How to Know if Someone is a Bad Boss

Horror is experiencing a bit of a renaissance right now, with some of our favorite TV and film characters captivating us with how depraved and terrifying they are. Zach Schonfeld writes, “We’re living in an age of real-life terrors — climate catastrophe, political unrest, tech-driven dehumanization — so it’s no wonder that many of the most exciting filmmakers working today are using the vocabulary of horror to reflect our moment’s anxieties and maybe help us process them.”

Horror villains also give us a chance to dig into character traits that make people … difficult. And surprisingly relateable. In a previous blog, we discussed how to improve employee engagement, starting with meaningful measurement. A key driver of engagement is the relationships your employees have with their managers. Our research shows that people leave managers, not workplaces.

Baron "Bear" Bailey (Obsession):

Signs your boss is Bear:

• They won’t give you any autonomy – micromanage, micromanage, micromanage.
• They will disregard boundaries – ignoring employee burnout and toxic work environments.
• They do not hold themselves accountable when things go wrong.
• Their response to conflict or crisis is passivity. Instead of reaching out for help or being forthright about a problem, they do nothing.
• They walk around the office with a willow branch.

Aunt Gladys (Weapons):

Signs your boss is Aunt Gladys:

• They love to call the workplace “family” (saccharine sweet), but it always feels off.
• Their agenda is the only agenda that matters.
• Your coworkers just go through the motions – robotic and passive – to get through the day.
• Details about their past work experience are foggy – nobody really knows what they used to do before this job.
• Interactions with this boss leave you drained.
• They take an uncomfortable interest in your personal belongings. (Watch out for your hairbrush!)

Homelander (The Boys):

Signs your boss is Homelander:

• They are masters of illusion – posting encouragement quotes on LinkedIn, photos with their team, often getting high praise from senior leaders when, daily, they berate their direct reports, creating a miserable day-to-day workplace culture.
• Compliance is more important than competence. People who don’t “toe the line” get shifted out of the department or organization.
• There is constant office tension. You never know when they will be furious or ready to shower the team with praise.
• They do not hold themselves accountable for anything that goes wrong but will be the first to take credit for successes.
• They drink a lot of milk. A crazy amount of it.

How to Manage Your Workplace Villains:

• Document, document, document. Be meticulous. Send follow-up emails that document those “private office meetings.” Keep your timeline straight. Don’t make it look like you’re gathering evidence. Make it an integral part of your work process.
• Set clear boundaries. With Bear, you’re going to have to be friendly, explicit, and repetitive. He simply doesn’t remember anything. Gladys and Homelander, though, require a dance. Make sure you’re never turning them down directly. Frame your boundaries as if their priorities are your number one priority, and their requests are deserving of all your attention, requiring fresh eyes (the next day).
• Focus on what you can control. It might feel like you’re completely drowning in their toxic pool of chaos. But you can protect yourself. Build your own system and processes, knowing that someone like Bear will drop the ball. Detach your emotions from your interactions with Gladys. Control your emotions, your tone, and be relentlessly positive. With Homelander, you’re going to have to polish your resume and keep a healthy network of people to plan your exit strategy.
• Communicate and clarify expectations … repeatedly. Mirror the language your manager uses. Ask clarifying questions like, “To make sure I'm aligned with your vision, could you share an example of what success looks like to you?" Then document it, send an e-mail for written clarification, and get to work.
• Don’t take it personally. People are complicated, and a bad manager isn’t about you (even though they might make it about you). They can be ruthless and vindictive and unpredictable and miserable and incompetent. It’s not an easy place to be, but it’s key to understand that their treatment of you is a tactic. They would do the same to anybody sitting in your chair.