Jerk Bosses

Approximate reading time: 9m 4s

Have you watched the film „Horrible Bosses“ (in English: Horrible Bosses)? In it, three friends get so fed up with the bad treatment from their bosses that they decide to make a revenge plan. How did you feel watching The Devil Wears Prada (2006), where Meryl Streep played her magnificent role as a tyrannical and meticulous boss?

If you have ever felt bad because of the arrogant behavior of some boss, then you probably understand what this is about. „Jerk bosses“ can be found in any field and at different levels of management. Most of them have at least one of the characteristics listed here.

 

 

 

1. Control freaks

This type of boss is so controlling that they want to monitor every step you take, every task, when you arrive and leave work, how long you spend on lunch break, who you talk to on the phone and for how long, etc. And all this is because they do not trust their employees and are afraid to delegate tasks to them. They think that if they do not maintain full control over their employees, they will not work hard enough, will not complete tasks, and may even cheat them and steal some client or company project.

2. The boss who is always right and never makes mistakes

Everyone makes mistakes sometimes, and that is normal. It is also accepted that when a person makes a mistake, they admit it and, if possible, try to fix it. Not this type of boss. They will never admit that they made a mistake, that they forgot to tell you an important detail about the project you are working on, or that they told you to do something in a certain way that later turned out to be wrong. No, they will deny until the very end that they may have any responsibility for the mistake or the confusion that arose.

3. The tyrant boss

You get the feeling that this person wakes up every day thinking about how to torment and torture you, so that by the end of the day they have drained the last drop of energy and life out of you. Sometimes these bosses have sudden mood swings, angry outbursts, insult and humiliate their subordinates, and above all instill fear among their employees. Despite this behavior, many workers do not dare to quit, and sometimes even more frightening for them is the thought of how the tyrannical boss will react to their resignation notice. They are afraid the boss may set some trap that will prevent them from finding a better job.

4. The boss who only promises but never delivers

Do you often hear your boss explain that if you handle this difficult task or project too, you will get the promotion or bonus you have been dreaming of? But what happens after you brilliantly complete the next task? Nothing. It is as if those promises existed only in your imagination and are not fulfilled in reality. Well, that is how this type of boss works, and if you think that this time you will finally get the long-awaited reward for your efforts, it is better to stop hoping. These bosses are all talk and no action and will not keep their promises.

5. The boss who has favorites and openly shows who they are

Do you notice how some people get bonuses, praise, and promotions without making much effort and without real achievements, simply because they are close to your boss and the boss likes them? That is what it is like to work for a boss who has favorites, and they enjoy certain privileges. If you are one of their favorites, then you are lucky and can enjoy the success. But if not, it is very likely that this boss will never notice your efforts or the contribution you make to the company’s development.

6. The narcissistic boss

You can easily recognize this type of boss by the fact that you constantly hear them talking about themselves. They never talk about the achievements of the whole team or everyone’s contribution to the success of the project and the company. Instead, all you hear from them is how great they are, how successful they are, how original their ideas are, and how the company would not develop without them. In general, this is a person who constantly needs to feed their ego and self-esteem and expects others to tell them how great they are and to receive praise all the time.

7. The blaming boss

These bosses will blame anyone else but themselves for some failure or setback. They are even inclined to shift the blame onto certain people or one person in front of higher-ups just to get away clean from the unpleasant situation and not lose their reputation. This type of boss will easily blame you for a failure, but very rarely will they express gratitude or recognition for a job well done. They prefer to blame their subordinates for failures rather than find a solution to improve the situation and the problem.

8. The boss who shouts

Sometimes a person is overwhelmed by emotions (negative or positive) and may unconsciously raise the tone of their voice. But when someone starts shouting, that is already crossing the line of what is acceptable, especially in a professional environment. Unfortunately, there is also such a type of boss. They consider it normal and even necessary to shout at their subordinates. Some of them believe that when they shout, staff achieve better results and are driven to work harder and make greater efforts out of fear of hearing that shrill tone. There are also many employees who accept this as acceptable behavior and simply try to get used to it. But you should know that shouting is certainly not a normal or healthy work environment.

9. The ignoring boss

This is perhaps one of the most annoying types of boss you can have. In general, this boss often pretends not to notice you, as if you are not present in the office. This behavior can make any employee feel insignificant or doubt their professional abilities, no matter how confident they are. In turn, this can make workers work hard, try more, and come up with new ideas just to be noticed and attract the boss’s attention.

10. The lying boss

You know that the most accomplished liars lie so well that in the end they themselves believe what they say, and for them it is no different from reality. The bad news is that there are bosses like that too. For them, it is no problem to lie to you about anything – to say you are doing great while actually thinking the opposite, to act like they like you while actually wondering how to get you out of the company, etc. Be careful, because this type of boss can sometimes be hard to recognize, or it may take a long time before you realize that their words were a lie.

11. Bosess who constantly call outside working hours or when you are on vacation

You have finally taken the long-awaited vacation, you want to forget about work and enjoy complete relaxation on the beach. Well, not quite. Your boss will not let you rest while they are in the office and working. This boss will call you at least 5 times on the day you are off to ask about all kinds of important or not-so-important details (such as where the printer paper is or where the coffee stirrers are). Needless to say, with this type of boss it is hard to have a real and fulfilling rest.

12. The manipulative boss

The boss who manipulates their subordinates resembles other manipulative people in behavior and methods. In this type of boss, we can also see characteristics of the other types, such as control mania, lying, blaming, tyrannical behavior, empty promises, etc. But perhaps the clearest signs that you work with such a boss are the constant feeling of guilt they make you feel, distorting situations and facts, acting as if they are doing you a favor by paying you a salary. This boss will literally confuse your emotional world, so you’d better run in time.

13. The gossiping boss

If your boss is constantly interested in your personal life, in where and with whom you spent your vacation, or in which bar you were at last night, you should perhaps think whether this is more than just politeness. Especially if you have already heard them discuss and spread rumors about your colleagues. It is very possible that the boss is simply trying to squeeze information out of you and then share it with other colleagues and gossip about you. This is extremely unprofessional, and in such cases it is better not to give too much information about yourself and to deflect some questions and comments.

14. The boss who constantly changes their mind

Has it ever happened that in the morning your boss tells you to stop working on a certain project, and in the afternoon asks how far along you are with the very same project and when it will be ready? That sounds super illogical and confusing to anyone. If you have experienced it, then you know what it means to have a boss who constantly changes their mind. It can be quite difficult for you to work this way if you are not flexible enough and react poorly to changes.

15. The eternally dissatisfied boss

You may work yourself to the bone, work outside office hours and on weekends, bring many benefits to the company and new clients, but your boss may still be dissatisfied with the work done. Put simply – it is impossible to please this type of boss. Whatever you do, you will never see them satisfied with the team or the work, and do not expect them even to smile at you as thanks for your efforts and hard work.

And the most important sign by which you can tell that your boss is a „jerk“ is when you feel reluctant to go to work just at the thought that you might accidentally meet your boss in the hallway or have to talk to them about something. If you feel constant fear and tension at work because of your boss’s behavior, then you are definitely dealing with a „jerk“ boss.

What should you do when your boss is one of the types listed above? Here are a few tips you can try.

- Find the reason for your boss’s behavior.

Try to put yourself in their place and understand their motives for this terrible behavior. Observe them and gather information about the way they think, what worries them, what they like, etc. It is important not to judge them for this behavior, but to try to understand why they act this way. That way you will also more easily find the answer to what you can do to improve their attitude and behavior.

- Do your job well

It is important not to let your boss’s bad attitude or behavior affect the quality of your work. Some employees give up trying to do their job well because they feel unappreciated or disrespected by their boss. But do not make that mistake – your work describes your personality, not your boss’s, so show the best you are capable of.

- Work for your boss’s success

No matter how angry you are about your boss’s behavior, if you try to ruin them, you will not achieve anything good except intensifying the negative attitude. Instead, try to help your boss achieve their goals, and they may start to value you more and respect your work.

- Do not say bad things about your boss in front of colleagues

You may very much want to share with everyone in the office about your boss’s terrible treatment, but that is not a very good idea. Complaining to colleagues about the boss will not improve the situation; it will only make the problem bigger. Also, you do not know whether your negative comments about the boss will reach them through some talkative colleague.

- Try to adapt to their way of working

Observe your boss’s work style. For example, whether they prefer communication by email, phone, or whether they prefer to discuss matters face to face. The more you adapt to their preferred way of working, the greater the chance that they will start listening carefully to what you want to say.

- Keep detailed records

If you are treated badly, it is good to keep accurate records, but without exaggerating or embellishing the cases. This will be useful if, for example, your opinion is ever sought as a result of a complaint from another employee. It will be good when you can provide facts about your experience. If these facts can be verified, it will strongly support your position.

- Talk to your boss

Sometimes bosses do not realize they are behaving badly until someone tells them. Instead of staying silent at every sign of bad treatment, you can talk to your boss and explain in a calm and professional way the problems you have. That will give them the opportunity to respond, express their opinion, and you may be able to solve the problems together.

- Quit your job

If you have tried everything and your boss continues to behave badly, then it probably may never change. Sometimes the only solution is to quit and look for another job. Before starting a new job, research your future boss to make sure you do not end up with a „jerk“ boss again.

It is certainly not easy to work with any of the types of bosses listed above. We wish you never have to face them, but we assume that at least once you have dealt with a „jerk“ boss. The most unpleasant thing in these situations is that they can make the work atmosphere so toxic that, no matter how much you love your job, you will think about whether to look for another one.

The strongest side of these bosses is stressing out their subordinates in the workplace. Find out how you can deal with workplace stress with our training „Stress Management“.

To deal with such bad bosses, you will need to learn to stand up for yourself in the workplace, and for that you will need to master the skill of assertiveness. The training „Assertiveness: the skill of standing up for yourself“ is for learning this skill.

And if you recognize yourself as one of the „jerk“ boss types, it is never too late to change. Become the manager everyone likes with our training „Team Management“ or "Leadership Skills", which will help you develop and improve your management skills.