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Is Your Boss an Idiot?

Poll Results: Is Your Boss an Idiot?

 
  • 35% (11)
    Yes
  • 51% (16)
    No
  • 12% (4)
    Maybe
31 Total Votes  
post #1 of 33
11/17/08 at 3:10pm
Thread Starter 
My boss couldn't get another job if he wanted to. His work is basically getting taking taxpayer money and generating garbage research that never went anywhere for over 20 years. He gets paid a ridiculous sum of money yet he wouldn't last 2 weeks in my graduate school. He is failure itself.

Is your boss also an idiot?
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post #2 of 33
11/17/08 at 3:32pm
My current boss is a very intelligent reasonable man. I've actually been very lucky in my career as far as bosses are concerned, I've held - and still do hold - a great deal of respect for the vast majority of them.

There have been a few exceptions though...
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post #3 of 33
11/17/08 at 3:35pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by paradicio View Post

My current boss is a very intelligent reasonable man. I've actually been very lucky in my career as far as bosses are concerned, I've held - and still do hold - a great deal of respect for the vast majority of them.

There have been a few exceptions though...

You are lucky.

All my bosses have either been smart but completely unreasonable assholes or dumb/annoying fools.
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post #4 of 33
11/17/08 at 3:35pm
I like my boss. I can't say she does everything as I would, but she is good to work for and recognizes good work and treats the employees well. No complaints.
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post #5 of 33
11/17/08 at 4:23pm
I hate my boss.

She's brand new to managing and treats all staff like parolees.

(She's a Parole Agent.)
"If I had played my career hitting singles like Pete (Rose), I'd wear a dress." - Mickey Mantle
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"If I had played my career hitting singles like Pete (Rose), I'd wear a dress." - Mickey Mantle
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post #6 of 33
11/17/08 at 4:44pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Guybrush Threepwood View Post

I hate my boss.

She's brand new to managing and treats all staff like parolees.

(She's a Parole Agent.)

Problem is, most of them never get any better.
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post #7 of 33
11/17/08 at 10:02pm
I am my own boss...
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post #8 of 33
11/18/08 at 1:34pm
My bosses aren't idiots so much as clueless. They think we all have time to work on a million different projects. I was doing my review with big boss one day telling him that I don't have time for a dozen projects. He says that what he does ... he works on many projects at once. I reminded him that he as several dozen people that work for him and that I'm just me, no one works for me.

It started to sink in.

Now I just do the whole "okay I finished X and Y do you want Z next or A?"
The politics of charisma is so Third World. Americans were never going to buy into it for long. - Foudad Ajami
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The politics of charisma is so Third World. Americans were never going to buy into it for long. - Foudad Ajami
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post #9 of 33
11/18/08 at 5:57pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by FloorJack View Post

My bosses aren't idiots so much as clueless. They think we all have time to work on a million different projects. I was doing my review with big boss one day telling him that I don't have time for a dozen projects. He says that what he does ... he works on many projects at once. I reminded him that he as several dozen people that work for him and that I'm just me, no one works for me.

It started to sink in.

Now I just do the whole "okay I finished X and Y do you want Z next or A?"

Yep that is another problem with my idiot boss. He thinks a task takes 10-times (literally) less than what it actually takes. Even people who have been around him for years and years sometimes get amazed at the level of cluelessness. Result: now I just do a piece of crap job to get it done in half the time and take my name out of the credits list. I am currently looking for another job.
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post #10 of 33
11/19/08 at 7:23am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tauron View Post

My boss couldn't get another job if he wanted to. His work is basically getting taking taxpayer money and generating garbage research that never went anywhere for over 20 years. He gets paid a ridiculous sum of money yet he wouldn't last 2 weeks in my graduate school. He is failure itself.

Is your boss also an idiot?

Yes!

(I am self-employed)
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post #11 of 33
11/19/08 at 10:55am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tauron View Post

Yep that is another problem with my idiot boss. He thinks a task takes 10-times (literally) less than what it actually takes. Even people who have been around him for years and years sometimes get amazed at the level of cluelessness. Result: now I just do a piece of crap job to get it done in half the time and take my name out of the credits list. I am currently looking for another job.

Yea so am I. I'm also in the hole of the new guy that they hired gets paid a whole lot more and is basically incompetent. They did that to justify increase salaries for everyone else. But they are dragging their feet going to the VP for more money. And they are so fucking clueless as to how much damage this does to morale. Even if they came through with a pay increase the damage is done. In my mind they are unethical liars.

I plan on leaving and working for different unethical liars for more money.
The politics of charisma is so Third World. Americans were never going to buy into it for long. - Foudad Ajami
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The politics of charisma is so Third World. Americans were never going to buy into it for long. - Foudad Ajami
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post #12 of 33
11/20/08 at 2:55pm
Whack Your Boss
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post #13 of 33
11/21/08 at 12:06am
For me, I don't expect a boss to be perfect - but one quality I like in a boss is a reason as to why they got the job; the feeling that, "hey, the guy I'm working for is there because he has the right qualities for the job". When one starts to question how on earth one boss got the job - it is the beginning of the end.

* Guy being male or female.
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post #14 of 33
11/21/08 at 9:04am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by kaiwai View Post

For me, I don't expect a boss to be perfect - but one quality I like in a boss is a reason as to why they got the job; the feeling that, "hey, the guy I'm working for is there because he has the right qualities for the job". When one starts to question how on earth one boss got the job - it is the beginning of the end.

* Guy being male or female.

I know why my boss got the job: he bought part of the company and he is hyperactive. Problem is he is highly inefficient. One could get twice done if only he were a little smarter.
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post #15 of 33
11/21/08 at 9:44pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tauron View Post

I know why my boss got the job: he bought part of the company and he is hyperactive. Problem is he is highly inefficient. One could get twice done if only he were a little smarter.

Been in a similar situation - managers who think that flapping their hands about and hyperventilating thinking that outward signs of stress show that they're 'on the ball'. The same place, people couldn't work out how things got done in my department without the theatrics, as I said, I focus on getting things done rather than getting all excited as the other managers do.

Then again, given that I have a emotionless face - it helps disguise that I'm like a duck; calm on the surface but paddling furiously under the water.
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post #16 of 33
11/22/08 at 1:45am
This month (Nov) and next month (Dec) I am my own boss. It's the revenue that's going to be challenging.

Yes, many bosses are assholes. I'm suprised with almost half the responders having good bosses. That's a lot higher than the "average" population, I think.
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post #17 of 33
11/22/08 at 1:49am
Recently in the past few years I too have begun to notice the crappier managers are much more active than "normal" people. But what they do with that activity is sub-par.

There must be some management theory thing on why this is the case? Why do bad managers tend to be like this and how do they become and stay, and get promoted as managers?

How does hyperactivity become more valued in an organisation as opposed to competence?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tauron View Post

I know why my boss got the job: he bought part of the company and he is hyperactive. Problem is he is highly inefficient. One could get twice done if only he were a little smarter.
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post #18 of 33
11/22/08 at 2:20am
Quote:
Originally Posted by progmac View Post

I like my boss. I can't say she does everything as I would, but she is good to work for and recognizes good work and treats the employees well. No complaints.

Have we had better female bosses or male bosses? Ah, that's an interesting question, no? Anyone?
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post #19 of 33
11/22/08 at 4:24pm
Better male bosses.

Both female bosses I had were absolutely horrible.
"If I had played my career hitting singles like Pete (Rose), I'd wear a dress." - Mickey Mantle
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"If I had played my career hitting singles like Pete (Rose), I'd wear a dress." - Mickey Mantle
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post #20 of 33
11/23/08 at 2:19pm
I've had good and bad bosses, smart and dumb bosses. Interestingly, smart bosses are not always good bosses, and dumb bosses are not always bad bosses. Most of the bosses I've had who are bad bosses, I chalk up to the Dilbert principle; that is, they are propelled into their positions ass backward for one of many reasons. Often, I can't blame the bad boss himself. Really, it's the system of seniority that's to blame, because it so often takes people out of roles where they excel and puts them in roles where they flounder, merely on the grounds of a departing predecessor. It's bad or lazy HR policy that makes bad bosses.
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Cat: the other white meat
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post #21 of 33
11/24/08 at 2:52pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Splinemodel View Post

I've had good and bad bosses, smart and dumb bosses. Interestingly, smart bosses are not always good bosses, and dumb bosses are not always bad bosses. Most of the bosses I've had who are bad bosses, I chalk up to the Dilbert principle; that is, they are propelled into their positions ass backward for one of many reasons. Often, I can't blame the bad boss himself. Really, it's the system of seniority that's to blame, because it so often takes people out of roles where they excel and puts them in roles where they flounder, merely on the grounds of a departing predecessor. It's bad or lazy HR policy that makes bad bosses.

Very very true indeed.
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post #22 of 33
11/24/08 at 3:12pm
My old 'boss' created an official hierarchy chart and instead of listing everyone by title she listed everyone in alphabetical order....BY FIRST NAME....BY FIRST NICKNAME....

She also yelled and belittled our end-users while supposedly preaching customer service.

No one respected her. We didn't have to like her as a person as she always would say, but if you can't respect the person you work for professionally, there's no way you can stay working there.
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post #23 of 33
11/24/08 at 8:24pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by O-Mac View Post

My old 'boss' created an official hierarchy chart and instead of listing everyone by title she listed everyone in alphabetical order....BY FIRST NAME....BY FIRST NICKNAME....

She also yelled and belittled our end-users while supposedly preaching customer service.

No one respected her. We didn't have to like her as a person as she always would say, but if you can't respect the person you work for professionally, there's no way you can stay working there.

Exactly for that reason I have to leave.

What happened to me, just as an example, was that I was unable to pull a significant profit for the company... until I stopped listening to him. Sounds ridiculous? Yes, but it is true. As soon as I started rejecting all his "input" my revenue stream more than doubled... go figure.

The world is full of fools who are wrong for their jobs and only cause pain and misery to everyone around and in the end to them too because they have only failure. Another breed I hate are the ass-kisser. I know a few but there is a very select few who are especially adept as sucking up to the last drop.
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post #24 of 33
11/25/08 at 4:37am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tauron View Post

Exactly for that reason I have to leave.

What happened to me, just as an example, was that I was unable to pull a significant profit for the company... until I stopped listening to him. Sounds ridiculous? Yes, but it is true. As soon as I started rejecting all his "input" my revenue stream more than doubled... go figure.

The world is full of fools who are wrong for their jobs and only cause pain and misery to everyone around and in the end to them too because they have only failure. Another breed I hate are the ass-kisser. I know a few but there is a very select few who are especially adept as sucking up to the last drop.

It's crazy. and as a fitting end to this story, after this boss got most of the people under her to leave and bring in her own people, she ended up leaving two years later burning every bridge to literally every person in that company.
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post #25 of 33
11/25/08 at 9:24am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by O-Mac View Post

It's crazy. and as a fitting end to this story, after this boss got most of the people under her to leave and bring in her own people, she ended up leaving two years later burning every bridge to literally every person in that company.

I have heard that very same story so many times it is not even funny anymore.
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post #26 of 33
12/12/08 at 10:06am
Thread Starter 
Don't you just love it when:

1. Your boss tells you to take the lead on a project
2. Then comes and micromanages the hell out of it
3. They complains because you are not taking over

?
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post #27 of 33
12/12/08 at 10:18am
I can't stand stuff like this. If you don't "like" your boss, quit. No one is perfect, and the people who do the most complaining are usually the ones who cause most of the problems.

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post #28 of 33
12/13/08 at 10:43am
Quote:
Originally Posted by SpamSandwich View Post

I can't stand stuff like this. If you don't "like" your boss, quit. No one is perfect, and the people who do the most complaining are usually the ones who cause most of the problems.

There is a difference between not being perfect - and being an arrogant prick.

I'd sooner have a boss who isn't perfect AND REALISES IT, than a boss who think he or she is God's gift to the company.
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post #29 of 33
12/13/08 at 3:54pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by SpamSandwich View Post

I can't stand stuff like this. If you don't "like" your boss, quit. No one is perfect, and the people who do the most complaining are usually the ones who cause most of the problems.

Sounds to me like you are a crappy boss and you know it eh?
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post #30 of 33
12/13/08 at 7:31pm
I have to say that I am with Spammy on this one, especially since you are in a research environment, doing bad science as a way of contempt for your boss/pi just screws you in the end -- you, in effect, become your boss.

Think about how lazy you've become in your research, and what an underling who hasn't learned the ropes would think of your output. Unsettling, isn't it?
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"In a republic, voters may vote for the leaders they want, but they get the leaders they deserve."
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post #31 of 33
12/13/08 at 7:32pm
i am my boss, i like my boss, he deserves more money and time off
government should get off his back so he can do more for his customer base and more business growth, government stifles growth, my boss is the greatest and is a wonderful role model
I APPLE THEREFORE I AM
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I APPLE THEREFORE I AM
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post #32 of 33
12/17/08 at 11:44pm
my boss, just like everybody else, makes mistakes. does that make him an idiot? Maybe.
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post #33 of 33
12/30/08 at 12:57am
Thread Starter 
OK finally I am gone from that job. I put in my resignation 2 weeks ago. Since then people (my idiot boss included) has been panicking because he wasn't smart enough to hire a second person with my qualifications. So now the knowhow is gone, possibly forever.

In our last conversation he said: "good luck, but try not to give your future boss such a hard time".

I thought: "Well first of all I am not going to have a boss in the employment I just signed. Second of all, you are an idiot. You think it is always the employee's fault things got bad, never your own."

LOL. I just said: "good luck to you" (he will need it).

During my last day there was a moment when my boss was arguing the most ridiculous stuff with an employee. I wanted to intervene and settle the argument with: "look guys, this is basic math, this is what you do..." But I just sat back and marveled at the stupidity of it all and smiled. Why try to educate grown people? They had their shot at education and failed, miserably.

Good bye!!!! Ding, ding, ding, ding...
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