{"id":15413,"date":"2015-07-30T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2015-07-30T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.toggl.com\/6-spirit-animals-of-bad-managers-and-a-unicorn-infographic\/"},"modified":"2024-06-17T04:05:26","modified_gmt":"2024-06-17T04:05:26","slug":"6-spirit-animals-of-bad-managers-and-a-unicorn-infographic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/toggl.com\/blog\/6-spirit-animals-of-bad-managers-and-a-unicorn-infographic","title":{"rendered":"6 Spirit Animals of Bad Managers [Infographic]"},"content":{"rendered":"

Managers sometimes get a bad rep \u2013 so much so that some are beginning to question if we need them at all<\/a>? And while there\u2019s a few bad apples in every basket, all is not lost for the bosses.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

I have a friend whose manager once called her after work to have her google some song lyrics. I kid you not.<\/em> And no, she doesn\u2019t work in the creative industry (pretty far from it).<\/p>\n

It\u2019s hard to teach someone how to be a decent human being, but there\u2019s a lot of managerial qualities you can easily learn or improve on, if only you\u2019re willing.<\/p>\n

This is why we\u2019ve put together this infographic on the types of bad managers that hold you back (and one Unicorn that can save the day):<\/p>\n

Click to enlarge<\/em><\/p>\n

\"6<\/a><\/p>\n

The most important takeaway here is that no-one is a hopeless case. As for the \u201cUnicorn Manager\u201d up there \u2013 keep in mind that\u2019s an ideal case \u2013 You don\u2019t have to be perfect in every single way, but picking a few of the good qualities can already make a huge difference.<\/p>\n

You also have to keep in mind that different environments require different management styles<\/a> \u2013 while some teams operate better when working remotely, others need a firm leader and a stricter daily routine.<\/p>\n

The core qualities of a great manager boil down to communication and involvement. Managing isn\u2019t about forwarding goals and tasks via e-mail but rather it\u2019s about constant engagement with the staff. Mark Graban does an excellent job in explaining why<\/a> it\u2019s important for managers to involve people in the decision-making and improvement processes. The reason is simple \u2013 no one person knows everything, and not tapping into the collective potential of their staff is perhaps the biggest mistake a leader can make.<\/p>\n

Social intelligence, not just intelligence<\/h1>\n

It\u2019s great if a manager has in-depth knowledge of their particular field, or has the visionary qualities needed to keep a company head and shoulders above the rest. In the infographic above we have:<\/p>\n

a.) the Elephant<\/span><\/strong> \u2013 an educated, highly knowledgeable leader with a highly organised mind.<\/p>\n

b.) the Mole<\/span><\/strong> \u2013 a esteemed specialist of their niche field. Specialists don\u2019t necessarily make good leaders though, so they need to pay extra attention to the social skills below.<\/p>\n

c.) the Giraffe<\/span><\/strong> \u2013 a forward-thinker and a visionary. The world isn\u2019t getting less competitive, and staying ahead requires constant reaching for new heights.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

But we also have to be good with people. Thankfully, social intelligence<\/a> \u2013 the ability to read and influence social situations around one self \u2013 can be learned.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

d.) the Cat<\/strong><\/span> \u2013 rather that forcing everybody to adjust to their ideas of work, a cat values freedom and independent thinking, and encourages flexibility in other\u2019s work patterns.<\/p>\n

e.) the Setter<\/span><\/strong> \u2013 being sincere and honest with your staff is absolutely crucial for having trust.<\/p>\n

f.) the Vulture<\/span><\/strong> \u2013 if they can control their credit stealing urge, the vulture won\u2019t let themselves be bullied away from a good idea.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Perhaps more than anything, it\u2019s the social side that needs more attention. You may have heard the saying \u201cPeople quit their bosses, not their job\u201d<\/a> \u2013 with management playing a big role in job satisfaction, a stubborn and authoritarian manager can cause a lot of damage to their organisation.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cPeople quit their bosses, not their job.\u201d<\/h2>\n<\/blockquote>\n

That risk isn\u2019t too likely to diminish in the future either, as the millennials are reshaping the way superiors connect with their staff.<\/p>\n

So it\u2019s best to grow those Unicorn wings and fly, because the ground\u2019s not that firm anymore.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Scary as it may seem, change is necessary \u2013 here\u2019s a really engaging piece from Chad Perry on how old school management techniques can kill work culture.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Do you know a bad manager type we may have left out? Let us know in the comments below!<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Managers sometimes get a bad rep \u2013 so much so that some are beginning to question if we need them at all? And while there\u2019s…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":51,"featured_media":31373,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[857],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15413","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-creative"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n6 Spirit Animals of Bad Managers [Infographic]<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The core qualities of a great manager boil down to communication and involvement. 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