Dear HBR:

Bad Bosses


Listen Later

Is your boss making your life miserable? Dan and Alison answer your questions with the help of Moshe Cohen, a senior lecturer at Boston University’s Questrom School of Business. They talk through what to do when your boss is a jerk, a workaholic, or simply incompetent.

From Alison and Dan’s reading list:

HBR: Do You Hate Your Boss? by Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries — “Frequently cited grievances include micromanaging, bullying, avoiding conflict, ducking decisions, stealing credit, shifting blame, hoarding information, failing to listen, setting a poor example, slacking, and not developing staff. Such dysfunctional behavior would make anyone unhappy and unproductive. However, whatever sins your boss commits, managing your relationship with him or her is a critical part of your job.”

HBR: Managing Your Boss by John J. Gabarro and John P. Kotter — “You are not going to change either your basic personality structure or that of your boss. But you can become aware of what it is about you that impedes or facilitates working with your boss and, with that awareness, take actions that make the relationship more effective.”

HBR: Research: Shifting the Power Balance with an Abusive Boss by Hui Liao, Elijah Wee, and Dong Liu — “Targets of abuse can flip the script, shifting the balance of power in their favor when bosses make life miserable. As subordinates gain leverage over time, they can strategically influence supervisors to stop abuse and even motivate them to mend strained relationships.”

HBR: How to Work for a Workaholic by Rebecca Knight — “Some people just can’t seem to get enough of work. They stay late at the office, check their email at all hours, and even put in time on the weekends. If your manager keeps this sort of schedule, do you have to also? How do you set the right expectations and boundaries? What can you do to make sure you don’t look like a slacker in comparison?”

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Dear HBR:By Harvard Business Review

  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6

4.6

742 ratings


More shows like Dear HBR:

View all
Hidden Brain by Hidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam

Hidden Brain

43,592 Listeners

TED Talks Daily by TED

TED Talks Daily

11,163 Listeners

The McKinsey Podcast by McKinsey & Company

The McKinsey Podcast

383 Listeners

The Look & Sound of Leadership by Essential Communications - Tom Henschel

The Look & Sound of Leadership

1,168 Listeners

HBR IdeaCast by Harvard Business Review

HBR IdeaCast

151 Listeners

Cold Call by HBR Presents / Brian Kenny

Cold Call

196 Listeners

The Daily by The New York Times

The Daily

113,458 Listeners

Up First from NPR by NPR

Up First from NPR

56,968 Listeners

Women at Work by Harvard Business Review

Women at Work

1,383 Listeners

Dateline NBC by NBC News

Dateline NBC

47,424 Listeners

Think Fast Talk Smart: Communication Techniques by Matt Abrahams, Think Fast Talk Smart

Think Fast Talk Smart: Communication Techniques

821 Listeners

Coaching Real Leaders by Harvard Business Review / Muriel Wilkins

Coaching Real Leaders

672 Listeners

Listening Time: English Practice by Sonoro |  Conner Pe

Listening Time: English Practice

530 Listeners

HBR On Strategy by Harvard Business Review

HBR On Strategy

81 Listeners

HBR On Leadership by Harvard Business Review

HBR On Leadership

168 Listeners

New Here by Harvard Business Review

New Here

82 Listeners

Frozen Bedtime Stories by Help Me Sleep!

Frozen Bedtime Stories

580 Listeners