Bad boss types
Looking back on my career, and the kinds of bosses I've occasionally had, and their assorted failings, it's come to my attention that I don't actually consider evil bosses to be the worst kind of boss to work for. In order, in my opinion, the worst bosses to work for are:
#1: Inconsistent bosses. These are bosses who yell at you one day and want to be your best friend the next. They tell you one thing, deny it an hour later, then ask the next morning why it hasn't been done. The only way to deal with them is to personally intimidate them into submission, because then they won't dare to dick you around.
#2: Incompetent bosses. These are the ones who are about as useful as a fart in a whirlwind. They can never get anything done or done right, including your HR paperwork and firing the office assholes. You'll end up doing their job for them and bullying signatures out of them.
#3 Evil bosses. Assuming they're consistent and competent, they can often be worked around. The only problem is the occasional bombshell of evil they drop, but sometimes they can be negotiated with and may even hold up their end of the bargain on occasion.
#4 Stupid bosses. The kind who can do their job day to day, but have the mental speed and flexibility of concrete. They won't approve any improvements or changes, they'll never vary from their own personal interpretation of company policy, and they want everyone working for them to be the same way - grey little cogs. They have immense trouble conceptualising anything new, and often simply don't bother. Fortunately, you can sometimes get stuff past them once you know how they think and can put up with having to manipulate them for three to six months at a time in order do anything like upgrade the coffee machine in the break room. Best way around them is to have someone above their level make the decision and then tell the boss that congratulations, it was their contribution which swung the argument.
Particularly irritating to me personally are the Evil/Incompetent/Stupid bosses. I don't actually mind having an Evil Competent boss, because sometimes they're evil on the team's behalf and other times it can just be fun watching an evil plan unfold even if you get caught in it. The E/I/S bosses, though, are the ones who will decide to screw you out of a payrise by telling you a lie, not be able to make it a particularly believable lie, and then automatically assume that it worked, you were totally fooled, and there will be no repercussions (or payrises plus penalties for trying to pull such a stunt).
#1: Inconsistent bosses. These are bosses who yell at you one day and want to be your best friend the next. They tell you one thing, deny it an hour later, then ask the next morning why it hasn't been done. The only way to deal with them is to personally intimidate them into submission, because then they won't dare to dick you around.
#2: Incompetent bosses. These are the ones who are about as useful as a fart in a whirlwind. They can never get anything done or done right, including your HR paperwork and firing the office assholes. You'll end up doing their job for them and bullying signatures out of them.
#3 Evil bosses. Assuming they're consistent and competent, they can often be worked around. The only problem is the occasional bombshell of evil they drop, but sometimes they can be negotiated with and may even hold up their end of the bargain on occasion.
#4 Stupid bosses. The kind who can do their job day to day, but have the mental speed and flexibility of concrete. They won't approve any improvements or changes, they'll never vary from their own personal interpretation of company policy, and they want everyone working for them to be the same way - grey little cogs. They have immense trouble conceptualising anything new, and often simply don't bother. Fortunately, you can sometimes get stuff past them once you know how they think and can put up with having to manipulate them for three to six months at a time in order do anything like upgrade the coffee machine in the break room. Best way around them is to have someone above their level make the decision and then tell the boss that congratulations, it was their contribution which swung the argument.
Particularly irritating to me personally are the Evil/Incompetent/Stupid bosses. I don't actually mind having an Evil Competent boss, because sometimes they're evil on the team's behalf and other times it can just be fun watching an evil plan unfold even if you get caught in it. The E/I/S bosses, though, are the ones who will decide to screw you out of a payrise by telling you a lie, not be able to make it a particularly believable lie, and then automatically assume that it worked, you were totally fooled, and there will be no repercussions (or payrises plus penalties for trying to pull such a stunt).