Think Your Boss is Bad? Wait Until You Hear About ‘Mr. Jones’
In my 20 years as a career coach, I’ve talked to thousands of people and have heard countless stories about bad bosses, irritating coworkers, and overly demanding customers. While I never assume that any story I hear is the most shocking, I am always shocked at the bad behavior of people in general. This week, I received an email from a client describing her boss’s behavior. Read on:
I had been unemployed for going on a year, so when I was offered this job, I grabbed it, thinking it would be a stopgap until I found something better. The salary is about $50K lower than market and is less than I was earning before, but I thought it would be good experience to put on my resume.
The problem with this new company is my boss. The company is privately held, and the owner/president projects an air of 17th-century royalty, wherein he is the monarch and the rest of us are merely serfs whose purpose is to do his bidding. He insists that all employees address him as “Mr. Jones.” Clients, vendors, and partners are welcome to use his first name. If you are responding to a yes/no question, you must say “Yes, sir” or “No sir,” as if he is a military general and we are the enlisted ranks. Most of the team is remote, and Mr. Jones has a strict policy that our work hours are 9-6, with a 30-minute break for lunch. We are all salaried employees! In addition, we must keep our cameras turned on so that he can “see” that we are working.
This has quickly become untenable. I know that I am not going to change him or this king/subject relationship that he has established with employees. I could kick myself for not asking for the working conditions, such as hours worked and time off upfront. Now, I’m under surveillance, and it is virtually impossible for me to look for another job, let alone take any interviews. Yes, I was desperate for a job, but not so desperate that I would surrender my professional dignity to a wannabe royal. I think about quitting every second of every workday but am loath to do so without having something else lined up.
Wow. “Mr. Jones” sounds like a real prize. When I hear about or meet people like this, I always wonder how they treat their families, particularly their spouses and children. Clearly, Mr. Jones has a lot going on in his head, which is much better left to the therapist, whom I’m sure he does not see. Mr. Jones shows blatant disrespect for his team by subjugating them and creating this imbalance of power. What Mr. Jones doesn’t realize—or perhaps what he fears—is that the employees drive the business. They are the profit makers in any company. Without these lowly employees, Mr. Jones would be unable to do anything.
I shared this note with you to illustrate a few points. First, it is absolutely crucial that you drill down into the specifics when you’re evaluating a job offer. A good way to get a handle on the culture is to search for former employees on LinkedIn and reach out to them. I suspect Mr. Jones and his company have an above-average turnover rate, and I’m sure that former employees would just LOVE to talk to prospective hires about the culture he creates. Also, our letter writer failed to get the specifics of the job as they relate to the workday. Had this person known that the rule was 9-6, ½ hour for lunch, and cameras on, they may have declined.
Additionally, Mr. Jones is not an example of a leader. He is just a boss and not a good one at that. He assigns tasks and expects them to be completed within a certain timeframe. There’s nothing wrong with that; all businesses need taskmasters. But he is the owner of the company. He should step up and lead his people to achieve great things rather than being focused on how much time an employee puts in. Salaried employees are paid for the results they deliver, not the time they put in. And real leaders listen to and evaluate multiple differing perspectives. They embrace diversity of thought. They do not run a white-collar assembly line, which is what this sounds like.
The bottom line? Evaluate the company carefully, talk to former employees, and know what you’re getting into when you sign that offer letter. Oh, also, being in charge doesn’t make you a leader.