On a scale of 1 to 10, how dysfunctional is your boss?
When I was just starting out as a freelancer, I landed a supplemental $10/hour part-time gig (a small fortune in the early nineties) working as an admin assistant for this entrepreneur who put on business conferences. While my boss was very flexible, kind, and fair, his social graces left something to be desired. So much so that the other business people renting office space in the building regularly asked me how I could stand working for the guy.
Basically, my boss was a gastroenterological freak show, plagued with the worst case of flatulence and acid reflux ever to assault my senses. Think Ignatius in A Confederacy of Dunces and you’ll start to get the picture.
I get that people have digestive issues; I just don’t get why, in a work setting, my boss never once tried leave the room to expel a little gas, let alone offer up the occasional “excuse me,” or — hey, here’s a concept — permit me to open the door or window of our 200-square-foot office so as not to asphyxiate on the stench of his rotting bowels.
According to the other business owners in the building, I stuck it out longer than any of my boss’ previous assistants. But after a couple months, despite the sweet pay and the mostly pleasant demeanor of my intestinally challenged boss, nausea won out. Plus, it was so damned awkward to be working alongside someone tooting up a storm but offering up zero acknowledgement of the very pungent elephant in the room.
Still, on the 1 to 10 Scale of Dysfunction, I’d probably give this boss a 3 or 4, maaaaaaybe a 5. Because he was a good boss. He was just raised in a barn, which isn’t the worst bossly offense in the world. I’d venture to say that blogging about how you’re going to make your company profitable ASAP, come hell or high water, even though your entire staff knows that’s code for “layoffs imminent,” is a worse offense. Call me old school, but I’m a fan of face-to-face delivery when it comes to bad news, or news that bad news is potentially on the way.*
All this is one big fat segue into what I really wanted to talk about: This week’s No Shit Award, which goes to a recent study proclaiming that bad bosses are about as common as people with horrific manners.
Behold these morale-boosting stats:
- 39 percent of workers said their supervisor failed to keep promises
- 37 percent said their supervisor failed to give credit when due
- 31 percent said their supervisor gave them the “silent treatment” in the past year
- 27 percent said their supervisor made negative comments about them to other employees or managers
- 24 percent said their supervisor invaded their privacy
- 23 percent said their supervisor blamed others to cover up mistakes or to minimize embarrassment
Any of this sound familiar? Then you know what should be at the top of your list of new year’s resolutions. Oh, and if you care to de-lurk a moment and share your tale of Worst Boss Known to Humankind, I’m sure you will make a lot of people chuckle with appreciation or at least nod in recognition, this bossfree babe included.
*Update: The Jobster layoffs I was so cryptically referring to have arrived.
6 comments January 2nd, 2007
