How well do you like your boss?

I also have a lot of bosses. The guys just above me are great, everyone else kinda sucks
 
Hmmm, I don't even think I have a boss - at least not in the traditional sense.

I teach at a university (post doctoral fellow), and while there is technically a departmental head and dean, they don't oversee your work. You are expected to teach and conduct research, and you are given an incredible amount of latitude and flexibility to do so.

The closest thing I have to a boss is that I have a "sponsor" faculty member who is hosting me while I complete my fellowship. I think I have spoken to him like 3 times in the past 18 months.
 
The guy directly above me is cool.

The big boss is kind of an incompetent douche that coasts on the back of other people.
But I seem to be one of the few people he likes so I have mixed feelings.
 
I barely have to be even speak to my boss. But still, fuck him.
 
RockUmSockUm said:
You hit it on the head, you have "desired skills" to make them some damn money so the higher ups "care about you". And going to bat for you to help you advance is not the same as going to bat to help you clean up a mess you made. I'm happy for you that you have a good situation with your job and management. My work situation is actually pretty nice too. Pay is decent, my manager leaves me to take care of business with minimal supervision, and the work is steady and easy. But I won't confuse corporate niceties like profit sharing and tuition reimbursement with management actually caring about me or anyone else besides themselves.
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Again, you're not reading carefully.

I said they've gone to bat for me. As in, when things have gone bad, they've had my back. Also, I'm not stupid nor naive. I know that this sort of treatment is predicated up on me remaining valuable to them. The same is true for their positions.

I happen to be one of the most professionally distrustful people that I know of. I even make it a point to teach students my same level of distrust. But, I've also made it a point to tell them that "There is only one true way to know if someone is trustworthy. The indication of knowing whether or not to trust someone is if they have the opportunity to screw you or throw you under the bus, and they don't."

Several of my bosses have had opportunities to make my work life less comfortable, and none of them have pulled the trigger. Instead I'm getting free lunches and shoulder rubs when I'm doing paperwork.
 
I have 2 bosses.

The one right above me is a liar, incompetent, and just overall always puts us in shit or in panic mode because he's careless and forgets to do his job. His you go into his office you understand immediately how he is, there are papers everywhere, clothes on his chairs, just a huge clusterfuck. He's the type of guy who will outright lie and make up a story in order to make other staff look bad. He's probably done it to me, as i've been in the room while he's done it to others.

My other boss, the director of our department his great. He's the one who hired me (i was already hired for 7 years at other positions so we knew each other) and he gives me specific tasks that he'd never give to my other boss because i'm sure he knows that he can't handle it. We have a great relationship and he's really not too hard on me or anyone else as long as he feels you're taking your work load seriously.
 
GarbageGuy said:
I have 2 bosses.

The one right above me is a liar, incompetent, and just overall always puts us in shit or in panic mode because he's careless and forgets to do his job. His you go into his office you understand immediately how he is, there are papers everywhere, clothes on his chairs, just a huge clusterfuck. He's the type of guy who will outright lie and make up a story in order to make other staff look bad. He's probably done it to me, as i've been in the room while he's done it to others.

My other boss, the director of our department his great. He's the one who hired me (i was already hired for 7 years at other positions so we knew each other) and he gives me specific tasks that he'd never give to my other boss because i'm sure he knows that he can't handle it. We have a great relationship and he's really not too hard on me or anyone else as long as he feels you're taking your work load seriously.
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In my experience of 9-5 work, directors are awesome. Once you get to the very top, picking on the lower-level workers isn't something that crosses your mind...but it's the middle-management guys who are the headwork.

My reasoning is, they get it in the neck daily from the board. So they need to vent and feel like they're more powerful by giving it to those below them, it trickles down the food chain.

I don't really have a boss now, in my current work. I do, but I barely see them or hear from them...but in my previous roles in an office, I was easy to manage as I didn't really need managing - get the daily workload shifted, cruise the internet, everyone's happy.
 
The_Renaissance said:
In my experience of 9-5 work, directors are awesome. Once you get to the very top, picking on the lower-level workers isn't something that crosses your mind...but it's the middle-management guys who are the headwork.

My reasoning is, they get it in the neck daily from the board. So they need to vent and feel like they're more powerful by giving it to those below them, it trickles down the food chain.

I don't really have a boss now, in my current work. I do, but I barely see them or hear from them...but in my previous roles in an office, I was easy to manage as I didn't really need managing - get the daily workload shifted, cruise the internet, everyone's happy.
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Well in my case the shitboss i've mentioned is just straight up in over his head. We work in operations/logistics so you need to be able to organise yourself and work under short deadlines.

He really does nothing all day, his main focus is looking occupied. When i vent about him i always end up saying that i'd just be better off without him. Taking onto my workload the little things that he still does. That way i'd make sure everything is legit and ready to go.

At the end of the day, i'm sure spending the day looking busy is more brutal on the psyche than doing actual work.

He's an older guy, early 50s. He still believes personel management requires intimidation, bullying, lying, etc. The guys are way more productive when i take charge because they respect me as i respect them.

Besides, i'm on my way up, i'm pretty young, i won't be stuck with this guy for ever. So i just gobble his lies and play dummy.
 
Pretty sure my boss is bipolar.

Some days he's fine, other days he just goes off. All in all, he's not evil or hateful, and he does get some things right, but he's now getting to the point where I think he's in over his head sometimes and has a hard time accepting advice. I just chalk it up to stress and being uncomfortable with the situation he faces and not knowing how to deal with it properly.

I can usually get through to him, however, he can be obstinate and stubborn at times. We're a small company, and don't have to worry about HR policies, I've only had to tell him to fuck off twice in four years. He'll usually listen to that, because he knows if he keeps pushing the issue there's going to be fireworks.
 
RockUmSockUm said:
How about when things go bad? That's the true test of a boss. Will he throw you under the bus, cut ties with you, or go to bat for you? How about when there are layoffs or undesirable assignments? What kind of boss will you think you have then?
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honestly, things have never gotten to that point. and he has been my boss for almost five years. i can only speculate, buy if shit did hit the fan, he seems like the kind of guy that would have your back.

if you do your job, then you shouldn't have anything to worry about. as far as layoffs are concerned, that's something that is probably out of his hands, so i wouldn't place the blame on him.
 
My boss is awesome. My only complaint is that he doesn't always make time for the important things that require slowing down and stepping out of the rat race for a morning or so. Dude is a hell of a guy though.
 
My boss is the owner. Pretty cool and we talk about martial arts and NBA. He keeps it real when things arent going well though. We attend out of state seminars and he'll let me get there 3 days early to sightsee. Dude has a great heart. He said his goal in life now is to try and help out as many of his employees as possible.
 
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