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How to spot a psychopath boss
“A psychopath is not a professional. You can't work with a psychopath, 'cause ya don't know what those sick assholes are gonna do next."- Harvey Keitel explaining why you shouldn’t work with psychopaths from the movie Reservoir Dogs.
Psychopaths do not make good colleagues. They make even worse bosses.
In Bosses behaving badly Jeanne-Vida Douglas writes about corporate psychopaths. They are rare. Only one or two percent of the population are psychopathic.
Yet they exist and there’s a chance you’ll encounter one during your career.
The best thing to do if you find yourself working for a psychopath is to find another job. While that’s not easy in a recession, you may as well accept you’ll be out of the job sooner or later anyway because of the crazy behaviour
So get out fast with as much pride, integrity and sanity as you can salvage.
Douglas provides a check list to help recognise
when a manager is a monster:
How to spot a psychopath boss
- Lack of recognition of others in projects or achievements.
- A sudden increase in absenteeism or illness in a particular division.
- Attempts to isolate team members from each other and from other senior staff.
- High staff turnover in a particular branch or division.
- Constant questioning of others' behaviour or capabilities either openly or privately.
- A lack of respect for the intelligence or capabilities of others.
- Obsession with gaining power over others.
- Irrational requests, aggressive outbursts and rapid changes in demeanour.
This post first appeared at
billbennett.co.nz as Psychopath
boss
Bill Bennett
Freelance journalist.
Auckland-based Bill Bennett writes technology and business stories that are directly relevant to New Zealand readers.
His emphasis is on telecommunications, but he also covers other aspects of technology and business. You can find his features in the New Zealand Herald and hear him regularly on RNZ Nine to Noon and the NZ Tech Podcast.
Bennett's The Download Weekly newsletter is published every Friday. You can sign up for it here.
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