The 2020 CX Report gathers trends on how business happens in the computational era by examining the tech stacks for marketing and products in the context of digital transformation.
This is now my favorite table from an old MIT Sloan Management Review piece. It describes how a boss’ behavior can be read from two vantage points. It’s brilliant! —JM
| OBSERVED BEHAVIOR | SUBORDINATE INTERPRETATION | |
|---|---|---|
| GOOD BOSS | BAD BOSS | |
| Gives critical feedback | Honest | Abrasive |
| Makes a unilateral decision | Decisive | Autocratic |
| Instructs work to be redone | Demanding | Impossible to please |
| Imposes performance metrics | Disciplined | Control freak |
| Works weekends | Driven | Obsessive |
| Sticks with a dubious course of action | Persistent | Stubborn |
| Ignores their boss’s advice | Self-confident | Arrogant |
| Gives unsolicited advice | Helpful | Meddlesome |
| Asks specific questions | Informed | Micromanager |
| Delays response to proposal | Reflective | Unsupportive |
| Does not punish a mistake | Compassionate | Spineless |
| Loses temper in public | Passionate | Temperamental |
| Manages by walking about | Empathic | Clueless |
| Breaks a promise | Opportunistic | Untrustworthy |
| Limits interaction times | Structured | Unapproachable |
And you can pair this with the “boss advice” page in the Design in Tech Report.
