Episode 72: "Bad Bosses" - with guest host Stan Markotich

K.P. Wee, author and podcast host, is back on the receiving end of questions when guest host (and former News Director at CJIV Radio) Stan Markotich invites his good friend to drill down on that all-important workplace relationship with … the boss! If you’ve been there, you know it’s the worst: Reporting to a leader who doesn’t understand how to set a tone that fosters mutual respect, excellence, and job satisfaction in the workplace. Based on personal experiences, this episode of The K.P. Wee Podcast shines a spotlight on exactly what to be on the look-out for when you’re taking on a new job, from red flags to sticky situations. You’ll come away with great tips for how to navigate toxic office leaders – or, better yet, how to avoid them altogether! 

One by one, Stan and K.P. look back on lessons learned through the years – mostly about what NOT to do as a boss. Ripped from the headlines of their own career journeys, they share recollections of managers who demonstrated either a lack of professionalism and ethics or, in some instances, just a total absence of mature judgment. Your co-hosts have been there and done that, so you don’t have to! Tune in to find out about things to bear in mind as you go through the interview process and how to spot a gold-standard boss: Someone who understands that leadership is about bringing out the best in the whole team as well as each individual by supporting growth, collaboration, and a productive, harmonious experience on the job. “A leader and a boss has to lead by example,” says K.P., “whether it’s in sports or in the workplace with ordinary people like you and me!”

Click here if you would like to hear previous episodes of The K.P. Wee Podcast or here if you’d like to know more about the many books he has authored.

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KEY TOPICS:

• K.P. kicks off the episode with a reflection on what it means to lead by example – whether a championship-winning quarterback or a mid-level customer service manager. 
• Boss School #1: K.P. shares an anecdote about a customer service manager who failed to communicate the value of having a team ethic that transcends departmental politics.
• Boss School #2: Don’t shoot the messenger! When K.P. delivered a message from his GM to his immediate supervisor, it did not go well. Overreaction and passive-aggressive responses are not a credit to any leader.
• Boss School #3: How long was that lunch break? When a manager takes the whole team out for lunches of nearly two hours, is that modeling respect for workplace rules?
• Boss School #4: Stan shares a boss’s very different, outcomes-based approach to taking time off based on whether projects are getting done, done well, and done on time!
• Boss School #5: Only Yes-People Need Apply. K.P. recalls a manager who couldn’t graciously accept copy edits that undeniably improved content and grammar.
• Boss School #6: Picking favorites undermines morale, communicates immaturity, and can unnecessarily pits team members against each other.
• Boss School #7: Don’t Lie! K.P. calls out a manager who provided “original” training content that was in fact lifted from the internet – then denied it. Be shady, lose respect!
• Boss School #8: Would a Pro Behave this Way? Pranking team members, invading social media, buddying up, lack of boundaries … These are not good looks for a leader.  
• Boss School #9: Stan and K.P. muse on the way skills and a healthy, collaborative environment erode when leaders don’t know how to bring the whole team into play.
• Boss School #10: Stan shares the good, the bad, and … how first impressions can be misleading. A straight-talking supervisor may be more abrupt, but you know where you stand. As opposed to a disingenuous “Mr. Nice Guy” who may lack accountability.
• Boss School #11: K.P. offers some signs to be on the lookout for when it comes to assessing the qualities of a boss:
• • Is there a level of professionalism? Fun is fun, here and there. But the overall ethic should communicate a level of seriousness about the work.
  • Is the workplace atmosphere supportive?
  • Does the environment make you aspire to learn, grow, and be better?
  • Is the emphasis on skills over being pals?
• Red Flag #1: An interview process skewed towards personal questions. There’s a line beyond which the emphasis has strayed too far from career goals and qualifications.
• Red Flag #2: A manager who demeans people for being satisfied and happy to be at the company where they’re employed. 
• Red Flag #3: If there’s a lot of churn among personnel, is it by design? It might be a business strategy to avoid giving promotions, raises or paying severance.
• Gold Star #1: Leaders who look for ways to incent talented team members and compensate for company limitations. 
• Gold Star #2: Leaders who support talented team members’ growth and development in ways that will help them build and extend their careers.
• Parting Thought: Problems with a boss could be your fault. But it also might have nothing whatsoever to do with you! So be alert and look for signs to know the difference.

KEY QUOTES:

• “A leader and a boss has to lead by example, whether it’s in sports or in the workplace with ordinary people like you and me!”

 

• “Sometimes being a boss or a leader is debatable. People might look at things in a different way.” (K.P.) 

• “When you’re in a position of authority – a manager or a boss – you’re setting a tone through example. You may not intend to lead by example, but you are.” (Stan)

• “Terrible bosses expect you to agree with everything that they say.” (K.P.)

• “That person you think of as a great boss may not work out in reality as a great boss and the other person might over time demonstrate genuine leadership skills!” (Stan)

• “If you’re starting out you want to show that you’re enthusiastic about contributing to the company, but there’s a difference between being enthusiastic and willing to learn and show your skills and demonstrate your abilities and just being a funny guy and too casual.” (K.P.)

• “Trying to help an employee develop his or her skills and improve in order to perhaps have better opportunities down the road, that would be a great boss!” (K.P.)

• “Be aware … Be on the alert, because sometimes it’s not you, it is the boss.” (Stan)

 

 

About Guest Host Stan Markotich: Born and raised in Vancouver, Stan completed his undergraduate work at Simon Fraser University in 1985. From there, he went on to receive a master’s degree from the University of Victoria. In 1987, he moved to Indiana University, earning his doctoral degree in history under the supervision of Dr. Barbara Jelavich. Upon graduation, Markotich accepted an appointment with Radio Free Europe, serving as Serbian analyst and remaining in Europe for roughly a decade. He is the main author of White Paper of the Independent Media Commission: Media and Democratisation in Bosnia and Hercegovina (2000). Markotich is currently revising a memoir that deals with his years in the Balkans. Now based in Greater Vancouver, he teaches classes at a private school, lectures for Brock House Society, and offers courses on the Balkans through SFU Continuing Education.

Stan @LinkedIn 

About K.P. Wee: K.P. Wee is the author of multiple books and a regular contributor to sports radio programs and websites. In addition to hosting The K.P. Wee Podcast, he also enjoys writing sports and psychological fiction with a twist of romance. He spent a decade working as a program developer and instructor for a private school before joining the Vancouver Canadians baseball club’s media relations department. 

You can find out more about books by K.P. Wee here.

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K.P. @Twitter

Additional episodes of the K.P. Wee Podcast are available here.