Is Your Boss the Center of the Universe?

Being an experienced office professional means shedding one’s innocence regarding workplace realities. This includes losing one’s faith in the vetting process, where intense screening of resumes, cover letters and subsequent interviews supposedly keep undesirable, inane or just evil people outside of the building. The crazies and jerks do make it through, and sometimes into management positions. Perhaps your boss is one of these people.

This article explains, “We’ve all had that boss. It’s the one who reminds you of every angry office movie you’ve ever seen. They’re infuriating, rude and on a massive power-trip. The only way that they keep their employees in line is through the fear of losing their job. These types of bosses tend to happen early in our careers. That’s normally because these people aren’t very good bosses and therefore get stuck managing entry-level employees who rarely complain.”

Bosses who are immature, insecure or who have anger management issues are difficult to handle because they do not process information logically, and internalize it through their own warped version of the universe, a universe which is typically centered around them and their well-being. So avoid interacting with these types of people whenever possible. Sometimes the best ways to troubleshoot personality clashes is to prevent them from crashing.

If you must interact with your terrible boss on a personal level for extended periods of time, admit to yourself that the situation is untenable and will ultimately lead to confrontation. So begin by making your concerns known to the appropriate people in your human resources department. Solicit the support of your coworkers, without being gossipy, as they are probably enduring the same hardships. Build your case for that inevitable day of reckoning.  

Photo courtesy of Luke Peterson Photography.