I watched Horrible Bosses 2 at home the other day, which got me thinking about bosses, and work, and stuff.
A popular belief is that the main reason people quit their jobs is because of pay. Not so according to just about every study done in the past decade, including the massive State Of The Global Workplace survey by Gallup [the same survey that reports worldwide employee engagement at a whopping 13%].
A bad boss is the number one reason people quit their job. As the saying goes, “People quit their boss, not their job”. So I guess Horrible Bosses is a pretty good premise for a movie, since it’s probably effected every one of us at some time in our working careers.
There is, however, another way of looking at this whole boss thing. Sure, you may have a boss at work. But is he or she really the boss of you?
You manage your day, your time, where you work, and your career. You manage how you do your job, how you sell your services, the way you talk to others, and the way others think of you.
The only person who’s seen every performance you’ve ever done is you. The only person who has seen every email you’ve written, and every meeting you’ve been to, is you.
The real boss of you is YOU. You are in charge. And chances are that you’re not doing a very good job at being your own boss. That the boss of you reckons you’re not good enough, not talented enough, and not clever enough. That the boss of you reckons you’re a bit of a fraud, is seldom proud of your work, and is often really hard on you for not being as good as the others. That the boss of you really is the worst boss in the world.
And just in case you’re not sure, pause for a moment to listen, and hear what the boss of you is saying [hint: it’s the voice in your head].
Being a good boss is a choice. If you and your boss – the boss of you – choose to agree that you are really good at what you do; that you do have a whole heap of talent; and that you do have much to contribute to the conversation, then that’s just how it will be.
And there may not be a thousand people giving you a standing ovation as you leave your desk at the end of your Monday. That’s okay. At least you’re working for a great boss.
