Post your Worst Boss 2

[Neubaten]

For scientific interest.

I'll start with my worst boss so far:


-Insecure personally and profesionally.
Is an engineer, but with R&D background, not industrial.

-Obssesed over control and information (uses to patologically hide it, even when unnecessary)

-Obstruct every posible professional development of underlings. Specially if there's a possibility of outshining.

-Puts down people behind their backs and diminish every positive aspect of everyone.

-Nice with superiors, rude with underlings.

-Uses fear to consequences as an everyday tool.


I've had some other bad bosses, but it's difficult to imagine a more undermining, more soul-depriving, worse kind.

 

[EngineerDave]

Kenat I remember that post and I admired your wife for her savvy. The office is Machiavellan at times and she learned how to help herself and others by getting rid of that guy.

 

[Comcokid]

I have worked for several bosses that would go into tirades, act childish, scream, and threaten. etc.

But my worst boss, I never talk about, except to fellow ex-coworkers from that company.

The guy, I believe, was a true sociopath. Never totally lost his temper, rarely raised his voice much, likeable at first glance, very intelligent, but deadly.

Think "Hannabil Lecter", but he didn't physically eat people. Nevertheless, after several years, people left and felt like a piece of themselves was gone.

The guy started as an engineer at a small company. Became a part owner (very small part owner) of the company that was majority-owned by a private corporation. Forced another small-part owner out acquiring his portion at less-than-value. Help leverage the sale of the company to another corporation with big poison-pill contract while making money for his share. So badly performed that the poison pill was executed and he walked away with more money. Used his away-time from the company to turn-it-in for the taxes that were not paid (while he was running it) that caused the new owners to pay. Then turned-around with another partner and re-bought the company at a loss to the new owners a few years later (now that the tax history was cleared-up). Eventually forced the new partner out and fully owns the small company.

I will not go into incidents while working for him - they're just hard to communicate to an audience that has never experienced such a person. We were always surprised how like a cat "he could always land on his feet". But under him was always a stack of bodies.

I can't watch "Silence of the Lams" without thinking of this old boss. The actor Anthony Hopkins captures the personality type so well. There are simple things in the movie that unless you've met and known this kind of person, you just might not pick up on.

 

[btrueblood]

Comco,

I know what you mean. Met that type, got away with my skin intact...barely. The scars don't show.

 

[Neubaten]

Well, Comco, my boss (see first post) shows malice, ruthlessness and a pathological personality as well. Perhaps not a true and rooted sociopathy, Lecter style, but seems not to be bothered by things such as empathy or compassion, he just acts his way, coldly planned.

Still, I know exactly what you meant about losing a piece of yourself when dealing with this people. It is really hard to describe indeed. A frustrating, undermining, powerless feeling when leaving back home.

 

[KENAT]

Thanks EngineerDave, if it's the post I'm thinking of it was actually a female boss (though in a line up you'd be forgiven for thinking male) but I appreciate what you said.

Posting guidelines faq731-376

http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?

(probably not aimed specifically at you)
What is Engineering anyway: faq1088-1484​

 

[jmw]

They usually rely on a rationalisation or justification that if it was up to them... blah blah, but they have a duty to the investors/shareholders....
Of course, the shareholders have no idea of what is done in their names.


JMW

http://www.ViscoAnalyser.com

 

[GTstartup]

Different type of worst boss, but years ago my old boss (Mechanical P.E.)said in a meeting on site that we shouldn't test the reverse power relay because the turbine would begin rotating the opposite direction. You could hear crickets during the subsequent silence.

 

[monkeydog]

Not my bosses, but my co-workers bosses:

Boss 1, suggested to save weight, we put "Lighten Holes" in the tanks.

Boss 2, when introduced to him would insist you call him "cupcake" as it rhymed with his name.

 

[shamsdebout]

GTstartup, that is funny. Did anyone say anything to him after?

 

[Neubaten]

"Boss 1, suggested to save weight, we put "Lighten Holes" in the tanks."


This could belong to a joke. And even then, it would seem too far away!!

 

[monkeydog]

Neubaten,
True story, Boss 1 was not an engineer, and was manager over a group of structural engineers. Boss 1 would hear about the placement of "lighten holes" in other structural members.

 

[Neubaten]

Waw, monkeydog, I guess Einstein was so right when he said you should have faith in the infinite stupidity of the human being.

 

[GTstartup]

Shamsdebout,

We continuied on like it was never said. After the meeting we explained it to him.

Too late, the damage was done, the meeting was attended by the client's engineers and managers and must have thought "what the hell did we get ourselves into'? We spent the next 3 months during startup trying to get the customer's trust back.

 

[mauricestoker]

My second worst boss wanted me to get jump certified so I could do work in regions that don't have airfields. My worst boss skipped the country before the working staff could give him wall-to-wall counseling or a going away blanket party. Don't think I can post what he was caught doing, but the country we were in would legally allow him to be terminated.

 

[PeterStock]

Would that be with extreem prejudice?

Peter Stockhausen
Senior Design Analyst (Checker)
Infotech Aerospace Services

http://www.infotechpr.net

 

[mauricestoker]

That would be "hung by the heels from a tree and bled like a pig", as suggested by the local police.

 

[ivymike]

second worst boss wanted me to get jump certified

as in "out of a plane?" Was this a military job?

 

[mauricestoker]

I was a civilian that signed a mobility agreement. I really enjoyed seeing places I would never have been able to go to otherwise, but I didn't want to see them while dropping from a few thousand feet. That and the shots could lay you up for a few days. If I cut myself gamma globulin would pour out.

 

[kepharda]

I agree Maurice the GG was a bitch, I have never had a shot that made you a temporary cripple.

Really though hadn't these guys ever heard of Helicopters?

I mean I was in the Army, static line and free fall jumper, but those chopper pilots can usually land anywhere.

this message has been approved for citizen to elect kepharda 2008

 

[zuccus]

Had one boss that was notorious for looking at inappropriate stuff on the internet during work hours and then sharing it with his direct reports. Sent pictures of his naked wife around to everybody. This stuff didn't bug me as much, to each his own as I just hit delete on all his emails.

What did bug me was the fact that he was constantly advertising for open positions available on local job boards and such. If you were a woman he would call you in for an interview (behind closed doors of course). I always felt bad for those women who thought they were showing up for a real chance at a job.

He liked me so he didn't bug me to much, but once a couple of guys told him off, he would do anything to make them look bad.

I remember one day he chewed this guy out for not committing to a deadline that he sent everybody in the dept a email about. Took him in front of HR, the owner, and chewed him a new one. The guy just sat there and took with a smile. When he was done, my buddy asked him to print the email. Turns out he "left" him off the chain.

When I turned in my resignation, under the reason for leaving I just put his name. Hilarity followed.

Man I go on and on about this guy.

Zuccus