How to Deal With an Incompetent Boss

Working Around Their Incompetence

Assess the nature of their incompetence. There are plenty of different ways to be incompetent, so take a little time to figure out exactly what you’re dealing with. Over the span of a few days or even a couple of weeks, take note of the specific ways in which your boss fails to measure up to the basic standards. Look for qualities that go beyond your gut feeling that they’re simply lousy at what they do. Are they not knowledgeable enough about the field, market, product, etc.? Do they lack the communication skills needed to connect with and inspire workers? Use this assessment period to make sure you’re being fair to them as well. Have you judged them too harshly or unfairly due to a misunderstanding or a few mistakes? Do they just do things differently than you would, or are they genuinely incapable of doing the job? It's also a great idea to have good feedbacks to give as well, as this will make your boss more receptive to your critiques.

Base your coping strategies on their shortcomings. You’ll want to deal with an incompetent boss who’s a terrible motivator differently than one who’s unable to handle pressure. Once you’ve analyzed the particulars of their incompetence, you can start figuring out whether you can ignore them, step in to fill the gaps, or work around them creatively, of if you’ll have to confront them more directly. A single boss can be incompetent in several different ways, so you’ll have to strategize to combat each component of their inadequacy. Try to take the high road when you can. This way, you won't get stuck in a negative mindset.

Seek advice from a mentor or trusted source. Incompetent bosses aren’t a rare commodity, so it probably won’t be hard to find other people who’ve dealt with one. If you have a mentor in your field, for instance, talk to them about their experiences with different types of bosses. Talking to friends and family members who work in completely different fields from you can also be helpful, because some aspects of incompetent leadership transcend the boundaries of differing job descriptions. For instance, even if you work for a tech startup focused on self-driving bicycles and your uncle is a retired bricklayer, he may have wisdom to share about handling a narcissistic boss.

Coordinate strategies with your co-workers. If you’re confident that some (or all) of your co-workers share your feelings about your boss, discreetly bring up the issue and exchange thoughts on dealing with the problem. You may be able to arrange among yourselves a system for working around your boss’s specific failings. For example, if your boss is a bad motivator, you might be able to come up with a system for mutual motivation among the employees. A mentorship program can be a great resource to improve employee engagement and productivity. Don’t just gripe about your boss with your co-workers. Be specific with your concerns and with your ideas on how to deal with them. Think about who you should share your concerns with as well. Some co-workers might use your discontent to their advantage (for instance, by “ratting you out” to the boss).

Make every communication with your boss count. Every interaction with an incompetent boss can be irritating or draining, so try to make sure they always advance your goals in some way. If your boss is hopelessly disorganized, make your messages or conversations as organized as possible. If they lack essential knowledge about the product or service you sell, look for ways to subtly teach them something new about it each time you interact. Try to respectfully and tactfully present your ideas on how things can be improved in your interactions. In the best-case scenario, you might help your boss become more competent over time. More realistically, though, you might simply reduce the number of interactions that end up being fruitless or infuriating.

Focus on what you can control. You most likely have no say over choosing your boss, and you probably can’t get rid of them either. It’s simply out of your control. So, if you find that you’re obsessing over your boss’s failings instead of evaluating them so you can work around them, take a step back for your own good. Excessive worry over things you can’t control—like an incompetent boss—can be harmful to your mental and physical health. Utilize stress relief strategies to help you focus on what you can control—in this case, your own performance at work. Remember to choose your battles. Try to manage your frustration as a way to be more productive and focused in the discussions with your boss.

Wait them out and hope they expose their own incompetence. Incompetence can’t be concealed forever, so eventually your boss’s shortcomings will become clear to their bosses. So, as long as their incompetence is more of an annoyance than a major detriment to your job performance, you may choose to focus on your job and look forward to the day when a new person occupies the boss’s chair. Of course, some bosses are already known to be incompetent by their superior(s) and keep their position due to nepotism or other ties. But, in this case, you may find that you can wait it out until your boss is promoted further up the ladder!

Confronting the Problem More Directly

Talk to them about your needs instead of their shortcomings. Marching into your boss’s office and saying “You are incompetent, and here’s why…” will almost certainly make things worse. Instead of directly telling them what they do wrong, focus on your perspectives and needs by using “I” statements. For instance: “I’ve been having some trouble getting up to speed on the new sales strategy. Is there a way to further clarify this?” “I feel like morale has dropped recently, and I think it’s hurting our overall performance.” If you’re lucky, you may be able to spur your boss toward at least minor improvement.

Document evidence of incompetence or malfeasance. If your boss is doing something illegal or against company policy, you definitely want to gather evidence of this and report it to HR or upper management. If their incompetence doesn’t rise to this level but is hurting the company’s performance (and/or your performance) in tangible ways, build a solid case by collecting supporting documentation. Keep copies of inappropriate memos, track when your boss arrives late or leaves early, gather sales or other data from before and after they took charge, and so on. Even if you don’t plan on reporting them right now, it’s good to have the evidence should you change your mind later.

Report them to HR or their bosses matter-of-factly. If and when it does come time to speak up about their incompetence, stick to the facts as much as possible. If you present vague or emotionally-tinged accusations like “he’s terrible,” “she just can’t lead,” or “he has no clue about the product,” you may come off as a disgruntled employee with a grudge. Instead, present your gathered evidence and portray yourself as an employee who’s concerned about your own performance and the health of your company.

Ask for a transfer or quit, if necessary. Sometimes, for your own good, the best way to deal with an incompetent boss is stop being their subordinate. Transferring may be an option in some cases, but often you may have to consider the more drastic step of quitting. If their incompetence is damaging your performance to such a degree that your job may be at risk anyway, quitting may be the best option. Or, if dealing with them is simply too damaging to your emotional or even physical health, a change of scenery may be necessary.

Managing Particular Types of Incompetence

Give your best effort while humoring a narcissistic boss. It can be extremely frustrating if your boss contributes nothing but takes credit for your accomplishments, especially if they’re unable to focus on anyone other than themselves. Don’t sabotage your own efforts out of anger, however. Instead, keep doing your best job even if you aren’t getting the credit you deserve, and don’t push back when your boss gloats about their accomplishments. You can hope that, eventually, someone higher up the food chain recognizes your contributions. Or, if you’re eager to move up the ladder yourself (and can tolerate your incompetent boss), you might find that you’ll come along as one of your boss’s “go-to guys” when they get promoted.

Seize the opportunity to “lead up” if your boss is never around. If your boss is leaving a gaping leadership void in your office, embrace the chance to fill part of this gap. You probably can’t take charge in overt ways—like sending out memos or giving directives— but you can become a recognized source of leadership and guidance in your office. Encourage your co-workers, volunteer to help out or to coordinate efforts, and become an intermediary between them and your often-absent boss. Eventually, there’s a good chance someone else in the company will take notice of you.

Ask for honest feedback from a boss who tries to be everyone’s friend. This type of boss—who tries so hard to be your pal that they can’t give you the guidance you need—isn’t the worst type of incompetence you can deal with. However, getting honest, helpful feedback is important to your career success and advancement. Give them permission to be critical as needed: “I want your honest opinion on this, please, warts and all.” If you have an idea about areas you need to work on, you could lead them into giving feedback by using “I” language: “I feel like I’m having trouble connecting with clients over the phone. Have you noticed that?”

Give brief, frequent updates to a “whirlwind” boss. This type of incompetent boss can be absent-minded, scatterbrained, generally disorganized, and/or simply too busy for their own good (and yours). To keep the office running at least semi-smoothly, you may have to treat them a bit like a child—that is, by giving them frequent and bite-size reminders about what you’re doing and what they need to be doing. For example, send them quick memos in hopes of keeping them on track: “I’m heading out this morning to give the presentation to client X, and I’ll be back by noon for our scheduled meeting to discuss strategy for client Y.” As with children, though, there can be a fine line between helpful reminding and “nagging” that causes a negative response. You’ll probably have to engage in some trial-and-error in order to find the happy medium in your case.