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From Slashdot – Is your Boss a Psychopath?

Douglas Adams knew why (Score:5, Interesting)
by Dark Paladin (116525) <[jhummel] [at] [johnhummel.net]> on Saturday August 20, @12:19AM (#13354882)
(http://www.theapprenticepaladin.com/)

Why do so many bosses suck?

Because those who desire the power should be the least likely to have it. I’ve had some good bosses, and 90% of the time they didn’t really want the job, they just kind of grew into it over time.

Other times – whew. There was the one boss who, coming in the first day, told everybody that he wasn’t there to be a friend, and he could fire the whole department at a moment’s notice if he wanted.

5 minutes later I was dusting off my resume. When he found me dressing nice (so I could go on lunch breaks, which were really interviews), he told me he’d fired me if he caught me interviewing somewhere else. And he’d know, because he had “contacts” all over town who would tell him. “Contacts” who would call him and ask if I was applying somewhere. Private eyes – were watching me – they’d see my every move.

Oddly enough, I guess his contacts forgot to call him three days later when I quit and went to my new, higher paying, better hours job.

So if nothing else, I’m thankful for bad bosses, since they seem to be the greatest force in people finding new and better jobs. (Even though they suck.)

Re:Douglas Adams knew why (Score:5, Insightful)
by demachina (71715) on Saturday August 20, @02:09AM (#13355789)

“Why do so many bosses suck?”

The key problem is bosses ARE screened… by each other. The people doing the hiring LIKE people with this psychopathic profile, because they want people just like them. Its no accident sales and marketing people are the ones most like to make the jump in to senior management because aggressive salesman with no morales are the one this good ole boy network promotes. Its also why R&D is cratering in the U.S. and most U.S. companies are fixated on making their quarterly sales numbers instead of making companies that are built to last, that and the stock market totally incentivizes companies to nail quarters and cannibalize the future.

Worst problem with American CEO’s is they are hired by boards that are basically a good ole boy crony network. They all golf together, are members of the same country clubs, go to the same parties, and were in the same partying fraternities in college. They tend to not evaluate CEO’s with a critical eye they are just hiring their friends, with the understanding that the people hire will in turn do favors for them and serve on their boards.

Then the problem extends downward. The CEO in turn hires good ole boys as President and VP’s who in turn hire good ole boys in training to be middle management.

My experience (Score:4, Interesting)
by Dexter77 (442723) on Saturday August 20, @02:04AM (#13355738)

I work as an R&D director in a medium size software company. Some time ago we hired a very promising director. She immediately became close friends with our managing director. At the time I didn’t see anything wrong with it. But changes were about to come..

There was a well liked and very good technical worker in my team. Only problem was his appereance. The director couldn’t stand the way he was. He was fat, quiet and wore an old sweatsuit all the time. Technical guy was very content with his appearance and felt no reason to make any changes.

Just in few months she succeeded to turn the whole management board againts this guy. He suddenly became a lazy and unreliable worker, who created a bad athmosphere to the whole office. When I found about the claims, it was too late. I tried to stand up for him, but couldn’t defend him. The director was too cunning and I was too naive — although I’m not anymore.

That wasn’t the only trick the she pulled, but it was last one againts me. I found out that only way to avoid those tricks was not to talk to her at all.

I don’t want to make this story long by telling about the ways she acted or methods she used. You propably can image them anyway. It’s all charm, but totally hollow.

Problem is that the director still works in our company. I have no tools to fight againts a psychopath and I don’t want to risk my position by showing it what I truly think. To psychopath its all black and white, if you’re not on their side, you’re an enemy.

If you have any ideas, please let me know.

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