Bossophobia
Are
all bosses, by definition, dictators? If not, then why fear them
Fear can be a precarious emotion and soon can transform itself into a mindset and this could hamper one’s ability to question or challenge anything. And fear, as we all know, is prevalent in some form at the workplace, popularly w.r.t bosses. Conventional wisdom has caused many of us to believe that it is normal (and in some cases, essential) to be scared of one’s boss. Haven’t you undergone the feeling when unprecedentedly your boss calls you to his/her cabin and you only expect the worst to happen? We condition ourselves to believe that the news is indeed bad and any possibilities of maybe an early promotion or a prestigious project get ruled out.
Even
in ‘modern-day’ organisations, what is it about bosses that still
make employees fearful? Rahul Shah, head, Learning Solutions Group (LSG),
DDI India says, “It’s all about the designation (read:boss) and the power that
comes along with it. This fear comes from the belief that your boss has the key
to your future.” After all, isn’t the boss the one who gives you your
performance rating?
Varun Mittal, manager, integrated marketing
communications, Godrej Security Solutions adds, “I believe that the fear that
employees feel towards their bosses stems a lot from the older practices that
were followed earlier, when the boss could control his/her juniors. Even if our
bosses are ‘good’, the perceptions always exist at a subconscious level.”
The term, ‘boss’ itself echoes of an authoritarian sentiment. While Hitler epitomised the negative traits of a leader back in those days, Meryl Streep as the sassy Miranda Priestly reinforced the same in modern culture in The Devil wears Prada. Dr Anjali Chhabria, Mumbai based consultant, psychiatrist and psychotherapist explains, “Being in-charge may infuse the dominant streak in individuals as power has also been associated with a ‘feel good’ factor for some. Although it may not be true for all individuals, some may form a dictator spirit.”
Therefore, how can employees harbour a ‘let’s give the boss the benefit of doubt’ attitude? “I think it is all about balance. One needs to understand that the business needs to be pursued in a controlled manner to sustain its viability amidst competition. If you propagate freedom alone without bringing in other elements with respect to goals/KRAs, then it is a recipe for failure. At the same time, if you use leniency alone to get the work done from your employees, it may only produce short-term results,” says Rajendra Ghag, senior EVP & chief human resource officer, HDFC Life.
Mittal shares a few actionable ideas to curb bossophobia:
The term, ‘boss’ itself echoes of an authoritarian sentiment. While Hitler epitomised the negative traits of a leader back in those days, Meryl Streep as the sassy Miranda Priestly reinforced the same in modern culture in The Devil wears Prada. Dr Anjali Chhabria, Mumbai based consultant, psychiatrist and psychotherapist explains, “Being in-charge may infuse the dominant streak in individuals as power has also been associated with a ‘feel good’ factor for some. Although it may not be true for all individuals, some may form a dictator spirit.”
Therefore, how can employees harbour a ‘let’s give the boss the benefit of doubt’ attitude? “I think it is all about balance. One needs to understand that the business needs to be pursued in a controlled manner to sustain its viability amidst competition. If you propagate freedom alone without bringing in other elements with respect to goals/KRAs, then it is a recipe for failure. At the same time, if you use leniency alone to get the work done from your employees, it may only produce short-term results,” says Rajendra Ghag, senior EVP & chief human resource officer, HDFC Life.
Mittal shares a few actionable ideas to curb bossophobia:
1)
have regular team-building exercises that help everyone in the team and
organisation be more comfortable with each other;
2)
set up sessions where the subordinates can voice their opinions to a neutral
third party
without the presence of their seniors and
without the presence of their seniors and
3)
ensure that the entire team works together on various projects; this would mean
that the seniors work closely with everyone and there is no feeling of
hierarchy that is built in.
Once you quit and the relationship is broken, the fear dies too, but this isn’t the solution. Why harbour fear in the first place? Chandra Ganjoo, GM, HR – Trivitron Healthcare concludes, “It’s the fear of unknown. Also, it’s the fear of authority, which can be imposed. But, let’s not forget that there is a ‘big boss’ for every boss and your boss is always being monitored too.” You can’t be afraid of your boss if you want to succeed in your career, atleast not when you have done nothing wrong.
Viren Naidu TAS121010
Once you quit and the relationship is broken, the fear dies too, but this isn’t the solution. Why harbour fear in the first place? Chandra Ganjoo, GM, HR – Trivitron Healthcare concludes, “It’s the fear of unknown. Also, it’s the fear of authority, which can be imposed. But, let’s not forget that there is a ‘big boss’ for every boss and your boss is always being monitored too.” You can’t be afraid of your boss if you want to succeed in your career, atleast not when you have done nothing wrong.
Viren Naidu TAS121010
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