Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/482029
STARRINKS.COM MARCH.APRIL.2015 / 33 who's assigned to manage a group of sea- soned employees. Whippersnappers are energetic, enthu- siastic, but secretly afraid that nobody is taking them seriously. If you're working for a whippersnapper, respond enthusiastically to the energy they bring to their job and never, ever remind them of their relative inexperience. 7 The Social Director Social directors consider the per- sonal interactions that happen in the workplace as important as (and sometimes more important than) the work itself. Social directors maage by consensus. They call a LOT of meetings and spend a LOT of time letting people air their opin- ions and ideas. If you're working for a social director, build alliances and garner supporters before trying to get any decision made. Also, be the one who brings the donuts to the meeting. 8 The Dictator While most people find the "my way or the highway" boss irri- tating, working for a dictator has some advantages. They make decisions quickly, without over-analyzing. On the other hand, dictators are imper- vious to outside opinion and brittle when it comes to change. When they fail, it's usually on an epic scale. If you're working for a dictator, simply follow orders and hope for the best. But be ready to job hunt before the dictator drives your organization over a cliff. 9 The Sales Star Selling is part of every job, and every boss should be able to sell his or her ideas. The problem with sales stars is that's the only thing they know how to do. Sales star bosses are usually created when top sales professionals are promoted into management, which is stupid because managing people requires a different skill set from selling to customers. If you're working for a sales star, encourage them to sell for you! Bring them into situations where a deal must be closed or terms negotiated. 10 The Hatchet Man Hatchet men (or women) are brought into an organization to fire people as quickly as possible, usu- ally to make the company more attractive to investors. There are only two roles available for people who work for a hatchet man: henchman or victim. Ultimately the favored role, that of henchman, is tempo- rary: they often get canned, too. 11 The Lost Lamb Sometimes people who have no management talent end up in a position of authority, usually because a manager left and the organization needs somebody to "hold the fort." Lost lambs continue whatever policies were previously in place and dread doing anything that will be held against them once they're pushed back into the ranks. If you're working for a lost lamb, move your projects forward without forcing your manager to make any difficult decisions. 12 The Hero Heroes prefer to coach others than to do things themselves. They have a knack for figuring out exactly what their employees need in order to do a superlative job and then how to get that for them. Heroes always give their teams credit for the wins but take personal responsibil- ity for the losses. If you're working for a hero, enjoy it while it lasts, because chances are the hero will get promoted upward or be recruited to work elsewhere. J Geoffrey James is a veteran business journalist who now writes a daily column for Inc.com. This article was adapted from his latest book, Business Without the Bullsh*t. HEROES ALWAYS GIVE THEIR TEAMS CREDIT FOR THE WINS BUT TAKE PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE LOSSES.