What do I do if I feel like my boss is unqualified?

06/28/2024, 8:19 AM
fastcompany.com

Welcome to Pressing Questions, Fast Company’s work-life advice column. Every week, deputy editor Kathleen Davis, host of The New Way We Work podcast, will answer the biggest and most pressing workplace questions.

Q: What do I do if I feel like my boss is unqualified?

A: Good bosses have a lot in common: They help you grow in your career; they offer constructive feedback; they advocate for you; and challenge you. Bad bosses come in lots of different varieties: the micromanager, the toxic, and the incompetent or unqualified.

In fact, incompetent bosses are the reason many people quit their jobs. A recent Gallup study of over 7,000 adults found that 50% quit to escape an incompetent manager.

Before I get into what to do about your incompetent or unqualified boss, you might be wondering how so many people ended up in management roles if they aren’t qualified for them. Fast Company contributor Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic wrote a whole book on the subject (Why Do So Many Incompetent Men Become Leaders). In a nutshell, some people “fail upwards,” and get promoted because they are confident and charismatic—traits that we associated with leaders but can that actually detrimental to good leadership and management. Other incompetent or unqualified bosses might get there by what’s called the “Peter principle.” It’s the idea, developed by Laurence J. Peter, that people tend to rise to “a level of respective incompetence.” In other words, someone is good at their job so they keep getting promoted, but then aren’t good at being a manager.Knowing how your unqualified boss got their job doesn’t help much if you are trying to do your job better. So, here’s what you can do to manage up:1. Ask for goals or set them yourself. All employees should have goals and every boss should help set them. But if your boss is in over their head, chances are they don’t know what you should be working on. If that’s the case, manage up by setting some goals for yourself and sharing your process at regular check ins.

2. Document and share. Keep a detailed list of everything you work on, especially big projects and successes. Set up regular check-ins and let your boss know what you are working on. If you have a new idea, share it publicly (in a meeting or a group Slack) or copy your boss’ boss. (Be careful not to go over your boss’ head by cutting them out, but including more people on an email to share ideas is fine.) This way your work will be more visible and your unqualified boss won’t hold you back as much.

3. Talk to your boss’ boss. If all else fails, have a (delicate) conversation about your frustrations with your manager’s boss. Make sure to frame it as roadblocks to your or the company’s success and offer ideas and solutions. Stay away from personal criticism.

4. Look for other opportunities at your company. Yes, sometimes quitting and looking for a different job is the best course. But if the only thing wrong is your direct manager, you can always look for opportunities for promotions or lateral moves to other departments or teams within your company.

Want some more advice on dealing with an incompetent or unqualified boss? Here you go: