The five bad bosses I’ll never forget

When it comes to bad bosses, I’ve had more than my share. Way more. I always get a little twinge of envy when I hear someone say, “I’ve never had a bad boss.”  My first thought is, ‘that’s because I’ve had them all,’ while the cynic in me shouts, ‘just wait, every boss is good until they’re not.’

Not all bad bosses start out bad. In some cases, they may at one time have been normal, decent human beings.  But then stress, deadlines, shrinking budgets or alcohol and visions of grandeur, quickly reveal their true nature. Over the next few days I’ll share my personal experiences with five bad bosses I’ll never forget, what I learned from them and how you can spot them from a mile away. Here’s a summary of the five categories into which each of my bad bosses fit. See if you recognize your bad boss in any of these descriptions.

1. The Powerless Powertripper – I’ve had at least two of these.  They usually have very little authority, but what they do have, they wield mercilessly. These bad bosses are the clock watchers and time keepers who practice their “I gotcha!” speeches in their bathroom mirrors. They exist to remind you that they’re in charge, and perceive any missed opportunity to do so as a deep personal failure.
2. Way Over Their Head (WOTH) – WOTH bad bosses know just enough to make them dangerous – very dangerous. And they grow more dangerous in direct proportion to the number of degrees they acquire. This is due to the tendency to mistake education for understanding. WOTHs can also be referred to simply as ‘clueless.’
3. The Glory Hound – Glory hounds want credit for everything good, and it matters not whether they had anything to do with achieving it or not. Their validation comes from receiving praise from higher ups, not from extending it to their employees. As such, they’ll do anything to hear an “atta boy,” even if that means taking credit for your work.
4. This Job is My Life and It Better Be Yours Too – I once had an HR Manager ask me during an interview how important family was to me. She went on to explain that while family was important to her, the job was her life. Thankfully, I didn’t get that job. But I did work for someone eerily similar several years later.
5. One Fry Short of a Happy Meal – This bad boss is literally out of his/her mind. It’s usually evidenced by mood swings, ranting and raving throughout the office and extreme contradictory behavior and statements. If you and your colleagues find yourselves frequently leaving meetings scratching your heads and asking what just happened, chances are your boss is one fry short of a Happy Meal.

Tomorrow: My Powerless Powertripper and how I finally got out from under.

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