CRAPPY BOSSES: They Suck…Your Blood and Hopes
A crappy boss is a person in a position of power who habitually breaks agreements in transactions {THE 5 EXCHANGES}. There are five main types.
Ghoul – a kind of a crappy boss who sucks the blood of an employee. He believes all employees can be squeezed more and still more, as they are naturally lazy (Management Theory X). If ghoul bosses milk cows, they get pink milk.
They break the demand expectation, as they always demand more than agreed.
You protect yourself from ghouls by clarifying all the expectations and, better yet, by putting them in a contract. You fight them by building coalitions. And, of course, you fight them by leaving them.
Blank – a kind of crappy boss who has no interest in the work she does and its results. She cannot be a good role model and disenchants the young. Yet, to keep the job, the Blank might pretend to work and load you with unnecessary work that aims at nothing. Large bureaucratic organizations are favorable environments for Blanks.
The Blank can be like this initially or become Blank during life; the individual pathogenesis does not matter.
The Blank breaks the endpoint and judgment exchanges.
The best tactic is to leave the Blank and the joint, as, likely, it is crappy as well.
A Dreamer is a friendly and kind person with no skill in getting results, and you are wasting time trying to get his advice or help.
The Dreamer breaks the endpoint and judgment exchanges, as well as the means and resource exchanges, as he usually lacks equipment, money, etc. Depending on his creativity, he can generate elaborate narratives explaining how these misfortunes prove him a hero.
You might feel for the Dreamer and spurn your professional growth because you feel sorry for him. Yet, it will haunt you later when becoming a Dreamer yourself remains the only possibility. {KAIROS}
Swindler – a type of crappy boss who is immoral, cheats, lies, and performs any other questionable activity.
A swindler can break any exchange but often breaks the resource exchange—e.g., promising to pay and not paying. Swindlers thrive in environments where reputation does not matter or exist.
You protect yourself by clarifying expectations about all the exchanges at the start. Still, better leave, as in most complex environments and endeavors, trust is essential and cannot be substituted for anything.
Dunce is an obstinate and dull boss. The Dunces are super sensitive to hierarchy and will never be open to new or better ways of doing something unless they come from above. They often force you to do unnecessary stuff to “discipline” you and prove their dominance. Although Dunce’s intelligence is barely traceable, that does not mean he does not know where his bread is buttered.
If you suspect your boss of being a Dunce, ask yourself, how come such a person has power over you? Leave.
“Effective managers” are often Dunces.
{CRAPPY JOINT, CONSTRAINTS OF A SYSTEM, “EFFECTIVE MANAGERS”, SUSTENANCE, TRUST, MEANINGLESS METRICS, LEADERSHIP: Q&As}