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Abstract: This article provides strategies for individuals navigating the challenges of working for a boss who exhibits inconsistent leadership through frequent changes in priorities, direction, and decision-making. Key concepts are explored relating to the potential causes of unpredictable management, as well as the professional consequences it can create like unclear direction, low morale, and inefficiency. The article then presents evidence-based techniques shown to foster clarity, effectiveness, and motivation despite fluctuating external conditions. Specific approaches are outlined for maintaining clarity through documentation, communication, and clarification; preserving efficiency by focusing internally on controllables and automating routines; and sustaining one's own motivation through connecting to purpose and relationships. Real-world industry examples bring the concepts to life, equipping readers with actionable strategies for thriving amid erratic leadership.
We've all worked for that boss - the one who seems indecisive, unstable, and constantly shifting priorities. Some would consider this boss a nightmare, but with the right strategies, it is possible not just to survive but to thrive even when working in an environment of perpetual change. As an organizational consultant and researcher with over 15 years of experience in diverse industries, I've witnessed firsthand the challenges that an inconsistent or unpredictable manager can present. However, I've also seen individuals flourish regardless, through developing key competencies to roll with the punches and maintain productivity, focus and perspective amid uncertainty.
Today we will explore strategies for navigating a workplace led by an ever-changing boss. We'll begin by examining some of the root causes and consequences of inconsistent leadership. Then we'll look at specific techniques for maintaining clarity, efficiency and sanity when direction seems fluid. With the right mindset and methods, it is absolutely possible to thrive even under capricious leadership.
Causes and Consequences of Unpredictable Management
Before prescribing solutions, it's important to understand why a manager might exhibit an inconsistent style and the potential professional toll it can take. Research points to several reasons an individual may struggle with decisiveness or exhibit leadership that is erratic and fluid (Avolio, 2015; Waldman, et al., 2001). Some key causes include:
Personality Traits - Individuals higher in traits like neuroticism are more prone to frequent shifts in perspective or emotion that leads to inconsistency.
Situational Factors - New or interim managers, those under significant organizational change or pressure, and those overseeing multiple complex initiatives may struggle to stay grounded.
Poor Self-Awareness - Those low in emotional intelligence or self-reflection ability have trouble recognizing how their behaviors impact others.
On the receiving end, such leadership can foster an environment of:
Unclear Direction - Frequent changes in priorities, strategies and visions leads to confusion over goals and authority.
Low Morale - Employees lose confidence, motivation and engagement with a lack of stability and perceived competency at the top.
Inefficiency - Resources are wasted and productivity drops as teams must redo or change course due to shifting targets and guidelines.
While these changes are outside employee control, the consequences could undermine both individual and organizational success if not mitigated. Therefore, it's critical for those working underneath fluctuating managers to implement proven strategies for maintaining clarity, motivation and results.
Maintaining Clarity: Document, Communicate, Clarify
One of the greatest struggles of unpredictable leadership is maintaining clarity on objectives, assignments and decision rights. However, there are proactive steps teams can take:
Document Interactions in Writing - Send emails summarizing decisions, action items, and timelines from meetings to establish an objective record of agreements. This provides an historical reference when revisiting discussions.
For example, the IT department at a global consulting firm implemented a strict policy requiring that all project discussions, change requests, and approvals between the director and project managers be documented in writing. This helped prevent "he said, she said" disputes and allowed everyone to be on the same page regardless of shifting Priorities.
Communicate Transparency Internally - Keep teammates aware of your understandings, requested changes, and timelines so all stay coordinated even if external guidance is inconsistent. This allows teams to triage internally when external guidance changes.
For instance, a sales director at a tech startup created a team communication protocol where team members shared weekly updates on client asks, concessions, and agreed-upon next steps. This facilitated nimble adjustments and prevented duplicated efforts when client priorities later shifted due to the CEO's influence.
Clarify Regularly and Proactively - Don't wait to be confused - regularly confirm understandings and get agreement in writing on goals, roles, and decision rights. This establishes clear expectations and limits frustration as changes inevitably occur.
The manufacturing manager of a food plant, for example, implemented a practice of weekly one-on-one check-ins with the VP to confirm department priorities and goals were still in alignment. This allowed early identification and resolution of any misalignments, rather than late-stage mismatches or rework.
By adopting clarity-driving habits, teams can optimize workflows around a baseline of documented understandings rather than inconsistent verbal guidance alone. This fosters independence, resilience and continuity even amid leadership fluctuation.
Preserving Efficiency: Focus on Controllables, Automate Routines
Another challenge inconsistent leadership poses is constantly shifting targets, distracting from work already in progress or requiring duplication of efforts. However, focusing on controllables is key:
Focus on Controllables - Rather than wasting cycles fretting over external factors, leverage autonomy to focus on high-impact tasks within your control. For instance, a director at a consumer packaged goods company empowered their directs to independently advance initiatives aligned with overall strategy but insensitive to short-term fluctuations. This allowed forward momentum.
Automate Routines - Free up bandwidth by systematizing rules-driven, low-value-add duties. The recruiting manager at a regional bank, for example, implemented applicant tracking systems and approval workflows to minimize time spent chasing approvals due to rotating executive priorities mid-hire.
Compartmentalize Volatile Work - Isolate projects likely to experience fluctuations to limit cross-contamination of existing steady work. A construction VP compartmentalized funding-dependent speculative projects from pre-sold work to protect stable divisions from funding priority shifts.
Prioritizing internal competencies and optimizing processes to run independently of external volatility cultivates a culture adaptive to changing conditions outside individual control. It's a mindset that fosters resilience at both team and organizational levels.
Motivation Despite Uncertainty
Navigating unpredictable leadership also requires sustaining one's own drive and engagement amid ambiguity. Academics have shown self-determined motivation is critical not just to individual well-being but performance as well (Gagne & Deci, 2005). Some strategies include:
Connect Work to Higher Purpose - An education director, navigating shifting district budgets, reframed initiatives in terms of their student impact rather than financial targets to maintain personal meaning.
Set Personal Goals - The marketing manager of a retail chain created semi-annual developmental targets independent of volatile unit-level objectives to sustain growth-oriented mindset.
Focus on Relationships, not Helmsmanship - An executive coach advised a client to focus conversation with their boss on collaboration rather than compliance to foster partnership over dependence.
Connect Beyond Work - The head of a non-profit balanced volatile workdays with activities outside the office that renewed sense of control over life domains.
While external conditions may feel outside our influence, motivation emerges from within. By focusing on purpose, mastery and interpersonal bonds above ephemeral contingencies, individuals can sustain drive through even the most erratic storms.
Conclusion: Thrive by Design
While an unpredictable boss certainly presents challenges, it is absolutely possible not just to survive but to thrive through developing conscious strategies aligned with research-validated best practices. By maintaining clarity through documentation, communicating transparently and clarifying regularly; focusing efforts on controllables through automating routines and compartmentalizing volatility; and sustaining one's own motivation through higher purpose, growth and relationships - teams have tremendous capacity to optimize outcomes within their sphere of control.
Through developing key skills like flexibility, resilience, self-awareness and relationship-orientation, individuals can cultivate tremendous strength and success under even the most changeable conditions. With practice and perspective, an environment of fluctuation need not be a liability, but rather an opportunity to sharpen abilities that serve well in any context. While we cannot control our circumstances, we determine our mindsets. By designing thriving practices consciously rather than leaving outcomes to chance, instability itself can become an accelerator of both individual excellence and organizational prowess over the long term.
References
Avolio, B. J., Walumbwa, F. O., & Weber, T. J. (2009). Leadership: Current theories, research, and future directions. Annual review of psychology, 60, 421-449. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.60.110707.163621
Gagné, M., & Deci, E. L. (2005). Self‐determination theory and work motivation. Journal of Organizational behavior, 26(4), 331-362. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.322
Waldman, D. A., Ramirez, G. G., House, R. J., & Puranam, P. (2001). Does leadership matter? CEO leadership attributes and profitability under conditions of perceived environmental uncertainty. Academy of management journal, 44(1), 134-143. https://doi.org/10.5465/3069341
Jonathan H. Westover, PhD is Chief Academic & Learning Officer (HCI Academy); Chair/Professor, Organizational Leadership (UVU); OD Consultant (Human Capital Innovations). Read Jonathan Westover's executive profile here.
Suggested Citation: Westover, J. H. (2024). Working for a "Flip-Flop" Boss: Strategies for Thriving in an Environment of Constant Change. Human Capital Leadership Review, 13(2). doi.org/10.70175/hclreview.2020.13.4.14
