25 Sayings of a Bad Manager

These are 25 sayings of a bad manager in the workplace. Explore these 25 sayings of a bad manager in order to be aware. They will encourage you to take actions that will help you to avoid a toxic work environment or at least let you know what you’re in for at work.

By Catherine Adenle

You can easily know a bad manager by what he says to his staff. I am sure that you’ve all heard countless stories about the nightmare of working for a bad manager. Just as well, some of you must have had the unique displeasure of being that bad manager or working for one.

Red flags to such a bad manager’s behaviour often appear as soon as they open their mouths to speak to their staff in the workplace.

We’ve compiled 25 sayings of a bad manager as warning signs for you. Know these 25 sayings of a bad manager and you might be able to spot a bad manager from afar. Awareness of these 25 sayings of a bad manager will help you to take actions that will help you to avoid a toxic work environment or at least know what you’re in for with such a manager.

Here are the 25 sayings of a bad manager:

1. What the hell were you thinking?
2. Shut up! I can’t bear to listen to your reasons right now.
3. Get out of my office!
4. Why are you such a retard?
5. You are a loser with a capital L
6. Why did I hire you again?
7. Well, I don’t expect you to do any better!
8. I don’t have any time to coach or mentor anyone. Just get your work done!
9. You are not in the company to attend training and development courses; we have a lot of work to do right now.
10. I am too busy; I can’t see you today or any day.
11. You should be glad that you have a job. There are thousands of job seekers that I can hire to replace you.
12. Get a grip and do a great job for me.
13. I am not paying you to think! Get on with it.
14. You work at a snail speed, get on with it already.
15. Remind me, what’s your name again and what do you do around here?
16. Well, your best isn’t good enough. Try harder
17. If you are not happy here, you can take a hike. Someone else will do the job

See 25 Great Leadership Questions to Ask Yourself

18. I don’t need you to get engaged or network, just do the job you are paid to do.
19. I wonder why I hired you in the first place.
20. I don’t want to hear what you think or your ideas. What I say is final and that’s why I am the boss.
21. Do me a favour and disappear into thin air.
22. Don’t ask me, should I tell you how to do your work?
23. I am not in the mood to discuss your concerns, just do the work.
24. Work for the job you are being paid to do
25. Don’t ask me, use your common sense.

Bad managers say any or all of these 25 sayings of a bad manager. They think it is a brand of authority or leadership heroism to say one, some or all of these 20 sayings of a bad manager to their staff at any point in time.

See Are You the Nightmare Manager

Employees who believe that management is concerned about them as a whole person – not just an employee – are more productive, more satisfied, more fulfilled. Satisfied employees mean satisfied customers, which leads to profitability. – Anne M. Mulcahy

See 31 Tell-Tale Signs You’re a Horrible Boss

In my opinion, a manager saying any of these 25 things is one of the biggest hallmarks of incompetence. To manage and lead a group of staff effectively, a good manager must know how to speak to his staff.

The manager who speaks to his staff anyhow cannot manage himself so should not manage anyone else.

See 10 Signs You Have a Bad Boss

“The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint to keep from meddling with them while they do it.” – Theodore Roosevelt

See 5 Must-Have Qualities of the Modern Manager

Now that you have explored these 25 sayings of a bad manager, are there other sayings you can add? Let’s hear from you, add your comments below.