My boss is insane

[blind_otter]

The nasty boss has already put a note in my inbox listing things that I "forgot" to do (which I actually hadn't forgotten, but they are in the works...setting up meetings, etc.). I dread having to meet with her about this because she never listens to me anyways, just goes on and on restating the same thing over and over again. I was typing up a letter for her (she hand-writes everything) and used teh wrong word because her writing is chickenscratch and she launched into a long, unnecessary explanation about something I already knew about. When I tried to tell her I knew what she was talking about she nearly bit my head off.

 

She expects these really important people (like the provost of the university for chrissake) to re-arrange their schedule for her. She also has this power-tript hing she does where the less important her guest is to her, the longer she makes them wait. Today her graduate teaching assistant waited 45 minutes for an appointment. I kept peeking into my boss's office and she was just doing her freaking email! Sometimes I'll let her know someone is waiting for her and she literally sits at her desk doing nothing for 10-15 minutes, just making them wait.

 

We also butt heads about her decisions. They are sometimes, often, colossally inappropriate. There was a ballot sent to all faculty to nominate someone for a particular award. She demanded that I send out a separate ballot just to her department, instructing them to ignore the dean's instructions and go to her instead. She wanted to basically influence the votes, which is absurd. I objected and she got in my face and said, who do you work for, me or the dean's office?

 

I am regretting taking this position in a big way. I love my other co-workers, and my other boss is behind me 100%. Everyone basically bitches about my direct boss on a constant basis. She doesn't do her job. She socializes and leaves everything to the last minute. Her inbox still has stuff from August in it! Then she gets mad at me about missing deadlines, but what can I do? I tried organizing her inbox. Nothing works.

 

I feel like she is a time bomb about to explode in a nervous breakdown, and I do NOT want to go down with the ship!

 

I realize most of her inappropriate behavior stems from insecurity, but still. Grow up.

[Stone]

Have you started looking for another job? She seems very hard headed, I doubt you can get her to change

[blind_otter]

I am freaked out about that - I'm 7 weeks pregnant and I don't know if I can find a good job in my area that pays that same. I really need the money now with the baby on the way because I am doing the single-mom thing and am not asking the father for any money or child support. So I feel REALLY trapped...

[Moose]

If you've tried to discuss this with her, and it didn't do any good, I say go over her head and talk to her boss. If you haven't discussed it, do so and take notes. If she doesn't like you taking notes, then say this meeting is over and go to her boss. Don't let her know your intentions, just document everything you've just told us and definitley approach her about it.

[Stone]

yep, Moose has a point, especially if she can's you one day you will need notes if you have to file for unemployment.

 

Maby you should set up an appointment with her ( and expect to wait ) and tell her that you are not confident that she is happy with your proformance, and you would like to know 'what" you need to do to make her happy. She will probably think this is honorable OR she will take this opportunity to use you. good Luck.

[Stone]

yep, Moose has a point, especially if she can's you one day you will need notes if you have to file for unemployment.

 

Maby you should set up an appointment with her ( and expect to wait ) and tell her that you are not confident that she is happy with your proformance, and you would like to know 'what" you need to do to make her happy. She will probably think this is honorable OR she will take this opportunity to use you. good Luck.

[fredrolin]

Up until May 1, 2004 I worked for an insane unethical boss for 5 years.

 

I feel like I have been to hell and back. I hung in there and finally ended up getting a new boss. I knew that my former boss was wrong in the way he did things and was determined to prove this; I wasn't going to quit my job and let him win.

 

Alot of losers somehow rise to high positions by being at the right place at the right time, knowing the right people or just conning people. But it always falls apart; sometimes it takes awhile.

 

Hang in there, don't give up.

[gwennebe]

Try talking to her first. You don't need to be under a lot of stress Esp. if your prego. IT's not good for you or the baby. Hopefully that will work if not just pray Karma bites her in the behind. Good Luck to you. I really admire you for what your doing.

[blind_otter]

Luckily she is out of the country/out of town on business for the majority of the rest of the year. And she's taking a 3 week vacation in december.

 

I saved her butt out of sheer self-interest because the dumbass insisted on handling her travel arrangements for her trip to south america tomorrow and her ticket was never actually finalized. But I was like, no way she's missing that plane...then I'll have to deal with her crazy ass. So I fixed it all myself.

 

I'm keeping notes from now on, thanks...

[fredrolin]

Originally posted by gwennebe

Try talking to her first.

 

Depending on the person, talk is sometimes worthless.

 

My former boss was a power hungry, self centered person who was out for himself. He always did things his way no matter what anybody said.

some people have no business holding positions that involve managing other people. Especially when they mix personal feelings and opinions with business decisions...another thing my boss did.

[gwennebe]

Yeah, sounds like my old boss. Everyone told me to talk to him but I was very very afraid of him. He was so type "A" personality that he would yell at people over nothing just to hear his own voice.

 

lol. When I finally got to resign my position because I got a job offer down south he was so pissed and I ended up quitting two days early anyways cause he yelled at me over the stupid fax machine so I'd had it and screamed at him everything I'd been holding back the past year and told him to f*ck off and I walked out and never looked back. Now I"m lucky and have a great boss and a great job, actually it's my dream job but it took me 7 years to find it.

[fredrolin]

yes I always dreamed of finding a better job so I could tell my old boss to F off.

 

But he was so out of touch with reality it probably wouldn't phase him anyway.

 

Now the idiot still works here but I report to someone else, who is totally normal and cool. It's better this way...I still see my old boss but he can't mess with my head anymore.

[blind_otter]

Originally posted by fredrolin

Depending on the person, talk is sometimes worthless.

 

My former boss was a power hungry, self centered person who was out for himself. He always did things his way no matter what anybody said.

some people have no business holding positions that involve managing other people. Especially when they mix personal feelings and opinions with business decisions...another thing my boss did.

 

toxic manager syndrome. i've had bosses like this, who think the letters after their name automatically makes them able to handle managing people. Which is absurd because there is a whole degree program for management that mixes business and psychology.

 

My boss is sadly one of those stubborn people who doesn't listen - she pastes this bizarre, scarey fake smile on her face and you can tell she's just tuning you out. I did a typo so that a sentence in an email read "statues" instead of STATUTES. But the context obviously indicated I meant "statutes", and she acted like I had written the whole email in jibberish - "what do you mean by this word, staaaaaaaaa-tuuuuuuuuuuues?"

 

bitch.

[fredrolin]

my former boss had no management training at all.

 

he was an accountant who became a controller.

 

due to downsizing in our company he inheritated our department and they made him our boss.

 

after 25 years of sitting in an office alone crunching numbers this guy was suddenly the big boss.

 

to start he had no personality, he did not have an people skills.

 

he is an arrogant prick and his mood can change from nice guy to pissed off in the blink of an eye.

[bluechocolate]

I've worked for many people over the years & primarily in an industry where there are some HUGE egos.

 

The best thing I found that helped me in dealing with difficult people at work was taking a one day course about the Personality Types in the work place.

 

It taught how to recognise them (there are 4 apparently) and then the best ways to interact with each type.

 

It worked a treat on the majority of people.

 

In one place I worked at for 2 years there was a woman whom everyone hated to deal with. She was very senior so she couldn't be avoided. She was aggressive, grumpy, demanding & impersonal - funnily enough that made her very easy to type. Anyway, one day I had to sort out a problem for her and in dealing with her I applied the ways suggested as set out in the course material. It really worked and from that day forward our relationship changed dramatically. She didn't become friendly but she respected my opinions and ability and her demeanour towards me chanegd for the better.

 

I don't remember the name of the course - it was a few years ago now and in a land down under - but I'm sure if you were interested it woudn't be too hard to find a book that covered just this thing.

[fredrolin]

I took that course about 5 years ago. I can't remember the name of it either.

[FolderWife]

OMG, my boss is a power hungry bitch as well! I put up with her for about a week, then a week later she was making me so miserable that I'd go home with headaches every day, so finally, I got the owner aside, and told him about how miserable she was making me. She was even making people in other departments miserable! So I had a few people that I knew would back me up, and the next day was her first manager's meeting.

 

She was just soooooooooo excited that she was going to get to be a big wig and sit in with the bosses. But the next day, during the meeting, the owners and general manager set her straight. I walked by, and saw her face through the window, and I thought she was going to cry! And the worst part is it felt GREAT!

 

She barely speaks to me now, and I'm glad about that. Everything that comes out of her mouth is putting someone beneath her. Today was the first day she's spoken to me since Friday of last week ~yay~

 

So go over her head. You'd be suprised what a good boss's boss will do

[fredrolin]

Originally posted by Monday

 

So go over her head. You'd be suprised what a good boss's boss will do

 

 

But be careful how you do this.

 

It has been my experience that complainers sometimes get the short end of the stick.

 

sometimes management sticks together and they don't always take the employee's side.

 

ALWAYS be armed with concrete documented evidence of your complaint.

[blind_otter]

this is a sticky issue...there's no way she's getting disciplined since she just secured a $20 million annual endowment for the whole college from some rich old dead people, or rich people with dead relatives or something like that. She's also spearheading a multimillion dollar research proposal about....hurricanes (I live in FL, ha ha ha). She is on her high horse and everyone in the administration is licking her butt.

 

Meanwhile everyone who works with or around her thinks she is a crackpot.

 

It's weird because I totally see that her cruetly and paranoia stem from insecurity. I've overheard her bitching that "she can't do this job." How do I document THAT?