Comments on: Working With a Negative Boss

By: Michael W

Michael W — Sun, 13 Sep 2015 15:21:39 +0000

In reply to Melissa.

Melissa, you sound like an HR person, or simply a disconnected supervisor. I’m in a situation where my supervisor isn’t even ON SITE, but he’ll be the one doing my evaluation. He works in two different areas, on opposite sides of the city, and when he’s at our site, he spends 99% of his time in his office. He receives bonuses for the output of his workers, but, like you, doesn’t feel that anyone deserves anything above an “average” work review. How do you feel about people who give reviews about employees that they rarely are present to observe? Is it, in your opinion, okay to just take a ‘lucky guess’, and expect the people earning your bonuses to be okay with that?

By: JB Weld

JB Weld — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 01:57:58 +0000

@Melissa you sound like a typical wage slavedriver.

By: Adrian

Adrian — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 19:07:41 +0000

I have this manager as well. I’ve worked for her for 10 years and I think she has given me an Exceeds rating maybe once, even though I do about 30% more work than anyone else in the group. I am in a different state and have a great team leader, so she actually only speaks to me about 3-4 times a year and each time I come away so defeated and discouraged that it takes me about a week to get back on track. I think she just has very poor people skills and totally unrealistic expectations of what an Exceeds rating is. Last year, I disputed the rating and left a detailed comment of what I had accomplished and what awards I had received during the year. She had not documented a single thing I had done wrong, or could have done differently, so I think anyone looking at the review would realize that she had rated me inaccurately. I know I should have a conversation with her, but it is like dealing with a human bulldozer and I just don’t know if I’m up to that. We’ve been promised a new manager for over a year now and I keep hoping it will happen before review time, so I can get an unbiased review.

By: Nancy

Nancy — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 16:37:24 +0000

The problem could be easily solved by allowing the employee to give reverse feedback to the manager. Unfortunately, that never happens in Dilbert run offices. That is why American business is so broken. Read up on CNNs recent article about the prevelance of psychopaths and sociopaths in upper management and realize for the most part this is not an “employee” problem.

By: Grizzly Bear Mom

Grizzly Bear Mom — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 18:31:36 +0000

I lead perforamnce for a large government agency. OUr perforamnce management system demands high standards from its employees merely for them to “meet expectations.” It is not logical that the same person would continue to be excellent or outstanding regardless of work assigned. Those appraisals are earned anew each year. Additionally according to the Federal Office of Personnel Managment 3% of employees are problem employees, but not one in 3,000 fails their perforamnce plan. The system is skewed artificially high with more excellent appraisals than meets expectations one. (And no we don’t have great or particularly adequate leadership) Appraisals should look more like a bell curve. However this supervisor sounds like a jerk. I worked for one who would tell me to write briefings but wouldn’t specify on what, and would the one page emails of why we shouldn’t do it that way. I recommend that this person study his organizations perforamnce plan to see how each level of perforamnce is described, and ensure he can demonstrate that he has achieved that standard. It sounds like this person needs to call in a mediator. It sounds like the superivsor doesn’t think anyone is as good as the supervisor is, and won’t advocate for you of all in the division to get the high appriasals if it came to that.

By: Bruce Wilkinson

Bruce Wilkinson — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 01:25:10 +0000

I think it is worth exploring whether or not the position really warrants effort that exceeds expectations. Sometimes what the position is worth is someone who simply does it exactly as expected–no more and no less–and handing out an exceeds and the accompanying pay raise, even if merited, is not a good value proposition for the employer. There may also be the issue of grading on the curve relative to other employees–which may or may not be up for negotiation. I am not taking sides in this particular case but some employees are not happy unless they get external validation of the opinion they would like to have of their value to the company. There is nothing really wrong with not exceeding expectations. Meeting expectations is what an employee is paid to do. If a person exceeds job expectations continually, they are probably in a position that is beneath their capabilities and should be looking for advancement–with or without their manager’s recognition. I would advise this employee to ask the manager if they really want an employee in that position who exceeds expectations or are they actually more satisfied with someone who merely meets them. The answer should be informative. If the answer is that the manager is satisfied with meets and the employee is thinking exceeds, then your assumption of common purpose is almost certainly inaccurate.

By: MissPriss

MissPriss — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 16:19:22 +0000

Well it is funny. I can completely empathize with what the employee is dealing with. Sometime you just live throught a poor boss to come out the otherside in one piece as long as at the end of the day you know that you did a good job just let the manager give you and average review. I understand the frustration of always striving for greatness and told that you are just average or that you “meet expectation” but just take it for what it is. If a new manager comes in, they will look at the past reviews and if you are correct he gave most lower than previous reviews it will come out. Just be sure you are holding yourself to the highest standards as possible and if he tell you that you are doing something wrong ask him for guidance to do it right. STAY POSITIVE & let the negative go.

By: Steve Kaye

Steve Kaye — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 22:12:29 +0000

Your advice is excellent assuming both sides understand mature dialogue. What does someone do when the boss uses anger and insults when asked to specify standards (or talk about an vital issue)? Then the employee is stuck in a dilemma. Going to HR for help can make the situation worse. Changing jobs can be expensive. And staying keeps the employee in an unrewarding job.

By: Anne

Anne — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 21:15:53 +0000

Hi Ron: I like your suggestions and, in fact, used something similar recently to see what my supervisor is specifically looking for and trying to match my growth skills. This is something an employee always should strive for: self-improvement! I, too, have been confused by poorly-worded evaluations and vindictive and baseless personal attacks landing in a review in a job in the last decade. This was done by a 29 year old manager after I worked there for four years! I was confused and hurt. I have decided, as I get close to my sixth decade, to continue taking relevent classes and improve myself for me. Few read performance evaluations and as long as I know I am checking in, staying on track, being a team-player and, yes, having fun while doing intense work is the best reward for me. There will always be a certain percentage of grumpy Peter Principle folks who take it out on others via this one-two power-punch. Thanks for another “keeper”.

By: Harry

Harry — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 18:34:51 +0000

I have such a boss, who is the perfect micro manager. And, unless you are on her list of favorites, nothing is ever good enough. Her behavior is borderline to bullying. I just document and make sure my performance matches mission. The total organization is like this. I am looking to get out and tell everyone to go to he double toothpicks. I am finding patience is the best watchword. When she goes over the deep end I have caught her breaking policy and I hate it but I use my strong backbone and push back. She goes away. Now that we have reorganized not sure what will happen. My guess is she will eventually implode and we will all be better for it. I usually do not wish ill on people but.