RE: Bad Bosses Articles

Subject: RE: Bad Bosses Articles
From: "Joe Malin" <jmalin -at- tuvox -dot- com>
To: "Steve Nichols" <writer -dot- nichols -at- gmail -dot- com>, "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Date: Thu, 29 Jun 2006 17:19:53 -0700

My reactions:

1. Bad bosses exist. After all, bad people exist!
2. Management often reflects the values and style of the founder/CEO.
For a large company, you can find out about the
top brass quite easily. For a small company, you have be lucky enough
to interview the founder/CEO and then find
out what he or she is really like.
3. Your immediate manager will rarely if ever be a polar opposite of the
corporate hierarchy.
4. You can hardly ever change people; it's even harder to change your
manager. You have to decide if you want to stay
or not. Does the job offer benefits you want? (I mean benefits like
learning, experience, etc.)
5. Your boss is *your boss*. Don't get into arguments, and don't act
like it's a democracy. Instead, figure out what
keeps your boss comfortable, and do it. This isn't as much specific
tasks as *how you do them*. Reasonable managers
will respond quite favorably if you take the time to help them do
their job.

For example, if your boss' bosses (whew!) are schedule-driven, help
your boss with schedules and *stick to them*.
A great idea to remember is "it's OK to disappoint your boss
occasionally, but don't surprise him!"
6. Be a "no problem" person. Managers really *hate* to deal with
problems; they have so many already! Be someone who
solves problems; don't create them and don't dump them on your boss.
7. Manage yourself, manage your manager.
8. Be sympathetic. Being a middle manager in a company is hard,
thankless work that has absolutely no room for
mistakes. Us high-tech individual contributors have it easy in
comparison.


Joe Malin
Technical Writer
(408)625-1623
jmalin -at- tuvox -dot- com
www.tuvox.com
The views expressed in this document are those of the sender, and do not
necessarily reflect those of TuVox, Inc.

-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+jmalin=tuvox -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+jmalin=tuvox -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On Behalf
Of Steve Nichols
Sent: Thursday, June 29, 2006 11:16 AM
To: TECHWR-L
Subject: Bad Bosses Articles

Found these two articles online today.

The discussion comes up on the list sometimes about bad bosses, which
can certainly affect a writer's ability to do their job. I've had a
few bad ones in the past, fortunately I've got a good one right now.

-Steve
writerdotnicholsatgmaildotcom


------------------------------------------------------------------------
------
Hate your boss?

Kyra Kyles
RedEye
Published June 29, 2006


Screaming. Throwing temper tantrums. Pitting employees against one
another. These are just a few of the ways a bad boss can warp an
employee's experience-not only on movie screens, but also in real life.

Just ask Cristina, a graduate student living in Lakeview.

Cristina, 31, initially was excited about her first job out of college.
But instead of joining a young, fun start-up, Cristina found herself at
a 15-employee organization so dominated by "an atmosphere of
manipulation and intimidation" because of a sinister supervisor that she
has since sworn off working for small-business owners.

"I learned that entrepreneurs will sell you this spiel as if you'll be
getting all this responsibility, but in my case, it was all under false
pretense," said Cristina, who asked that her last name not be published.
"The guy I worked for did this to everyone he hired, making sure to get
people fresh out of school who didn't know what they were getting into."

Bad bosses can exist in any size company, said John McKee, a workplace
consultant. In fact, "psychotic supervisors" often thrive for years no
matter how bad their behavior. These people often are promoted because
they are ruthless and relentless. They are often oblivious to
overworking their staff members. Company leadership may mistake this for
productivity, McKee said.

"Ghengis Khan probably sounded great in his mission statement, but was
likely a horrible person to work for," said McKee, who also is the
author of "21 Ways Women in Management Shoot Themselves in the Foot."

Bad bosses also can be very sneaky.

In Cristina's case, her boss singled out staffers and hit them up for
dirt on other employees.

"He didn't realize that we would go out, have drinks and compare notes
after work," Cristina said. "Still, it was uncomfortable having someone
ask repeatedly, 'How do you think so-and-so is doing?' "

Although experts said a boss should occasionally take the pulse of
employees, it's wrong to launch inquisitions.

"You might say, 'Manager, I need to say that I feel quite a bit
uncomfortable in answering those questions, could you be more specific
about what you're asking me,' " said Anita Madison, who trains managers
and employees for Chicago-based ComPsych. "I'd like to be helpful, but
perhaps I can't lend insight into this particular topic."

What if the boss doesn't back off?

"Divulge just a bit of harmless info to get that jerk off your back
without doing any disrespect or damage to the employee you're being
asked about," McKee said.

But what do you do if your boss is outright anti-social? Cristina said
her boss often threw tantrums in front of employees.

"If he had a bad meeting with investors and you happened to walk by
with a cup of coffee in your hand or you took a break that he felt was a
bit too long, he'd scream and shout at you," Cristina said. "It was very
demeaning."

However tempting it may be, don't shout back. Instead, give that person
(and yourself) at least a day or so to cool off, McKee said.

"You want to come to the person a day or so later and say, 'I
understand that you were frustrated with me yesterday, but I would
appreciate it if you would call me in and talk to me behind closed doors
instead of in front of my peers,' " McKee said. "Tell that person it
doesn't help if you're treated like a child or an idiot."

------------------------------------------------------------------------
------
So your boss is a brute ...

By Kyra Kyles
RedEye
Published June 29, 2006

Are you tired of your supervisor's snippy comments? Do you and the boss
go through bouts of chilly silence? Do you get a case of "The Mondays"
every day of the week? Don't quit yet. Learn how to soothe a psycho
supervisor with some tips from business coach and author John
McKee:

# Take stock. Do the benefits of the job outweigh the bad boss? If the
answer is yes, don't go around griping to co-workers at the water
cooler. Instead, set up a face-to-face with your boss to smooth out the
rough edges.

# Understand the "circle of success." McKee reminds you that it's your
job to make even the most bumbling bosses look good. If you're an
obvious asset, they may calm their antics and even help you succeed in
your career.

# Have presence. McKee tells his clients: "Sharks smell blood. Dogs
sense weakness. So do bad bosses." To command respect, look the part
through your style of dress, posture or work ethic.

# Keep up with the boss. It may sound unreasonable to work weekends,
after hours and even through lunch if that's what your boss is doing,
but it's a must. "If you want to get ahead in an organization, it's very
important that your boss believes you share the same work ethic,"
McKee said. "In management, we always hire in our own likeness. Even
psychotics need allies."
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