I’ve been lucky to have some great bosses over the years (hat-tip to
Decisions, decisions, decisions. Of course good bosses don’t always get them right but they don’t shy away from making them. Some people, and therefore some bosses, struggle with making decisions, they either can’t make them or they frequently change their mind. Having an indecisive boss can be very difficult to deal with as your productivity is invariably tied with their decision making ability and the working environment can easily become one where employees have to second guess their boss.
#2. The Workaholic
Workaholic bosses are both common and in demand within many organisations. Work defines the workaholic and many successful people are also workaholics. Often, their work-life balance can be so lopsided, that their relationships with partners and family can suffer as a result of their extreme dedication to work. Typically, they work very long hours and even after they leave the office will remain in contact with staff via phone or email etc.
#3. The Micro-Manager
The micro-manager is a control freak, reluctant to delegate and needs to analyse and second-guess EVERYTHING that you do. It can seem like they don’t trust you to do anything and even simple tasks become problematic. Micro-managers are easily one of the most common types of bad bosses out there with most of us having experienced them as some stage during our careers.
#4. The Therapist
The Therapist boss wants to fix you. Of course, the problem is that they assume you need fixing and that you want to be fixed. More often, this need is driven by them not being prepared or avoiding facing up to their own issues.
#5. The Bull-Shitter
It could be argued that a lot of what’s spoken, written and typed, within some organisations is essentially bullshit 🙂 That said the boss who is a bull-shitter boss, while sometimes appealing at the start quickly becomes problematic, especially for employees who want to get their work done. He or she will constantly exaggerate achievements, make excuses and is quite prepared to take credit for the work or ideas of others.
#6. The Bipolar
The bi-polar boss is extremely unpredictable and for no apparent reason. One day, they are your best friend, the next, hostile and ranting. Worth noting that while their behaviour is upsetting, it is REALLY driven by their mood at that moment, and not you or your work.
#7. The Bully
Bullies use aggression to get what they want. This type of boss will shout, insult or make fun of you and often he or she will do it in public. It’s worth remembering that bullies are often deeply insecure and will easily become cowards when it’s put up to them.
#8. The Dictator
The dictator believes that he is always right and expects everything to be done his way. He is unable to take on board or consider other’s opinions and is quite prepared to do whatever it takes to get his way. It’s a case of: “his way or the highway,” and he will fire anyone that gets in the way.
#9. The Politician
The Politician is only concerned with making it to the top and sees those around him as pawns in his game. While, charming and often having a knack for saying the right thing, he’ll act like your friend while he stabs you in the back.
#10. The BFF
The BBF boss wants to be yourvery best friend. They REALLY want to socialise and hang out with you even though you may not want to. This puts you in a difficult situation; you want your boss to respect your boundaries but at the same time, don’t want to offend him or her.
There you have it, the 10 types of nightmare bosses. So which types of nightmare bosses have you experienced? And more importantly, how did you deal with them? Please share your insights in the comments below.
