Jun 23

4 Tips For Surviving Your “Seagull Boss”

Does your boss fly-in, drop a lot of crap on you (emotional and work related) then fly-off?

If no, you’re one of the lucky ones; if yes, you aren’t alone. Many high level executives share traits that result in “seagull boss” behavior.   Characteristics include direct, impatient, intense, fast-paced, quick-to-anger, and task orientated. This powerful combination can leave unsuspecting loyal support staff feeling overwhelmed, unappreciated, unfulfilled and frustrated.

What can you do? You can’t change your boss (unless of course you change jobs) but you can create awareness around the behavior and alter your response to it. Here are 4 common work-place issues and tips for surviving your “seagull boss”:

POOR LISTENER – “Seagull bosses” are viewed as poor listeners because their fast-paced thinking has them two steps ahead in a conversation or onto a different topic before you finish your opening sentence.  The “seagull boss” is task-orientated which also means they don’t have a lot of patience for chitchat, they are not interested in personal sharing and they don’t care about the details of a story.

TIP: Rule #1 – don’t be insulted by their behavior. That doesn’t mean it’s acceptable, but to remain sane it’s important not to take it personal.

One of the ways to determine when a “seagull boss” has taken flight during a conversation is to watch facial cues and body language – their eyes will glaze over, they will begin to look beyond you or they will start to fidget.   If you notice any of these characteristics you will have approximately 30-seconds before you lose them. Create a pattern interrupt to bring their attention back to the conversation and quickly make your point. Some pattern interrupts include:

• I will only take 30-seconds more of your time…
• As you already know…
• It appears you have someplace else to be, may I ask one more question

When communicating with a “seagull boss” it is important to be direct. Remember they don’t care about the details and will stop listening if a conversation runs too long. Whenever possible, limit your remarks and make succinct points.

QUICK TO ANGER – “Seagull bosses” are externally expressive and aggressive. These traits are a gift until they are overextended and become your worst nightmare.   Under pressure, tension, stress or fatigue a “seagull boss” is quick to anger and often viewed as explosive.

TIP: Don’t take it personally. Their behavior says more about them than it does about you. That doesn’t mean ignore the message; it means overlook the way it’s being delivered. “Seagull bosses” often mean what they say, not how they say it.

Second, do not become defensive while a “seagull boss” is squawking. They will not hear your message and it will make the situation worse.   After your “seagull boss” has finished their monologue ask a question about the situation instead of making a statement. It is important to remain resourceful to help your “seagull boss” move forward and self-discover the next step.

HIGH EXPECTATIONS AND NOT A LOT OF INFORMATION – Typically the “seagull boss” has high expectations for work to be completed quickly and often doesn’t provide team members with enough information to get the job done. Since the “seagull boss” is focused on outcomes, these fast-paced leaders lack attention to detail and appear agitated when posed with a lot of questions.

TIP: Document ALL your questions and prioritize them prior to meeting with your “seagull boss”. This will give you the opportunity to build a nest of information by getting your most important questions answered first. It will also allow you to remain resourceful when figuring out answers to the questions that don’t get answered instead of being of resentful you didn’t get the information you felt you needed. Also, ask about time limitations. Remember their emphasis is production over perfection. Work within their time limits not yours.

EVERYTHING IS A PRIORITY – When everything is a priority nothing is a priority. Most “seagull bosses” are great visionaries. The challenge is they often come up with new ideas without considering the implementation of those ideas or the capacity of the staff necessary to bring them to life.

TIP: Once a “seagull boss” comes up with an idea and they delegate it to staff they move on to the next opportunity. It is important to keep all projects top-of-mind for your “seagull boss”. Make a list of all the projects you have on your plate and scale them in order importance. (Use a scale of 0-100 so you have a big range.) Review the list together weekly to ensure you are flying in alignment with your “seagull boss” and they understand the impact of new projects. NOTE: Daily tasks are not long-term projects. It may be necessary for you to create a separate list for those.

For each behavioral gift there is also a challenge. Regardless of whether you are dealing with your “seagull boss” or someone else in your life, change starts with you.   When you adjust your language and approach there is a greater chance you will be heard and understood. Working through behavioral challenges is the key to transformational relationships, productive teams and high-functioning businesses.

Laura Treonze, serves as Chief Life Strategist with LMT Consulting, which helps executives and teams create massive success through self-awareness. Her life-changing approach has transformed individuals and families and has redefined the way non-profits and corporations “do” business.

**Please focus on content, pardon typos, and grammar – my low attention to detail means regardless of how many times I edit my work, it will likely be posted with an error.