Boss from hell

[MayaMorph]

I caught up with a preview of the Kristin Scott Thomas film - Love Crime - the other week and she plays a complete boss from hell.
In the film, her colleagues resulting revenge is severe. But I am going back into the corporate landscape and just how do you cope with bosses from hell.
And particularly, female bosses from hell.

[freddybanana]

I've had a couple of bosses from hell.

My best advice would be look for another job. It's just not worth it.

[lilibartley]

Sounds like a good film, do you know when it's out?

[becstarlightstarbright]

Short term advice - Read a book called 'Be Bulletproof' here which I've been finding really helpful lately (sighs...)

But if you suspect that your boss is a sociopath then network like crazy, get your CV in order and start looking for an escape route before he/she trashes your professional reputation. I've worked with two people who I suspect were sociopaths (compulsive and continual lying, lack of empathy, manipulative, bullying more junior staff, low/no ethics...). Someone has just started at my company, senior to me, and I recognise the signs already and am making my escape plans.

[StopPickingYourNose]

Life is too short to have to work with a boss from hell. Get yourself another job and when you don't need a reference from them write a letter to someone in the company more senior to her and tell them exactly what you think and copy it to the bitch boss from hell!

[MayaMorph]

the website for the film is at lovecrimefilm.co.uk
agreed. I have a big interview lined up and am hoping to avoid a boss from hell, but will certainly be alert to any signs.
@becstarlightstarbright thank you for the book tip. Looks very interesting.

and this opens up the question - is it worse when it is a women or is it just that I still expect some camaraderie between women in the corporate landscape that is now a dated concept! Was it ever there.

[freddybanana]

Why are you worrying about something that hasn't even happened?

I would concentrate on getting the job first!

[BrianaS]

Ive had a few bosses from hell !!!

think ill be going to see this. im a big fan of french cinema ! :)

[MayaMorph]

@freddybanana displacement activity.
Far easy to cope with my anxiousness if I displace!

[qazxc]

I am currently working for a psychopath (female) and it is ruining my life. Me and all my colleagues (including her brother, who she took over the company from) are planning our escape. Please god let me find another job soon.

[Notsogoodhousekeeping]

I just left a job with the boss from hell, but I am quite scared about the next job I get, and am wondering how to phrase things in an interview to find out about their management style. When I interviewed for my last job it was pretty much a done deal already and the interview was a formality, so I never got to ask questions about appraisals and performance reviews, training options and the like. More fool me.

I've not once regretted leaving, even though I had no job lined up. That woman did more to trash my self-esteem and confidence than any other job I've ever had. I complained about her several times but nothing was ever done and her behaviour was allowed to get much much worse. They said they were sorry to lose me and that their hands were tied, but in reality her manager needed to grow a pair and start challenging her behaviour. Sadly a lottery win would have been more likely to happen.

[missingmumxox]

are you a lazy Journo?
I have had 2 bosses from hell, one from the first level, one from the 4th, mainly I have had female bosses from heaven, I am a nurse 22 years in so almost aways a female boss, Oh and I am now a female boss, I spent a hour or so this evening looking at pizza menus
I have in order to justify our jobs and keep da management happy given the staff a hellish week next week, they now it, I know it, I bet they bitch behind my back (for the record 5 men 2 women staff) and to be honest I don't blame them especially as my work committement means I won't even be on site to fire fight should the shit hit the fan! they know they can call me, but realistily they are on their own.
oh the pizza, I have planned 1/2 hour for lunch as is their quota, I know there is a real possibility they might have to eat on the run and apart from 2 tend to go out for lunch, so I am thinking I will order lunch for all on day 1, pizza being the best option and deliverable in the day time.
I was discussing what to get with Dh and will going for 2 meat feast types and 2 veggie types, Dh said remember to charge it, hahahhahahah, the fool! he works in the private sector, I work in the public, so out of my 4 year pay freeze wages, but they are worth it and yes I can be a horrible boss, when people take the piss, but fortunatly so fair my current staff are stars.

[SarahBumBarer]

My current female boss is generally lovely. Sometimes there are tensions but it is simply because despite being a "partner" in the firm the reality is she has no power and has to toe the party line. She is as sympathetic as she can be and does what she can - it is not always much but not her fault. Over the years I am aware that she has been a victim of sexual discrimination and our deprtment is particularly vulnerable to certain politics within the firm. She accordingly is uncompromising and has very high standards (I think to make her position as far as possible unassailable) which makes her a challenge to work for but then none of us in our particular department are against a challenge.

With regard to the crap bosses that I have had over the years I have always found that you need to identify their weaknesses and deal with those. Unless you see being a woman as an intrinsic weakness that means you do not deal with bad female bosses in any specific way or any different way to a bad male boss. The worst bosses are the incompetent ones and I deal with them by documenting, documenting, documenting.