Is your boss a Dragon Lady?
Everyone has had a bad boss or two in their day.
But have you ever worked for DRAGON LADY?
What is a Dragon Lady boss, you ask? Here are some examples of what a Dragon Lady boss does:
There’s the story of a boss who didn’t pay her workers before the Christmas holidays and then called a meeting at 9 am the day after New Year’s. She opened the meeting with a condescending ‘So, Santa gave you everything you wanted?’ and then she surveyed the room and told each of her unpaid employees what her New Year’s resolutions should be.
Then there is the boss who organizes marathons, back-to-back meetings without providing coffee or even a glass of water for those caught.
Who can forgive the boss who demands you complete a task and then works behind your back to make sure your task never gets done?
Oh wait, there’s one more: that boss who makes you work like a slave for pennies and then constantly tells you that you shouldn’t ask for a raise because ‘we’re in this together.’
Urban legends, right? No. These Dragon Ladies exist, and unfortunately, the aforementioned examples were all from the same woman.
She used to be my boss a long time ago.
My boss is gone, but she has had an effect on my life: thanks to her, I strive to be a mentor, not a TORMENTER, to the professional women I work with on a daily basis.
The way I see it, someone needs to stand up for the nameless, faceless worker bees. And the women who have made it must step back to mentor others. It doesn’t take much to dish out candid advice on how to polish a professional image and ultimately work your way up the corporate ladder.
And when it comes to Dragon Lady bosses, it’s up to the powers that be to clean house.
After all, if you’re a business owner, Dragon Lady managers are walking your young female talent out the front door. If you are an entrepreneur doing business with a Dragon Lady business owner, your abused and overworked team may not be giving you their best.
If you want to be successful, you have to send the Dragon Lady packing, Corporate America.
You have to clean the house.
Cleaning house, that is, regrouping and reassessing which employers/managers/partnerships, etc., are meeting your expectations, is an uncomfortable but necessary task if you want to keep your business afloat.
Pride, principles, and office politics can surely get in the way when it comes time to clean house, and trust me, female entrepreneurs may know this better than most. However, there are two golden rules to follow when cleaning the house: 1). Always grow roses; and 2). Always pull out the weeds.
Here are some tips to help you determine if there are any hidden weeds in your rose garden:
How to spot a rose
(Employees/suppliers/associations you cultivate)
She is competent and confident rather than controlling. You may assign a task and not feel inclined to follow through or micromanage.
He is an agile, multitasking person who responds quickly to new challenges.
She is an entrepreneur, continuous learner and leader; she can implement a company training program.
You have new ideas that, when implemented, positively influence the profitability of the company.
She gets to work on time and will stay longer if needed.
She is respectful and works well with a group of subordinates and alone.
How to spot a weed
(Employees/suppliers/associations you select)
There is a high turnover rate in your department.
Writes numerous disciplinary memos; she has increased employee absenteeism rates.
Rarely, if ever, does he suggest a subordinate for a raise or promotion.
She is a disruptive crybaby who inspires others to be crybaby and disruptive. Or, it’s an intrusive micromanager demanding your full attention at all times.
There is evidence of alcohol or substance abuse.
Loyalty and truthfulness are concepts that she does not know; especially when it comes to her subordinates.
In his opinion, pestering is essential for an employee to complete a task.
Dragon Lady managers will deplete your business unnecessarily, if you let them.
Consult with your hiring manager or a trusted employee rights attorney and clean house immediately; trying to please a Dragon Lady and/or delaying the inevitable is a waste of time and energy.
On the other hand, good managers will produce more profit for each employee they supervise, because they realize it is in their own interest to reward and promote subordinates accordingly.
The good manager is usually found among the movers and shakers in business, entertainment, and politics, often meeting up to connect, network, and impart their wisdom.
Sometimes it may seem hard to find, but it’s out there.
And if you are a professional woman, your working life will be fulfilled if your paths ever meet.
Carpe Diem.
