship between New York Knicks star Carmelo Anthony and the team’s coach Mike D’Antoni played itself out on the grand media stage, resulting in D’Antoni’s resignation. the resignation of D’Antoni. For some within the everyday workforce it was a metaphorical power struggle mirroring employee dissatisfaction with management. While some subordinates decide to endure suffering from their bosses for issues ranging from bullying and incompetence to harassment and discrimination, others want to take action and oust their leader(s). BlackEnteprise.com spoke with talent acquisition professional, Dany Bourjolly Smith to learn of the six most important steps one must take in an attempt to eliminate a horrible boss. —Souleo
Last week the reportedly acrimonious relationship between New York Knicks star Carmelo Anthony and the team’s coach Mike D’Antoni played itself out on the grand media stage, resulting in D’Antoni’s resignation. the resignation of D’Antoni. For some within the everyday workforce it was a metaphorical power struggle mirroring employee dissatisfaction with management. While some subordinates decide to endure suffering from their bosses for issues ranging from bullying and incompetence to harassment and discrimination, others want to take action and oust their leader(s). BlackEnteprise.com spoke with talent acquisition professional, Dany Bourjolly Smith to learn of the six most important steps one must take in an attempt to eliminate a horrible boss. —Souleomore
Check Yourself Before Your Wreck Yourself:
You may want to reconsider trying to get your boss fired if you’re guilty of stealing company time by perusing Facebook too often, taking extended lunch breaks or even disrespecting your superior. The truth is that those pointing the finger must first honestly assess their own work performance and ethics. “You have to be aware of yourself and what you’re contributing to a situation in relation to the manager,†Smith advises. Your assessment should also include understanding your manager’s key strengths and weaknesses and how they may effect your plot to remove him or her. “You might feel like you’re irreplaceable but maybe your manager has tenure or a more specialized skill. Then push comes to shove, they go with the manager,†she notes. “So assess the situation and be fully aware of your skills, contributions and how relevant they are to your company. That will inform your plan.â€
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Know the Company Policy & Your Rights:
Taking action without knowing the company policy and your legal rights could end up backfiring. Smith advises referring to your company or employee handbook first. “Find the policy around dealing with conflicts through mediation and arbitration to know the process they want you to follow,†she says. If you work in a large company that information is typically available via their Website or the human resources department. However, if you work for a smaller or mid-sized company Smith notes that you may want to delay going to HR they aren’t always confidential in such situations. Instead, review your new hire paperwork first to see if you overlooked key handouts. Finally, knowing the company policy is not enough since you also want to make sure you have the law on your side should matters become too severe. “You should get counsel from a free legal aid service to understand employment law,†Smith adds. “Explain your situation and see what your rights are outside of your company’s policy.â€
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Be the MVP:
The process of getting your boss fired is bound to generate intense scrutiny concerning virtually all aspects of your professional life, including your own work performance. Therefore, according to Smith, it is essential that you become the star player of the team. “Your work should be above reproach and you should continue to have a specialized skill that makes you more relevant to the company than your manager,†she advises. The key is to ensure that every member on the team is aware of your contributions. You can do this by creating a portfolio highlighting the measurable ways you have contributed to the company’s productivity and revenue. “If you’re able to distinguish yourself then people are forced to only go to you and even the manager would say that,†she continues. “So this is not the time to teach someone your area of specialization.â€
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Be a Team Player:
While every company needs superstar employees, they also need team players that won’t disturb the flow of collaboration. This means that it’s critical to help the team whenever possible to build allies, prove that you’re able to work even under stressful circumstances and highlight that your manager may be the root cause of any office problems. “Extending yourself to the team shows that you’re more committed to the team in spite of what’s going on with the manager,†Smith says. “By having such a strong performance it isolates the manager as potentially the reason why there is such disruption.â€
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Documentation is Everything:
One of the worst situations to get caught up in is a he said/she said scenario with no proof. Smith recommends documenting every electronic, verbal and face-to-face interaction between you and your boss. “When it comes to management issues, documentation is king because it can show a pattern of behavior,†she says. “It gives you recollection of issues as opposed to winging it.†You’ll want to document key like any proactive steps you've taken to discuss your concerns with your boss; instances where your boss acted inappropriately to others; and examples of how your boss’ leadership style negatively impacted the company’s progress. “Ineffective leadership that causes loss of productivity can be translated into revenue and costs. So it is worthy of documentation to show that pattern of behavior.†Furthermore, Smith suggests saving messages in your company email and forwarding them to your personal account so they don’t disappear from the server.
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