Conversations and horror stories about these people dominate online forums and can make for some amusing reading. The reality, however, is that few people are laughing, at least those who have the unenviable task of working with the following list of bad bosses. These men and women will suck the enthusiasm out of the most dedicated workers faster than the most common negative aspects in the workplace, like low pay and the ever looming threat of layoffs.
The Pig - Employees will dread stepping into their office. This type of boss will treat their workspace as their own personal kitchen, bedroom and living room all rolled into one. With piles of junk all over the floor and stuffed into filing cabinets it's no wonder they are loathed by workers when asked to sort out their rubbish.
The Stinker - This is the boss who jogs for a mile every morning and then shows up at the office drenched in sweat, and with no deodorant or aftershave. Enough said.
The Micromanager - This kind of boss doesn't trust employees to assess their own workload, so they constantly interrupt other people, demand frequent and unnecessary reports, and above all, dismiss the experience and knowledge of all workers. The result is they linger over people's shoulders to make sure things are done "right."
The Blamer - Even if they are wrong, they are right. If you circumvent them, even for a good reason, they'll tell you how disappointed they are because you betrayed them, and will take great comfort in the fiction that you deserved whatever punishment you got, a fiction they are very good at creating.
The Politician - On the surface they are confident and sure of their directives, but these bosses are sneaky and conniving. Often playing favourites to advance their position, they are especially good at turning people against each other. Enjoy their friendliness while it lasts, because sooner or later they will assign you an impossible task or try to confuse you with unclear orders. When you fail, you'll be blamed and possibly fired.
The Buddy - It sounds odd and counterintuitive because these people exhibit personality traits that are opposite to the other bad bosses on this list. Good bosses are increasingly hard to find, and a friendly supervisor can be a breath of fresh air. Don't get duped! Accepting their good nature is akin to a child accepting candy from a stranger. Once you're roped in, they will invite you to lunch once a week, then twice, and then three times......This isn't annoying, it's creepy.
The Non-Listener - Verbal communication means nothing to these bosses. They will cut you off in mid-sentence, pretend to listen or actually not listen at all. Some workers are reduced to writing everything down on paper just so it looks official.
The signs are quite subtle, but if you watch carefully spotting a bad boss will be easy. Here's what you should look for.
- Profanity or negative statements, which they quickly try to turn into something slightly more positive.
- Heightened nervousness, such as when a prospective boss will repeat the same word more than once, like 'yes, yes, yes,' or 'ok, ok, ok.' It's a sure sign their stress levels are sky high.
- Zannah Hackett, author of The Ancient Wisdom of Matchmaking, cautions people to pay attention to how the boss greets you. If they examine you from your head to your waist instead of the reverse, they are sending a powerful message that you are smaller than them. It's non-verbal but insulting.
