15 Incredibly True Quotes about Employees who Think They Are Boss

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Every office is notoriously plagued by employees who think they are the boss. They can ultimately be a manager’s worst nightmare. Here are some quotes that can help you rethink their effect on you and help you discover how to overcome their power:

How to Describe an Employee Who Thinks They Are the Boss?

The bossy employee can tend to try to assign others in the office more work or even tell others they are doing work correctly. They present all the key traits of a know-it-all when they truly have no idea what is happening in the workplace. They are not the employee who is trying to help you through your task, but the employee who wants to make your task more difficult. Here are a few key examples to highlight this personality type in the workplace:

  • Holding office meetings

  • Changing the deadlines of your work

  • Pushing their work onto you

  • Telling you what to do

  • Asking you to do favors for them

Quotes to Describe Your Feelings Towards the Bossy Employee

  • Understand Your Motivations

“You can’t make me, and neither can I.”

-Unknown

  • Being Forced to Do Something Removes Your Passion

“It’s so hard when I have to, and so easy when I want to.”

-Unknown

  • Simple Description

“You’re not the boss of me.”

-Unknown

  • You Control Your Workload

“I do what I want.”

-Unknown

  • Understand the Bossy Employee Isn’t Rebellious in a Good Way

“Rules must be broken, except would this be a rule?”

-Unknown

  • Being “Free” in The Workplace is Key to Success

“Freedom is my discipline.”

-Unknown

  • Acknowledge Your Path and Choices

“I do things my own way – a blessing and a curse.”

-Unknown

  • Your Leadership Can Be Different Than the Norm

“One of the only ways to get out of a tight box is to invent your own way out.”

-Jeff Bezos

  • Make Your Own Mark on The World

“I just do the best job with what is in front of me and follow the path that reveals itself.”

-Ina Garten

  • Learn From the Behavior of Others

“I am thankful for all the difficult people in my life. They have shown me exactly who I do not want to be.”

-Unknown

  • Allow for Time to Overcome the Employee’s Behavior

“All things are difficult before they become easy.”

-Unknown

  • The Bossy Employee Has Faults Too

“Those who spend their time looking for the faults of others usually spend no time correcting their own.”

-Unknown

  • Find Support to Guide You to Success

“Listen to people who encourage you to do what is right in your heart.”

-Unknown

  • Just Because They Are Bossy Doesn’t Mean They Are Perfect

“Rudeness is a weak person’s intimidation of strength.”

-Unknown

  • Never Take Their Bossy-ness Personally

“When people are rude to you, they reveal who they are, not who you are. Don’t take it personally.”

-Unknown

How to Manage a Bossy Employee

As a manager, it is important to address this employee’s bossy behavior to avoid its detrimental effects on the workplace. The behavior can make employees feel stressed or extremely overworked by the extra tasks of the bossy employee. Having this difficult conversation with an employee requires preparation and reflection. Think of a way to present your view of their behavior in a way that allows them to understand the negativity they are causing to others in the workplace.

To help solidify the conversation, have a performance review ready. Consider using ManageBetter's ReviewBuilder to make a quick and easy performance review with over 3,000 curated phrases. Having the review ready will help enforce the thoughts you are presenting to the bossy employee during your conversation.

In addition, spend time creating goals with this employee to actively work towards change. ManageBetter's ActionPlan can be a great resource to track the progress of the employee’s goals and work with them to develop solutions. This bossy behavior can be habitual, so you may need to put active attention to the problem until it is fully resolved.

Conclusion

A bossy employee can ruin a team's culture in the workplace. Be ready to address the behavior, as it can affect your employees’ productivity and diminish your role as a leader in the workplace. Work with the individual to find a solution to their behavior and constructively guide them on a path to success.

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