CheekyChicago

Q:  My boss couldn’t lead a fire drill, much less the department.  She’s a bully and serial torturer who picks on someone then moves on to torture someone else.  Her boss thinks she’s great.  I am pregnant and can’t leave until my baby arrives.  So far she hasn’t bullied me but how can I protect myself?

A: Welcome to real world office politics. Your boss gets a great deal of pleasure, as all bullies do, from torturing people who (she believes) can’t fight back.  She is a prototype of people who lust for power (a.k.a. control) but don’t know what to do with it.   Since you are stuck for the next few months learn to manage a bad boss.  Unless you’re going into housewifery full time you have not met your last bad boss.  Learning to manage a bad boss will serve you well.  Most people can’t or won’t learn.

1.  Cultivate and listen to the admins and/or long-term employees.  Ask for their best techniques to get along with the boss.  They know everything including where she came from and what may cause her demise…

2.  Absorb information but don’t visibly react.  Remember:  two people can keep a secret only if one of them is dead.  (Charlotte MacLeod, the mystery writer said that and it should be written on the inside of everyone’s hand.)  Do not complain about your boss in the office or to anyone who has contact with your cubies. Word always gets back.

3.  Find former employees.  This is simple if you have won the confidence of the admins.  Track down a few former employees and ask how they coped.  Explain you need to keep your job.  In this economy nobody will be shocked.

4.  Watch as she harasses other people.  What triggers her to bully someone?  You can’t duck forever but you don’t need forever.

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