horrible bosses: how to identify them and what to do if you work for one
DESCRIPTION
Advice about dealing with horrible bosses from Jane Miller, author of *Sleep Your Way To the Top, and other myths for business success* from FG Press. Please visit http://fgpress.com/library to purchase a copy of *Sleep Your Way To the Top* and other titles.TRANSCRIPT
HORRIBLE BOSSESHOW TO IDENTIFY THEM AND
WHAT TO DO IF YOU WORK FOR ONE
by JANE MILLERAUTHOR OF
Sleep You Way to the Top*and other myths about business success
BROUGHT TO YOU BY
making authors royaltyfgpress.com
Let me tell you something,you stupid little runt:
I OWN YOU.YOU’RE MY BITCH.So don’t walk around here
THINKING YOU HAVE
FREE WILLbecause you don’t.
I COULD CRUSH YOU ANYTIME I WANT.
So settle in, ‘cause you are here for the
L O N G H A U L .- DAVE HARKEN, HORRIBLE BOSSES (WARNER BROS.)
First off...
NOT ALL BOSSES ARE HORRIBLE
OUTLIVE YOUR HORRIBLE BOSSES
The horrible bosses are just the ones that seem to leave an indelible stamp on your psyche.
They are the ones you need to outlive as you move up your path to the your top.
I will profile some of these horrible boss types and how to deal with them, because you will, without a doubt, run into a bad one.
HBs COME IN ALL SHAPES & SIZES
Sometimes you don’t know they are horrible bosses until they become YOUR boss.
Here is a sampling of the guys and gals you will run into and, more important, how to deal with them.
DON’T BE AFRAID.
Oh, and don’t become one of them.
THREE TYPES OF HORRIBLE BOSSES &
HOW TO HANDLE THEM
THE BULL IN A CHINA SHOP1
Identifiers:
• Annoying as a peer, but especially aggravating as a boss.
• Loud and overbearing.
• Scary-powerful and still power-hungry
How to Handle The Bull:
• Don’t get sucked into his/her emotional fray.
• Stick with the facts.
• Make sure you have alliances outside of the bull (you don’t want to be lumped in with him/her).
DR. JECKYLL & MR. HYDE2
Identifiers:
• Seemingly bi-polar personality.
• Scary and unpredictable.
• One day he’s your biggest fan, next day: “hero to zero.”
How to Handle Dr. Jeckyll / Mr. Hyde:
• Remember, it’s about them, not you.
• Weather the storm—this too will pass.
GLASS HALF-EMPTY3
Identifiers:
• No matter what you do it isn’t good enough.
• Hit your sales goals? Why didn’t you negotiate better margins?
• Bring your costs down? You’re still 5 cents away from your goal.
How to Handle Glass Half-Empty:
• Don’t take it personally.
• Don’t be overly positive (they will feel the need to bring you down).
• Balance is the key.
GENERAL ADVICE FOR DEALING WITH
HORRIBLE BOSSES
TAKE THE HIGH ROAD
TAKE THE HIGH ROAD
• Never never tell your boss’s boss what you think of your boss.
• Companies make decisions and you don’t always have the visibility to all the facts.
• Keep your opinion to yourself and know that he probably won’t be your boss for that long.
THINK ABOUT THIS:
• Who was the best boss you ever had? What made him/her great?
• Who was the worst boss you ever had? Why?
• Is it important to you to be viewed as a good boss?
• If you were a boss, what type would you be?
READ ABOUT HORRIBLE BOSSES & MORE!http://bit.ly/sywtbook
TALK TO JANE
@jane_knows
facebook.com/janeknowsbusiness
Jane is the CEO and founder of janeknows.com, a career advice website. Previously, she served as the President and CEO of Charter Baking Company, the bakers of Rudi’s Organic and Rudi’s Gluten-Free. She was also part of an executive team that developed the first bankruptcy emergence plan for Interstate Bakeries. She served as President of the UK & Ireland division of the HJHeinz Company through May 2006.
In 2000-2002, she ran the Western Division of Bestfoods Baking Company, the bakers of Oroweat, Thomas English Muffins and Entenmann’s. She spent fourteen years at PepsiCo in a variety of senior management positions, including Central Division President. She has a BA in Russian Studies from Knox College and an MBA from Southern Methodist University.
Jane serves as the interim President and as a board member at the Unreasonable Institute and as an advisory board member for the Deming Center at the University of Colorado, Justin’s Nut Butter, and ReWork.
@fgpress
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Horrible Bosses (2011) from Warner Brothers Pictures.
Presentation by Kevin Barrett Kane, FG Press.