ARE YOU SUFFERING FROM A BAD BOSS?

In The Worst Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Work, authors Joshua Piven and David Borgenicht describe some of these bosses and how to deal with them.

• The Control Freak micromanages every move you make. How to Deal: Bombard this person with emails, reports and meetings. This might overwhelm him and throw off his controlling behavior.
• The Buddy tries to solicit personal information and seeks inclusion as though you are best of friends. How to Deal: Include this person but keep your distance. Invent a fictional hobby, extend invitations you know she can't accept, and avoid hugs.
• The Workaholic has sacrificed his life for his job and expects the same from you. How to Deal: Let this person know there is life outside of work. Discuss family, friends and hobbies at every opportunity.
• The Teller of Bad Jokes always has one for you and it's always bad. How to Deal: Be prepared for the painful punchline and feign amusement. Then change the subject.
• The Supreme Delegator takes all of the credit and none of the blame and essentially is setting up others to take the fall. How to Deal: In writing, advise on all key decisions and plans, but be prepared for a denial of knowledge if anything goes wrong.
• The Yes/No Manager could care less about useful information or discussions and simply wants every decision boiled down to "yes" or "no." How to Deal: Present summaries with several alternatives for action. If asked for a recommendation, give it orally.
• The Passive-Aggressive Boss procrastinates, complains about not enough time, and then blames others for the bad job. How to Deal: Involve others in projects as much as necessary so that you have witnesses.
• The Indecision Maker needs info from many different sources before making any sort of "independent" decision. How to Deal: Present any question as if you've taken an informational survey of any key employees who might have a stake in the problem.
• The All-Business-is-Personal Manager can't separate business and personal life. How to Deal: Make your work time enjoyable, one bad incident could ruin your work relationship. In the long run, though, your nightmare could turn into a sweet dream. That toxic supervisor could be the motivating factor for you to make a change for the better.