Demonizing your Boss won’t Make You a better Employee

It’s almost as if there’s some satisfaction in having a bad boss. The boss just has to be the bad guy!

Sometimes we perfect-employees-of-all-time believe that we do no wrong, and being an employer automatically equates being the devil; especially the strict ones who insist on productivity and efficiency. This is because to workers, these driven bosses dine with Lucifer.

I know a friend who has nothing good to say about employers. From complaints of how the boss hates her to not allowing her the chance to grow her own brand; excuse me, focus on your brand growth and leave the job, “but I need funds to set up my brand” then focus on working and being productive dear, your employer has an organization to grow as well.

They all want to be that employee whose employers are nice. By nice, I mean those employers who would rather watch their businesses and organizations crumble right under their feet because they pamper their workers’ egos to the detriment of their own successes. This is the only way we Nigerian workers can call you a good boss.

I’m not supporting the mean, wicked employers though; I know they exist. But if we’re being honest, what Nigerians expect a good employer or boss to be, is a far cry from what it really is.

Tell a Nigerian friend family or friend that you have gotten a job in a private sector and they go “How is your boss?” What is supposed to be the answer to this question? “Oh, he’s so mean” and watch their faces get animated with excitement. Tell them he’s “Okay and a good boss” and they all look crestfallen and advice you to give it time.

There are times I feel like I have to paint an event in the office that was just a simple pattern and ethic, in such a way that it would portray my employers in a bad light in order to garner approval from my friends. You dare not say your boss is amazing because you’ll here the warning to “watch out. You know all these bosses are…” and once in a while, you complain about what your boss did that didn’t sit well with you and you’ve created a dragon in their heads that can never be changed.

It’s almost as if there’s some satisfaction in having a bad boss. The boss just has to be the bad guy!

I am not saying that there are no bad bosses especially in Nigeria where an organization will employ you for a particular job description and have you doing every other thing without as much as a simple “thank you”.

We’ve been so eaten up by how wicked bosses can be, that we’ve subconsciously conditioned the boss to be the witch. A boss? Oh no, that’s a devil!

And this is a place where being a CEO is the new success. But until we become employers ourselves and our workers put up an attitude that threatens our business standards and productivity, then the song becomes that of how employees cannot be trusted.

Nigerian employees expect too much leniency and freedom from their employers. They can’t stand normal work demands and would quickly call a driven boss whose goal is to deliver without the unnecessary friendliness, a wicked person.

No, your boss is not wicked, you are the one trying to make your work environment your hang-out arena and a place for chit chats. Go get work done!

Sometimes have a sober reflection as an employee; would you succeed or grow as an employer if you had an employee as yourself?

Never forget that employers have the pressure coming from clients, maintaining and growing standard, competitions,brand growth, adaptation to changes and innovations and of course payment of workers.

All these are factors that would make a boss demand you act and offer as much value as they’re paying you for. And I bet you, this pressure won’t give them that chance to acknowledge your “good morning sir” with nothing more than a nod.

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