ALT-3 Pros and Cons of Covering for an Incompetent Boss
You arrive at your new job, eager to start work on your new companies latest and greatest project. Your first few hours pass quickly as your new boss takes you around introducing you to the project team. Then, as you get back to his office, you broach the topic of your specific assignments in regard to the project.
After a few minutes of your boss rambling on, it becomes more and more obvious that he has no idea what is going on.
What do you do?
The first reaction of most people is to feel angry. The urge to stand up and scream, "You are in MY chair, you should be working for ME!" Then, as you march back to your cubical in dignified rage, you start to think of just how you should go about getting a new boss!
Then reality sets in, and you realize that you must deal with this situation in a very diplomatic and political manner. But, how do you do that?
There are several ways to handle a situation like this, where a manager is incapable of managing the group he is supposed to lead. The best solution, especially if you really are the 'new kid' in the cubicles is to be polite. It could possibly be that your boss was made the boss for his organizational and/or administrative abilities, not for his technical abilities. After all, you are the technician on the project!
The key thing for you to remember, is that you have been placed in your position to complete the project successfully, not to have a competency hearing for your boss.
There are several steps that you must take to give your boss the benefit of the doubt as far as his capabilities, while also ensuring that you are not the one caught holding the bag if the project does not meet it's goals.
1.Explore the competency areas of your boss. Find out what his role in the project actually is.2.Work with your boss to make him competent. Talk to your boss, and you may find out that he also realizes that he is not as competent as he needs to be for a technical management role.3.Establish a mutual trust. Make a commitment to him that you will keep him informed.4.Communicate constantly. Ensure that there is two-way communications so that your boss does not get blind-sided, and also so that you have a clear understanding of senior management expectations and concerns.5.Be a team!
The first step to resolving the issue of an incompetent boss, is to find out what strengths your boss brings to the team, and also, what weaknesses that will need to be covered. This can be a tricky thing to do without causing insult, however, if you approach your boss, and start by asking about your precise role on the team will be, and then, what will the roles of all the other individuals on the team, including the boss, he will be very receptive to expounding on his own role in the process.
Once you have determined what your boss' actual task is, you can then figure out where his weaknesses are. By this time, you may actually realize that your boss does have some critical skills that will be of assistance in the project, or (hopefully not) you may find that he is truly incompetent and brings nothing to the table.
Either way, your second step needs to be teaching your boss what exactly you are doing. Establish yourself as both a highly trained professional, and as a teacher. In the US Military, junior officers are always placed with senior Non-commissioned officers (NCO), which most of us would call a senior sergeant. The NCO, usually with 12-15 years time in the service, while the officer, though senior in rank, will generally be fresh out of college with very little practical experience. In this case, the NCO is placed in the role of teaching the officer how to become an officer.
In your project, you must fulfill the role of the NCO. You need to be respectful, however, you must also teach your manager how to manage. Give him some hints. Ask him if he wants you to cover some of the more technical areas of the project with him, so that he can understand the details when he has to give his project briefings.
Not only will this help him to improve his skills, it will also ingratiate him to you for the help that you are providing him. Some people may call you a 'brown-noser', but just remember, your job is to successfully complete the project, not stab your incompetent boss in the back.
The third step, which could also be called step 2(a), is to establish a common trust with your boss. Show your boss that you are working for the best of the project, and he will be more willing to allow you to do what you know is correct. In addition, as his skills grow, and as you see the strengths that he brings to the table, you will learn to trust what he says as well.
This naturally flows into a two-way flow of information which I will call the fourth step. As the rapport between you and your boss increases, critical information about the project needs to constantly flow both up and down the chain of command. When there is constant communication about project status, new requirements, etc... you will find that your boss will start to seek your input on prospective changes. This will ensure that not only you, but all other team members are kept 'in the know' and that you are not blind-sided at the last minute with unexpected changes that force you to miss the deadline.
It also provides the critical information your manager needs when he tells his own management that a change in the requirements will definitely result in a change in the project completion date.
When you have reached this stage, you really are a team. Each individual has their own strengths and weaknesses, but by working together, the strength of the team will nullify the weak areas of any individual member of that team.
In this manner, despite having a boss who was incompetent, you can ensure your own successful career in the company.
