Managing Up

15The Pushover

“It isn't the mountains ahead to climb that wear you out; it's the pebble in your shoe.”

—Muhammad Ali

 

Real‐Life Story

According to Michelle, her boss, Tom, was a total pushover and it was driving her and the rest of the team crazy. Tom was the executive director of a membership organization and by all accounts a really good person. “He is probably the nicest guy you ever want to meet. Everybody loves him. In some ways, he is perfect for his job because as head of a membership association, he does a great job building relationships and making our members feel important and valued. While I understand that being responsive to our members is a critical part of his job, I think he goes too far and bends too much. He seems incapable of taking a stand or sticking with a decision. For example, we may decide to go with X strategy, then he meets with a member who recommends Y strategy so we change. Then he meets with another member who wants X strategy and we go back. We are constantly shifting direction and changing decisions. It feels like a hamster wheel and it's frustrating everyone!”

 

Initially, the Pushover Boss may not seem so bad. In fact, he is probably pretty nice and easy going. He may let you do your own thing without too much resistance. You may think “Jackpot!” However, that first impression will fade fast as soon as that super nice, easy‐going, Pushover Boss proves to be a real problem for you, your team, and the organization.

Pushover Bosses' ...