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Jack Welch Management Institute's National Workforce Survey Finds 76 Percent of Working Adults Have Suffered Under a Bad Boss
[July 23, 2015]

Jack Welch Management Institute's National Workforce Survey Finds 76 Percent of Working Adults Have Suffered Under a Bad Boss


The Jack Welch Management Institute at Strayer University, a leading executive MBA program for working managers, today released findings from its national workforce survey, which was conducted to determine how employees perceive their managers, careers, and workplace culture. Based on the survey, eight in ten workers report having a good relationship with their boss (84 percent), and seven in ten further believe their boss to be both a good manager (71 percent) and a good leader (71 percent). Despite this, three quarters of professionals (76 percent) say that they have had to deal with a bad boss at some point in their career.

"It's disappointing to learn that so many working professionals have had to work under bad managers at some point," said Dr. Andrea Backman, dean of the Jack Welch Management Institute. "Too often, people are promoted to manage teams for the first time, often as a result of excelling in their individual functions, but may be unprepared for the fundamental mindset shift and new skills that come with leadership. Despite all of the management training resources out there, it appears that many leaders do not understand the needs of their employees or how to best build, motivate, and differentiate top-performing teams. We need to break this disconnect by emphasizing candid communication, encouraging continuous professional development, and by helping managers learn leadership essentials that can change the game."

Survey respondents weighed in on the characteristics they would use to describe their worst boss, which included micromanaging (35 percent), being unapproachable (33 percent), acting phony (32 percent), being unreliable (28 percent), and lacking focus/organization (25 percent).

Conversely, respondents also selected the traits of great bosses, which included being approachable (54 percent), intelligent (42 percent), invested in their employees' success (37 percent), authentic (27 percent), passionate (21 percent), empathetic (18 percent), and energetic (17 percent).

"The most successful leaders today are both authentic and generous. Being invested in the success of your employees is a leadership trait that is often overlooked by new managers," said Backman. "Your employees will invest in their work as much as you invest in their professional growth and success. They want their managers to be real people who exude energy, optimism and genuine concern for the team. We found that working Americans are much more likely to describe their ideal boss as someone they can connect with, rather than someone they fear or are afraid to approach."

Are you working under an effective boss? How do you know? Backman recommends asking…

  • Are you able to draw inspiratin from your boss?
  • Does your boss value candor and trust?
  • Does your boss listen to all points of view, but move as a leader to be decisive?
  • Does your boss seem truly invested in your success?
  • Does your boss make time to celebrate your team's achievements?
  • Does your boss share credit or take credit?
  • Or is it your own performance that is negatively impacting your relationship with your boss?



If you have determined you're working under a bad boss, Backman suggests that you weigh whether it's better to work for a good company with a poor manager or a good boss at a weak company. Usually, if your organization has a strong culture and your boss is underperforming or undermining the company values, he/she will eventually be replaced. However, if you don't feel aligned with either your company or your boss, Backman advises that you need to have the confidence to seek out a situation that may be a better fit with your values and goals.

"No professional intentionally develops into a bad boss. Most people have every intention to be great managers, but it's important to constantly check yourself as a leader," said Backman. "Good leaders are continuous learners who solicit feedback, who grow from that feedback and who want to constantly upgrade their own leadership abilities. The best leaders realize that their role is no longer about them. It's about growing others. It's about helping the team shine."


The Jack Welch Management Institute offers an online executive MBA program, as well as intensive executive certificate programs. Based on the singular business insights of world-renowned CEO and management icon Jack Welch, the Institute's offerings are designed to provide students and organizations with the proven methodologies, immediately actionable practices, and respected credentials needed to win in the most demanding global business environments. To learn more about the Jack Welch Management Institute, visit http://jackwelch.strayer.edu or follow @JackWelchMBA on Twitter.

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.@JackWelchMBA finds 76 percent of Americans have suffered under a #BadBoss.

***MEDIA NOTE: To speak with Andrea Backman, please contact Cristina Henley at [email protected], work: (703) 561-1913, or cell: (703) 431-3691.

Research conducted by Ipsos

These are findings from an Ipsos poll conducted for The Jack Welch Management Institute at Strayer University from January 9-15, 2015. For the survey, 1,795 U.S. adults age 18 and over was interviewed online, including 1,198 respondents who work for a professional/corporate organization. The precision of the Strayer/Ipsos online polls is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the poll has a credibility interval of plus or minus 3.2 percentage points for these working adults.

About The Jack Welch Management Institute

The core mission of the Jack Welch Management Institute at Strayer University is to provide students and organizations with the proven methodologies, immediately actionable practices, and respected credentials needed to win in the most demanding global business environments. By teaching the performance and people-driven management canon of Jack Welch and other renowned business leaders, the Jack Welch Management Institute prepares Executive MBA and Executive Certificate program graduates to transform their companies and careers. For more information, please visit http://jackwelch.strayer.edu.

About Strayer University

Strayer University has been in operation since 1892, and is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (267-284-5000). The Middle States Commission on Higher Education is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. The University offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs in business administration, accounting, economics, information systems, information technology, human resource management, education, health services administration, public administration, management and criminal justice to working adult students. The University includes Strayer@Work, which serves corporate clients by delivering the next generation of performance improvement and workforce development. Strayer University also offers an executive MBA online through its Jack Welch Management Institute. For more information, visit www.strayer.edu or call 1-888-4-STRAYER (888-478-7293).


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