What Should You Do If Your Boss Is an Idiot?

You may know and everyone in your team may also be aware that the leader of your team is an idiot and a brute. Though it is certain that this idiot will never help any of you grow in your career, you may find it difficult to convince the top management to replace him. You may wonder as to how to go about this situation. Of course, you may be lamenting with your spouse that your idiotic boss is not treating you properly, is not listening to your suggestions, and not heeding your suggestions. But do not worry. Here are a few suggestions that may help you handle situations that may arise during the course of working with an idiotic boss. 

1. The foremost point you should remember is that you can discuss your dislikes for the idiotic ways of your boss with your spouse but should never discuss them with any of your colleagues including your superiors, peers, and subordinates. Precisely put, you should not discuss them at your workplace at all.

Your grievance that your boss is not allowing you to grow is completely justifiable. But in the prevalent circumstances, you can not do anything about it. If you, under a spell of frustration, complain about your boss or express your grievance to some of your colleagues, it will certainly reach that particular officer. Remember that all managers will not be rational in their approach while dealing with such complaints. Your boss may view your complaints seriously and may take action against you. This will ultimately ruin your career. The colleagues with whom you shared your concerns may not view your situation sympathetically. In fact, some of them will feel happy when you are penalized for your complaints.

2. Therefore, instead of going about complaining, you should make all possible efforts to improve your focus. Your focus should not only be on your career growth but on those aspects that will improve the standing of your company in the industry as well. For example, you should try to come out with innovative ideas for improving the business of your organization. This will help in keeping your mind stress-free. You will be able to divert your mind from your concerns and grievances and attend to those matters that will help in the growth of the company. 

3. If this idiotic boss continues making wrong decisions, you can have a frank discussion only with him and not with anyone else in the company. You should take the very important step of recording your views on email messages or other forms of communication also. This will help you show to the top management that you have already raised concerns on those decisions that the boss has made and that may have proved to be detrimental for the growth of the company.

In other words, you should let the top management know, of course, at the most appropriate time, that you are an alert and sincere employee who is committed to improving the growth trajectory of the company. This will go a long way in getting due recognition from the top management at the right time. This will also open up lots of opportunities for helping you grow in the company.

How the Attitude of Mediocrity Can Kill Your Growth

A study says that the number of people who are complacent with their mediocre skills and their learning aspirations is huge. On the other hand, there are people who firmly believe that any level of talent or skill is not enough in the highly competitive environment that is prevalent now. For these latter folks, even the sky is not the limit and they do not even consider age, qualifications, and other barriers as impediments. There are people who are in their eighties who keep studying and enhancing their knowledge levels. In this context, you should understand and realize that if you develop such an attitude, no one on this planet can stall your growth. Let us find out how the attitude of mediocrity can stunt your growth and how the attitude of not getting complacent can help in improving your growth trajectory.

1. It is true that mediocrity may make you comfortable. But it may take a toll on your growth regardless of whether you are running a business or in employment. If you believe that average or normal performance is enough for executing your tasks, you will be increasing the chances of your faltering along your way. This means that your output and performance will be below par. You may commit errors and mistakes as well. Therefore, you may have to repeat the tasks again and again. This may sap your energy as well as your enthusiasm. When your enthusiasm gets a beating, your output will again be much below satisfactory levels. In other words, this may become a vicious circle and so, getting out of this quagmire may become highly difficult for you.

2. If you continue nurturing your mediocrity mentality, it may negatively impact your health as well. Your stress level will increase. For example, if you are employed and if your output or performance is not to the satisfaction of your boss, he or she may ask you to repeat the tasks until he or she is satisfied. Unfortunately, you have always been in possession of the mediocrity mentality and hence, you yourself are not certain if you will be able to improve the quality of your output. This uncertainty coupled with the energy you spend for executing the tasks repeatedly will increase your stress level. It is a known fact that constant stress can lead to serious ailments such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart-related health issues. 

3. Your attitude of mediocrity can rob your peace of mind at the home front. A home is a place where you can enjoy tranquility and peace of mind. But thanks to your mentality and mediocrity habits, you will adopt a cavalier and insouciant attitude towards your close relatives including your spouse and children. Remember that such a lack of concern for them will certainly annoy them and they are bound to get upset with your behaviors and habits. This may lead to avoidable arguments or tiffs within your family, the casualty being the tranquility at your home.

     

4. Another very important point to remember is that your mediocrity mentality will not allow you to utilize the opportunities available on the career front in an appropriate manner. Though every organization affords near-equal opportunities for its employees, it will not be a level-playing field for you because you have chosen a mediocre mentality. Those who believe in acquiring more and more skills and developing their knowledge will be able to move ahead of you and you will find yourself in an unenviable situation. 

The problem with your mediocre mentality is that if you are a team head, your attitude will deprive your team of great achievements also This is because you will either hesitate to make decisions or even if you dare to, you will perpetually make faulty ones. 

How to dispense with this mentality?

These are some of the disadvantages you are likely to encounter owing to your mediocrity mentality. You should, therefore, try and get rid of it. But you have to remember that you cannot achieve overnight success. By taking small and baby steps and achieving small successes, you can boost your confidence. 

You should remember another fact also. You cannot acquire skills in all the areas. Even if you try your best, there are bound to some areas in which you can never become an expert. In this context, it is better to recall a conversation between Bruce Lee, a Hong Kong-American martial arts instructor and philosopher, and another upcoming martial artist. This upcoming artist told Lee that however hard he tried, he could not lift his legs and use them as effectively as his peers did. To this, Lee replied that it was not necessary to acquire that skill, and instead, the artist could develop those skills in which he was strong.

You should apply the same analogy here and focus on your areas of strength and try to develop your expertise in them. You should not get complacent with average-level skills. You should learn to adroitly sidestep roadblocks along the way. You should work hard to become an expert in your strong areas. This will empower you to a great extent. You will be in a position to leverage your skills for achieving enormous success on the career front as well as in your life.