Your boss is a flaming a-hole

This (really) is a hypothetical. Say your boss throws people under the bus regularly, is passive aggressive to the point of subtly bullying people, and is doing a little bit of gaslighting. Said boss also knows exactly how to say/document things to not incriminate him/herself or step over the line. More than one person on the staff thinks the manager is a toolbag. At the same time, this boss has wondered to others why he/she doesn’t have a better working relationship with his/her staff. The guy who runs the newsroom has chosen to look the other way.

What do you do? Do you confront him/her and mention that everyone on the small staff thinks he/she is a weasel? Do you use stronger language? Do you act like nothing is wrong? Do you drink heavily (even more so than at present)? Inquiring minds want to know.

 

It’s quite possible the boss doesn’t know he’s a toolbag, and it might help him to hear it — in a constructive way, of course. If you want to have this conversation, be prepared with examples and be prepared for blowback. But sometimes it’s necessary to the working relationship to bring unpleasant stuff to light.

 

Hahahahahahahaahahaha!!!!!

 

Have the captains confront him. [cross-thread]

 

Use your reporting chops and try to find out cases where he throws someone under the bus or does something wrong. Keep that log going for a few months. Then, you'll have solid evidence you can bring to the higher-ups. Is the newsroom unionized? They could step in, too.

 

Well played, sir.

 

One of my former bosses was so bad that a whole truckload of Prep H wouldn't have been enough.
Things he did were documented by witnesses. Among them, in a crowded room, he uttered a racial slur about the wife of one employee. He committed sexual harassment against a female staffer, whom he also gave plum assignments despite her lack of ability. She ended up hating him. He was continually asked by the layout guy what he was writing about so he could arrange the page and get photos ready. The answer was always, "I don't know yet." And 30 minutes later, he would say his column was in as he bolted for the door. A couple of times a week, he would call and call and say he wasn't coming in that day.
Presented to HR, the result was they sided with the SE, despite several witnesses coming forward to confirm the racial slur. Management determined the desk crew were a bunch of social misfits and brought in a psychologist. It was bleeping ridiculous.

 

When did this happen?

 

IMHO the bottom line is why is that person in the position they are? What bona fides are they bringing? Is their production that good to justify the negatives?

Don't get me wrong, IMHO nothing justifies someone being an a-hole as a person.

My mentor in my early legal career could be a selfish, uncaring bastard who had no time for niceties of everyday life. I saw him berate his assistants and even us partners when he thought they were not doing the right thing. He was a West Point grad who was a Ranger paratrooper from the 82nd Airborne (?) during 'Nam who did recon. He also grew up from a hardscrable town in Nev. so that explained a lot. What was unquestioned was his legal ability and he took the time to explain things to me while never acting like he was in a hurry. He also set a phenomenal example of what hard work and thorough work meant. I still think of what he would do when I'm under the gun.

People who are total a-holes though aren't worth it. There needs to be some balance.

 

I think it was 1995.