Most of us have endured at least one horrible boss in our career. If you have not, you should. It teaches you lessons you use to guide you throughout your adult life.
The worst boss I have ever had the displeasure of working under was my very first adult job. Freshly graduated from X-ray school, I landed my first position at Bothwell Regional Health Center located in Sedalia Missouri.
The radiology tech field had become flooded as I graduated. I felt indebted to find a seat in this geographic area. Sedalia was larger than my home town but still was not too far away for a weekend visit. I never even knew what this quiet city had to offer me due to my first horrible boss.
Here are five lessons that I had learned NOT to repeat from that short initial job choice:
1-Speak before you Think: By all means, please say whatever comes out of your mouth, no matter how crude, insulting or racist it is. Your employees love hearing negative low level phrases come from your mouth! (This kind of behavior cascades over into the employees attitudes and soon you hear the negativity rolling off their/your tongues in as ill a manner as your horrible boss.)
2- Ignoring employee diversity: If your were advanced in age, gay in any form of the word or your skin color was not white, you did not belong in his department and it was made known to you. (I was a young, naive woman when I encountered whom I thought was going to be my first role of leadership. My mind was blown and my mouth often parted in confounded awe at the bigotry of this ugly specimen.)
3-Ensure that your staff feels they need to protect themselves at all times: Especially from you that is. Staff should always be on guard around you or the one troll you have managed to reel into your dark corner. (When workers feel they have no margin for error-ever, they generate unnecessary anxiety within themselves usually inducing minor mistakes normally not made by the calm, confident self they were before meeting The Witch King)
4- "Suggest" your team work all three shifts in one week: Originally I was hired to swing between second and third shift so when my tyrant in charge "suggested" I pick up one day shift, I perceived I didn't have much of a choice. I felt I should accept the offer or I would forever be overlooked for promotion. (There was no social life for my twenty-something self working all three shifts in one week. My clarity lacked on the job due to my body desperately trying to find balance between waking and sleeping. I could see the joy he took from my predicament.)
5-Avoid all criticism towards yourself as a leader: Oh, yes, please avoid all feedback on how you can improve your leadership skills and provide a positive atmosphere for your department members.
As a tech you were forbidden to give encouraging advice and if you did you were branded and treated as a traitor. If administration gave the advice, you do not agree with it and if asked, you confirm that your supervisor is adhering by all standards and such. (This additionally creates a resentment from all staff and an unintentional feeling of ill will towards you as a manager)
I held out for a year before snagging a new position at a corporation that I would remain for the next nine years. Bothwell Hospital required an exit interview for all faculty. When asked, "Why are you ending your employment at this facility?", I balked. I didn't want to be a snitch or admit the awful comments that I harbored for the wretched soul in the radiology department.
The Human Resources rep leaned down and asked if it was due to the manager of our division. Replying with a matter of fact, "Yes, Ma'am", she said a thank you and admonished that is why there is such a high turn over rate for radiology technologists in their hospital.
My first year in adult employment was horrendous. Normally lit with a bright smile and attitude, I felt down trodden and stripped of a confident experience.
Early in my career I learned some valuable lessons that I have used in all of my life choices. I have done well in those positions because of these and even though the experience brings
dis-pleasurable memories, I would not change their participation in expanding my growth as a human being.
The radiology tech field had become flooded as I graduated. I felt indebted to find a seat in this geographic area. Sedalia was larger than my home town but still was not too far away for a weekend visit. I never even knew what this quiet city had to offer me due to my first horrible boss.
Here are five lessons that I had learned NOT to repeat from that short initial job choice:
1-Speak before you Think: By all means, please say whatever comes out of your mouth, no matter how crude, insulting or racist it is. Your employees love hearing negative low level phrases come from your mouth! (This kind of behavior cascades over into the employees attitudes and soon you hear the negativity rolling off their/your tongues in as ill a manner as your horrible boss.)
2- Ignoring employee diversity: If your were advanced in age, gay in any form of the word or your skin color was not white, you did not belong in his department and it was made known to you. (I was a young, naive woman when I encountered whom I thought was going to be my first role of leadership. My mind was blown and my mouth often parted in confounded awe at the bigotry of this ugly specimen.)
3-Ensure that your staff feels they need to protect themselves at all times: Especially from you that is. Staff should always be on guard around you or the one troll you have managed to reel into your dark corner. (When workers feel they have no margin for error-ever, they generate unnecessary anxiety within themselves usually inducing minor mistakes normally not made by the calm, confident self they were before meeting The Witch King)
4- "Suggest" your team work all three shifts in one week: Originally I was hired to swing between second and third shift so when my tyrant in charge "suggested" I pick up one day shift, I perceived I didn't have much of a choice. I felt I should accept the offer or I would forever be overlooked for promotion. (There was no social life for my twenty-something self working all three shifts in one week. My clarity lacked on the job due to my body desperately trying to find balance between waking and sleeping. I could see the joy he took from my predicament.)
5-Avoid all criticism towards yourself as a leader: Oh, yes, please avoid all feedback on how you can improve your leadership skills and provide a positive atmosphere for your department members.
As a tech you were forbidden to give encouraging advice and if you did you were branded and treated as a traitor. If administration gave the advice, you do not agree with it and if asked, you confirm that your supervisor is adhering by all standards and such. (This additionally creates a resentment from all staff and an unintentional feeling of ill will towards you as a manager)
I held out for a year before snagging a new position at a corporation that I would remain for the next nine years. Bothwell Hospital required an exit interview for all faculty. When asked, "Why are you ending your employment at this facility?", I balked. I didn't want to be a snitch or admit the awful comments that I harbored for the wretched soul in the radiology department.
The Human Resources rep leaned down and asked if it was due to the manager of our division. Replying with a matter of fact, "Yes, Ma'am", she said a thank you and admonished that is why there is such a high turn over rate for radiology technologists in their hospital.
My first year in adult employment was horrendous. Normally lit with a bright smile and attitude, I felt down trodden and stripped of a confident experience. Early in my career I learned some valuable lessons that I have used in all of my life choices. I have done well in those positions because of these and even though the experience brings
dis-pleasurable memories, I would not change their participation in expanding my growth as a human being.
If you never tasted a bad apple, you would never appreciate a good apple.
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