How Do You Handle a Boss With A Volatile Temper? (company, year)
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The unspoken rule is that management is untouchable. Somewhere along the line, people forgot what a manager is supposed to be: a person with skills in managing resources, employees being just one kind of resource. Ideally a manager is someone with organizational knowledge and skills, but rather than view the role of manager in this light, most people, managers included, would prefer to view it as someone whose main purpose is an authoritative and political one of power over people.
This volatile boss must have been very nice and put on a nice "front" in his interview. Sometimes that is how jerks work their way in. They will play all nice in the interview, but slowly start showing their true volatile and jerky ways.
How do you handle him? You kick his worthless workaholic butt to the curb during the middle of an extensive, short-deadline project, leaving him high and dry. Then you get hired at a new, better place three days later and make sure your old boss hears about how wonderful your new position is, how many perks you now have, and how much more you're being paid.
...that's what I did, at least.
In all seriousness, stick around until you can find something better. THE STRESS IS NOT WORTH IT.
Thie above post makes total sense. Also, something could be going on in the boss's private life that is making him him so volatile. Or maybe he doesn't feel well? I once had a boss who slammed and busted doors, and threw things. Once, I heard a huge crash come from his office. I went to check it out, and he had thrown a heavy brass picture frame across the room, putting a hole in the door. There was broken glass everywhere. I calmly pointed out that I could have entered his office at the time he threw the missile and been hit with it. I then asked him if I could help fix whatever it was that had him upset. Turns out, he thought there were too many appointments scheduled (meaning more than four a day). He was an attorney, and he was having some sort of mid-life crisis at the time (plus going through a divorce)...he didn't seem to want to spend much time in the office. I just took the book and rescheduled the appointments. And I told him outright that temper tantrums and behavior like that made me very upset.
If it is NOT OK for an employee to act out of line because they are going through a divorce/mid-life crisis or other matter, then it is NOT OK for a manager to act out of line for those same reasons. You probably handled the matter just fine. Technically, you could have had him terminated rather easily when you witnessed him vandalizing his office and nearly injuring you. Some lawyers would say you even have grounds for a lawsuit, though that would not be my approach.
I sure hope he appreciated that! If a lower ranked employee did those things, they would likely be gone.
Do not confront him. He was nuts before you got there and his superiors will allow him to continue being nuts. Trying to have a rational conversation with an irrational person is a waste of time and he might start seeing you as a threat. Which means you will be the target of his bullying.
Hopefully, you've been documenting the bullying and DO NOT TELL ANYONE/co-workers of this. Also, never take responsibility for something you didn't do. He may have documented that to use against you.
Spend your energy on job searching. Might have to take a pay cut or change fields. Just move on. If you want to stay in that field, civilian/contractor, you're gonna need a decent reference from your sociapathic boss because you can't trust HR either. Good luck.
Corporate office environments SUCK!
Legally, the only thing they can do is confirm that you worked for the company during a certain interval of time. The manager cannot lie about the time you worked there. If he/she does that, it can mean real trouble for that manager from a labor board or attorney if they try to mess with your future in a dishonest way these days. You should be fine.
Legally, the only thing they can do is confirm that you worked for the company during a certain interval of time. The manager cannot lie about the time you worked there. If he/she does that, it can mean real trouble for that manager from a labor board or attorney if they try to mess with your future in a dishonest way these days. You should be fine.
We all know what they 'legally' can do and most of us know what they 'do' do. I've experienced and heard stories of supervisors lying, slandering, and flat out blackballing employees. Also, they can answer a question posed in such a way as this. "...would you re-hire this person?" They can answer "no" without explanation. If an employee is trying to transfer within the same organization, i.e. fed govt or contractor, this is a death sentence.
You sound naive about the ways of corporate america.
We all know what they 'legally' can do and most of us know what they 'do' do. I've experienced and heard stories of supervisors lying, slandering, and flat out blackballing employees. Also, they can answer a question posed in such a way as this. "...would you re-hire this person?" They can answer "no" without explanation. If an employee is trying to transfer within the same organization, i.e. fed govt or contractor, this is a death sentence.
You sound naive about the ways of corporate america.
I have been very fortunate to deal with ethical and mostly supportive people (including managers) where I worked the last 10+ years. I was laid off but with generous severance and just found a new position and believe this new firm's standards will be the same.
Maybe in the eastern urban corridor, it is more ruthless. So maybe I am a little naive, but it is still important to state what the rules of business etiquette are and what the law says about certain situations.
If it is NOT OK for an employee to act out of line because they are going through a divorce/mid-life crisis or other matter, then it is NOT OK for a manager to act out of line for those same reasons. You probably handled the matter just fine. Technically, you could have had him terminated rather easily when you witnessed him vandalizing his office and nearly injuring you. Some lawyers would say you even have grounds for a lawsuit, though that would not be my approach.
I sure hope he appreciated that! If a lower ranked employee did those things, they would likely be gone.
Agreed. I had a boss who told us to keep our personal lives and problems outside of the office door, yet she brought all her drama and problems from home into the office and took it out on her staff. The hypocrisy sometimes amazes me.
I worked with at 58 year old woman way back when. The owner of the company yelled and degraded her for what ever the reason in front of us, 3 workers.
Pat (a very nice woman), got up from her chair, put her arm around the boss, and said so politely:
Gregory, you ever yell at me again like that, I will smack you clear across your face. I realize your the president, but your not allowed to talk to me that way.
She sat down, he looked dumbfounded, and she said: We are having Chinese food for lunch, what would you like?.
he said chicken lomein, is good, and he walked away.
I can remember it like it was yesterday.
I don'tt go for this BS talk, you can fire me, but your not allowed to yell at me, I don't care who you are.
PS: we worked there together for several more years, and he never yelled at her again.
lesson learned, when bosss get like that, you need to bring them down a few notches.
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