Bossy Bosses

Yup, we've all had them, the boss from below. After thirty years of work, I recall all two of my bossy bosses.  Both were newies hired to "clean up" their venues, and that they did. At the time, I was horrified, but with a little perspective, I realized that it wasn't their personal faults. When they were interviewed, I suspect their hirers, outlined the parameters of their possible positions. The positions were almost the corporation top, while at the same time, being the tops of their little king and queendoms with the attendant pay and privilege. ( I use a business metaphor.) When both these individuals in their times,  arrived on the scene, their first day of work, they lined us all up at a staff meeting and laid it on the line. One said, "I'm new here and I want to stay here. I want to look good and I expect you to make me look good." The other just smiled. Polar bears and crocodiles smile that  way, too. These tales are nothing new and we around the board room table, who had a load of experience doing what we did, understood. If the boss looks good at his or her work, no one is disillusioned, we, the peons, did it, not the seat warming individual in the corner office, and everyone knows it. Recently, a press story cited a boss who was reported by employees for questionable behaviors and thus was fired. What a rarity! In fact, while most workers have unions or associations, bosses have their strong support systems of protection, too. And that's not a bad thing. Anyone sitting on top is pretty vulnerable. Unfortunately, there are shocking tales of what disgruntled employees can do that is worse than on the job oppression. But not much. The real situation is what to do when you are unlucky enough to be stuck with a bad boss. First of all, document every unfair issue you suffer: times, dates, witnesses. It's called Know Thine Enemy. Second of all, take a look at yourself. If you love your job, give the new boss a chance to settle in, but still do the record keeping for your own edification if nothing else. Writing out your gripes in a journal is a much better plan that grouching around the coffee machine. Don't complain on the job.  Remember there are CCTV cameras around these days taking in all sorts of body language even if they don't have "ears". The novel, "1984" is with us. The first day of my new broom boss, named for what he was hired as, a broom to sweep out the old and make way for the new, ten people left the building. They had the seniority to shift to friendlier shores. I stayed. Why? First, I love a challenge. Second, I was intrigued. And third, I was almost retired anyway. What did I have to lose? I liked the job I had, and I knew that as soon as the New Broom did his job, he would be the next to go. How went the battle? After the chat and pain left the place, it began to sort itself out. The boss with a new staff was so busy trying to calm the waters after the storm, that he didn't have much time to be breathing down our necks. I had not wanted to change my locale, so I shifted into second gear and got the position I wanted, giving up the old one that others desired and that I didn't mind leaving since I was going anyway. I found contentment.  I made an effort to get to know this new boss upstart. There was no point in bitterness or anger. It only hurt me and I loved my job. It was more important than the bad stuff. As it turned out, sure enough, the bossy boss left about the same time I did.  Never heard from him again. Storms do pass.