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Is everyone else's boss a jerk too?
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Tiresias
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Nov 23, 2011, 12:12 PM
 
My boss tells me to do something. I do it. Then he tells me that that is not at all what he wanted. He wanted me to do something else. It is all my fault.

My boss does not tell me to do something. I don't do it. Then he asks me why I didn't do what he wanted. No, no—no buts. It is all my fault.

I think it all goes back to that time we went out to dinner. He said, "You met my wife. I know she is not beautiful but..."

A long and awkward silence ensued, during which I occupied myself setting my coaster at right angles with the corner of the table.
     
The Final Dakar
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Nov 23, 2011, 12:19 PM
 
*straightening coaster*
     
nonhuman
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Nov 23, 2011, 12:21 PM
 
My boss isn't a jerk.





But that might have something to do with the fact that I own ~26% of the company...
     
andi*pandi
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Nov 23, 2011, 12:29 PM
 
I used to have a boss like that. She was evil and would blame everyone if anything went wrong. But after she was evil, she bought chocolate covered orange slices for everyone to compensate. So that made it all better.

My boss now isn't evil. Annoying sometimes, but not evil. Corporate structure weeds out the blame game, that and a trail of emails... CYA.
     
-Q-
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Nov 23, 2011, 12:47 PM
 
No, quite the opposite, in fact.
     
The Final Dakar
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Nov 23, 2011, 12:49 PM
 
Count down to "No, I am the boss" in 3... 2...
     
-Q-
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Nov 23, 2011, 12:51 PM
 
Not yet. Working on it, tho'.
     
Doofy
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Nov 23, 2011, 01:08 PM
 
I am the boss, and I'm a jerk.
Good for you Dak?
Been inclined to wander... off the beaten track.
That's where there's thunder... and the wind shouts back.
     
Tiresias  (op)
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Nov 23, 2011, 01:20 PM
 
Today, he called me into his office. I sat through some of it, then raised a traffic guard's palm while he was mid-sentence and said, "No, stop."

And he did stop. With a look of strangled rage. I knew it would be an error to continue; on the other hand, how could I resist?

"What you did today," I continued, "was give the test before the lesson. "

It was precisely put. He had no counterblast. Instead, he lowered himself to the cheap thrill of making pretty recriminations and snide asides.

There's so much bootlicking that goes on in the workplace. It makes me want to retch.

I don't care who you are. If I disagree with you, I will tell you.

I guess I just don't have the personality for employment.
     
Thorzdad
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Nov 23, 2011, 01:27 PM
 
Yeah, I've had a boss like that. Laid-out his vision for the project, then goes ballistic when the results are exactly what he described. Classic.

He was also the boss who made every new project Priority-1, even if that meant yesterday's Priority-1 project would now be Priority-2. Except, as were were in the middle of making the new Priority-1 project happen, he'd come and demand to know where we were on the former Priority-1 (now Priority-2) project, and he needs to see it asap. And, oh by the way, here's a new project. It's Priority-1.
     
Athens
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Nov 23, 2011, 01:30 PM
 
My first boss at my old work was good. My second boss at my old work was a dick and one of the reasons I left. My current work my first boss was a idiot and a dick. But the 4 I have had since have been pretty good and my current one is great.
Blandine Bureau 1940 - 2011
Missed 2012 by 3 days, RIP Grandma :-(
     
imitchellg5
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Nov 23, 2011, 01:36 PM
 
I've been lucky to have great bosses. My current boss is really good. He'll never ask anyone to do something he wouldn't do himself, and he always makes himself available to help if you need it. And he was really generous when I had medical issues this past summer. Higher ups in the company are always telling him that he needs to push us harder, yet we are one of two departments in the company that's turning a profit. Funny, that.
     
mattyb
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Nov 23, 2011, 01:38 PM
 
My last boss was a good guy. He was on 'the workers' side. When shouted at by the big boss to get people to come in at 7am and stay until 8pm, he replied with 'I'll ask for volunteers', since legally that was all he could do without having to get HR involved and change peoples' work contracts. The new boss when shouted out to put everyone on-call, which is also voluntary, informed those that were not already on-call, that we were now on call. When we said it was voluntary, he replied that if we didn't do it there would be sanctions. We are breaking the employment laws week in week out with the amount of stuff we do. When we submit time-sheets for the on-call and the actions done at 3am, we get shouted at. The new boss is one of the slimiest people that I've ever met.
     
Tiresias  (op)
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Nov 23, 2011, 01:40 PM
 
My previous boss was a catty but she was also hot. She tells me to come in on Sunday, I grin fatuously and nod. No problem.

But new boss is male and resembles a depilated orangutan.
     
finboy
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Nov 23, 2011, 01:48 PM
 
There are a$$holes, male and female, in every organization, and sometimes you get tasked to one.

Some things that work for shitty bosses: The secret is to figure out what they absolutely need you for and make them pay for it. Also, be sure to figure out what THEIR job is and make them do it. If something requires a decision, and they're constantly chewing you out for making decisions (right OR wrong) then stop making decisions - that's THEIR job. If they want (or say that they HAVE) the authority for something, give it to them. Make them responsible for those things that they have authority over. Give them the level of control that they seek. If they're constantly taking credit for everything that happens in your group, make sure that they also take responsibility for the stuff that goes wrong.

After a while they either figure out the leadership thing or abdicate. Either way it works out better for everyone.
     
Shaddim
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Nov 23, 2011, 02:46 PM
 
Originally Posted by Doofy View Post
I am the boss, and I'm a jerk.
Good for you Dak?
I'm not the boss, preggers wife = boss. She's not a jerk, she's "hormonal".

I rub the lotion on it's skin or else I get the hose again.
"Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it."
- Thomas Paine
     
olePigeon
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Nov 23, 2011, 03:49 PM
 
Originally Posted by andi*pandi View Post
But after she was evil, she bought chocolate covered orange slices for everyone to compensate.
No that was a sticky situation!
"…I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than
you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods,
you will understand why I dismiss yours." - Stephen F. Roberts
     
Waragainstsleep
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Nov 23, 2011, 05:22 PM
 
I once worked in a multiplex cinema. My boss there was hot and I got on well with her for a while but we were supposed to wear these stupid hats and when we opened they didn't have any to fit me. 6 months later she came marching out of her office one day, put a hat on me, asked me why I hadn't been wearing it since it had been delivered weeks ago and stormed off again, ignoring my reply that no-one had told me it had been delivered or I would have been wearing it. I don't think she ever spoke to me again after that unless she absolutely had to. She was also hot but I went off her after that little temper tantrum.

I had another boss who had a lot in common with the one in the OP. Again, I used to get on with him quite well but after a while he sort of turned against me. Still not sure why. He was very frustrating to work for after that and if it wasn't his ego or pride getting in the way, it was his co-director who once went ballistic at three of us because we had blocked her and her gossiping croney from going on Facebook for several hours.
I have plenty of more important things to do, if only I could bring myself to do them....
     
::maroma::
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Nov 23, 2011, 06:01 PM
 
Originally Posted by Shaddim View Post
I rub the lotion on it's skin or else I get the hose again.
"it's"? Oh you're in trouble now.
     
Waragainstsleep
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Nov 23, 2011, 06:28 PM
 
By rights it should be "I rub the lotion on my skin..." but the quote is less identifiable that way.
I have plenty of more important things to do, if only I could bring myself to do them....
     
Shaddim
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Nov 23, 2011, 07:25 PM
 
Originally Posted by ::maroma:: View Post
"it's"? Oh you're in trouble now.
"its"... there. Damned punctuation Nazis.
"Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it."
- Thomas Paine
     
jonn804
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Nov 23, 2011, 07:52 PM
 
I fired my boss. I retired with full benefits (at age 50).
-------------------
Dual G5 2.0, MBP, 23" ACD and 30" ACD, 1 TB storage, iPods
     
ghporter
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Nov 24, 2011, 01:08 PM
 
I've had wimpy direct supervisors, psychotic (yes, literally) supervisors, and stupid supervisors. I've had bosses who underestimated me because they outranked me (I had a significantly better degree than the worst of these), and bosses that OVERestimated me because they had the training and experience to do something they assigned to me when they were at my rank. I still wound up getting by.

By the way, being a supervisor is a very difficult job, and the number of people who are completely unsuited for the challenges the job brings but who still get put into that position is amazing. It is because their bosses araen't good at it either.

When a boss doesn't effectively assign you your duties, HIS boss needs to know about it. It is an indication that your boss is ineffective and inefficient.

Glenn -----OTR/L, MOT, Tx
     
Doofy
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Nov 24, 2011, 01:40 PM
 
And let's face it - most employees are jerks too.
Been inclined to wander... off the beaten track.
That's where there's thunder... and the wind shouts back.
     
Waragainstsleep
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Nov 24, 2011, 03:11 PM
 
Lets just say that if you want to treat me like an idiot and still have me make an effort, you better be smarter than me. I can honestly say that in the workplace I have never been treated like an idiot by anyone who was as smart as me, let alone smarter.
I have plenty of more important things to do, if only I could bring myself to do them....
     
Shaddim
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Nov 24, 2011, 07:08 PM
 
Originally Posted by Doofy View Post
And let's face it - most employees are jerks too.
I've terminated a few for being tw*ts. There's no reason to tolerate such things.
"Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it."
- Thomas Paine
     
Tiresias  (op)
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Nov 24, 2011, 09:06 PM
 
^ Admittedly. But being bossed around by a jerk, and having to take it like a little biatch to earn your livelihood, is several orders of magnitude worse than having one work for you. As you say, if you are the boss, you can just can them.
     
glideslope
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Nov 24, 2011, 10:52 PM
 
I have had the privilege of working under one of the most professional, empathetic, trusting, intuitive, and motivating Team Leaders for the past 9 years.

Sure, I've seen it all over the past 30 years in my career. I was even Sexually harassed in my early 30's by a supervisor of the opposite sex who wanted sex.

Education is the only answer. Sometimes your lucky right away. Sometimes you need to move around to find a non-hostile work environment.

I thank the stars every day for the Team I current am part of. It was tough getting there.
To know your Enemy, you must become your Enemy.”
Sun Tzu
     
glideslope
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Nov 24, 2011, 10:53 PM
 
Originally Posted by Doofy View Post
And let's face it - most employees are jerks too.
Not with 9.5 unemployment. Many good people out there. Network baby, Network.
To know your Enemy, you must become your Enemy.”
Sun Tzu
     
funkboy
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Nov 25, 2011, 02:34 AM
 
Is it strange that I have never had a bad boss? I worked at the same company for 5.5 years, and none of the three bosses I had were bad. It was more or less a Dilbert-style company, but the bosses I had stayed out of my hair and didn't ask unreasonable requests.

Of course, I know people at the same company who had three bosses within a single year... so perhaps I was lucky.
     
brassplayersrock²
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Nov 25, 2011, 02:47 AM
 
The only bad boss I had decided to not give me any work for two weeks after I asked for 2 days off for a family member's funeral. I've been very very fortunate in in the boss area since.
( Last edited by brassplayersrock²; Nov 25, 2011 at 03:23 PM. )
     
ghporter
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Nov 25, 2011, 07:46 AM
 
Not scheduling you for TWO WEEKS because you wanted 2 days off for a funeral? Either this boss had a LOT of people on the hook and didn't manage things smoothly, or he was ...I can't think of a word I'd publish that indicates the extent of this person's apparently juvenile and/or vindictive nature, nor his/her poor character and lack of empathy. Such "bosses" do not get the job done well because they discourage loyalty and actually cost the company more because they drive away people and thus require new hiring and training (both cost a lot). Sorry brassplayer, that person was a tool.

Glenn -----OTR/L, MOT, Tx
     
Eug
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Nov 25, 2011, 11:16 AM
 
I know what you guys mean, since I've experienced that many times myself. However, here's a view from the other side...

I was being seriously considered for a boss position at one place but at the last minute I pulled out of the running. Why? Because I decided that with some of the employees' personalities there, the only way to make it work was to bust some heads. There were some people there who had been there for decades, who absolutely refused to do anything except their own way. They were smart and hardworking people, but only would do things one way, which made change and growth in the group exceptionally difficult. I consulted some of the previous bosses there, and they agreed with my assessment. The employees' actions didn't warrant firing, and in this type of environment firings are extremely difficult anyway, but it really held the group back. It turns out the previous bosses quit because they got sick of dealing with these ass employees.

So I just said forget it, because I'm not a busting-heads type of guy.

Note though that these employees had basically the same education and qualifications as the boss, but had been passed over several times for promotion to significant management positions because of their interpersonal skills. So, it's not the usual boss-employee relationship that I think most people are talking about here.
( Last edited by Eug; Nov 25, 2011 at 11:25 AM. )
     
jmiddel
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Nov 25, 2011, 06:48 PM
 
I feel so lucky not to have either bosses or employees. The people I work with are equal partners with common goals, and while disagreements happen, there is no hierarchy that solves the issue, it has to be worked out between us.
     
Salty
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Nov 26, 2011, 12:56 AM
 
My boss at my job is awesome. When I do good he is appreciative, we talk about pretty much everything other than work, mostly because he knows I'm doing my job and the last thing that my personality needs is to be micromanaged.

Frankly I don't know why they call him a supervisor cause he's always working on stuff but rarely doing anything involving my job. Either way, awesome guy, and he got me onto the show Community.
     
Salty
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Nov 26, 2011, 12:56 AM
 
Incidentally my old boss when I worked at Rogers was a heterosexual lesbian stereotype. And she was really insecure that I knew way more about everything than her ... so she drove me to quit.
     
subego
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Nov 26, 2011, 06:25 AM
 
My boss when I was an intern sucked pretty hard. He overworked us* and kept promising "the next gig will be paid".

Then, we overheard him selling himself as being able to get free help.



*Once I started working with actual professionals, they got mad. "Are you trying to take food out of my family's mouth? Slow the **** down."

Since busting ass to within an inch of my life was what I was taught, I just assumed that was the way it was.
( Last edited by subego; Nov 26, 2011 at 06:37 AM. )
     
SpaceMonkey
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Dec 4, 2011, 02:25 PM
 
No. But my boss is far too busy to really be on my case about anything. I'm pretty self-directed.

"One ticket to Washington, please. I have a date with destiny."
     
   
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