A reader from California writes:
My manager’s boss is between a bully and a paranoid. Let’s call him Jack. I have to interact with Jack too and it’s very frustrating for me. Jack will tell me to do something, so I do it, and then he freaks out and say’s “why did you do that?” I tend to be a very blunt, honest and to the point kind of person and I tell him “Because you told me to and here’s the e-mail to prove it.” My manager ducks! I think it amuses him because everyone else is ducking too. They haven’t fired me yet and I’ve been there 11 years. Jack’s assistant says Jack loves me, but my boss says “Yeah, like a wife beater loves his wife.” My main strategy to survive is to keep as much distance as possible away from Jack (his office is 100 miles away), fly under the radar as much as possible, but continue to stand up for myself if I need to. Bullies are cowards and I figure he needs me more than I need him. I can always find another job.
What do you think? Is this boss crazy?
