An article under the above caption in this morning's newspaper in my city, Chennai,of India, of how to cope with them, inspired me to write this piece.
Like all of us, I too have had good bosses and bad bosses during my professional career. If you ask me,'how do you deal with either or both' I have no answer at all. Perhaps it's very difficult. And if you dare challenge them, you may find yourself at home much before the closing time and on that very day. So, you shut your gob, go into the toilet, punch your arms left right and centre at the "invisible boss" and cry out for a few minutes (the latter act applies only to the lady employees) and return to your chamber. Or possibly, make a bee line to your office table, bang it a couple of times to let off steam and get back to your work.
The above reaction and behaviour are the expected types as far as the employees or the receiving end is concerned. What about the giving end? What does your boss feel after lashing out at you. The privilege of shouting belongs entirely to the bad boss, you know? He might have taken note of the change of colour on your face and also the soft sound of the gnashing of your teeth. The bad boss, of course, would be bad boss and wouldn't bat an eye lid at it all. Whereas, the good boss might call you over some seconds later and try to make up by giving you some compliment over the good work you had done two years back. But the scar on your body will take months to heal.
I remember only the names of bad bosses. Being such stinking lots, I always refrained from inviting them to any social parties I used to throw now and then.. A particular baddie must have detected my isolating him because the next annual confidential report contained elements of his retaliation. “Serves you right”, my mind told me. One part of my personality agreed but the other protested saying, “Idiot, why didn't you bawl at him immediately !” “Yes, I should have,” I said concurring with the aggressive half and at the same deciding to hit back next time..
A chance came my way a fortnight later. I knew I was right because I was thorough in my job and the BB was not all that well informed about the subject. He threw the file at me mercilessly. “You ought to have been more judicious, young fellow”, the BB accused me. I lost my shirt. Gearing myself I wanted to give it to him nice and proper - “Sir, you are outright ignorant. Go to hell or get lost at this moment from my presence…” ..
I rehearsed my lines a couple of times to be sure. I was very pleased with the wordings of the proposed rebuke. Very few chaps would talk back in that manner, I told myself.
But, the trouble was that the bravado of castigating the BB right inside his office, dawned on me exactly 5 years after the incident. Late reaction, ain't it? But, you don't be a slow coach like me. Fire off straightway then and there and do let me know what happened afterwards through this column OK?
