6 Signs You Have a Bad Boss There's nothing worse than having a bad boss, here are some things you should watch out for.

We've all had bad bosses, but sometimes, it's hard to pinpoint exactly what makes them bad.

Not only can it set your career back, but it can also lead to faster burnout, high turnover and a toxic workplace. Here, we discuss six common ways that you might be dealing with a bad boss.

1. Lack of Support

The first sign that you potentially have a bad boss is if they aren't all that supportive of you. This can manifest itself in various ways, but it can be something as simple as asking for something, and they never really give you anything in return.

There's no give and take in terms of the relationship between you and your boss. Not having a supportive boss is frustrating because it often means that you'll need to do a lot more work yourself, or you'll have to find a workaround to make something possible because they're being more of a blocker than an enabler.

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2. No preparation for one-on-ones

The second sign that makes for a bad boss is that they never really prepare for your one-on-ones. If you find yourself in a situation where you aren't getting regular one-on-ones, it is highly recommended that you set aside some time with your direct manager for that. But if you are getting that time of the week, you need to make sure that you're making the most of that time. That's some of the best times for you to go over what's going well and what's not going well, as well as some of the challenges and things your boss can help you work through.

When it comes to one-on-ones, it's essential to find a boss who does prep work for the one-on-ones, is interested and invested in your career development, as well as gives you direction to make sure that you are doing the right things for you to be successful in your role.

3. Gaslighting

The third sign that you should look out for when it comes to identifying a bad boss is whether or not they gaslight you.

This often comes in the form of them telling you something and then blowing up at you for no good reason. It's something in which they're then starting to undermine you by instilling doubt or some sort of form of uncertainty as to whether or not you actually can do the thing that you fully know that you can do.

Over time, this can erode your self-esteem and sense of competence, leaving you confused and insecure about your work. Recognizing this behavior early on is crucial, as it can seriously impact your mental well-being and professional performance if left unchecked.

4. Low emotional intelligence

The next sign of a bad boss is if they have a really low level of emotional intelligence. If somebody can't empathize with what you are going through regularly, or they just struggle to take a step back, actually listen to you, and show compassion in moments where you might mess up along the way, or where you might be feeling a little bit burned out, then you have a bad boss who isn't supportive of you.

You must keep an eye out for this because your boss's job is to enable you to be successful in your role. If they aren't helping you and getting you there, then you need to find a new boss who is going to enable you and empower you to do that sort of task. That is the essence of business and work relationships in which you are agreeing to join a company, to do a job, and to do it well. Take charge of ensuring you're set up for success with the kind of work you're doing. A truly good boss empowers you, values your contributions, and fosters an environment where you can bring your best self to work. This allows you to excel in your role and deliver exceptional results.

Related: 20 Things Emotionally Intelligent People Don't Say

5. Unprofessional behavior

The fifth sign that you have a bad boss is in the case where they are unprofessional in the workplace. This can mean that they make certain comments that frankly shouldn't be made in a workplace whether it's yourself or others in your office. This can be a really bad sign for you because it means that your boss, again, likely doesn't have the emotional maturity level or just social intelligence to pick up on what makes other people comfortable and uncomfortable in the workplace.

If you have something like this, you should keep an eye out for that and make sure that you potentially find yourself in a new situation.

6. Unfair treatment and lack of recognition

The sixth sign that you have a bad boss is you feel like you're not being treated fairly or valued. This often manifests itself in compensation conversations. If your boss is not willing to come to the table with fair offers or fair raises when it comes time to give you that performance bonus for the great work that you've done, then it means that your boss is just trying to hold you back and isn't supportive of your career. Ultimately, bosses should feel like they're excited about giving these sorts of opportunities to their team members who have worked their butt off for them. In that situation, it makes it so that it's an opportunity for them, as well as the employees, to recommit to the business and continue to perform.

Giving people raises over time produces a conversation where bosses can realign on what their goals are for the next 12 months or the next 18 to 24 months, how they can get there, and what would make somebody happy in terms of how they're getting paid for them to feel motivated to accomplish those goals. Having somebody who recognizes you, values you, and expresses those sorts of appreciation moments, can make a huge difference in the morale of an employee.

Conclusion

When you have a really good boss, it's essentially the opposite of all these bad signs of bosses in terms of feeling empowered, feeling valued, feeling like you can come to work and show your best self so that you can just really deliver on what you are hired to do.

In the case where you find yourself in one of these situations, take a step back, ask yourself whether or not you need this job or if it's time for you to potentially start opening some doors, reaching out to folks, or if it's potentially time for you to take a step back, reflect on what you want to do next and find a better situation. There are a lot of things going on in the world, but don't discount your abilities and what you're capable of. If you put some feelers out there, you can get new opportunities because there's always demand for top talent.