This document discusses types of difficult managers and provides advice on how to deal with them. It identifies seven types of difficult managers: the bland boss, the grunt, the control freak, the politician, the absent manager, the whip cracker, and the spiteful/bullying manager. For each type, it offers strategies such as involving coworkers, getting written support, establishing communication routines, and following proper complaint procedures if bullying persists.

1. How to Support Difficult Managers
Victoria Prestia
Motivational Speaker
1

2. Types of Difficult Managers
The Bland Boss
They avoid Risk or conflict, are vague, and flit between decisions.
The Grunt
He or she has no original thought, drive or ambition.
The Control Freak
The controlling manager barely lets you say something original or
creative.
The Politician
The political manager is a self-interested self promoter and they
are not trustworthy.
2

3. The Absent Manager
A manager that goes missing in action, traveling across the
globe or is just plain busy.
The Whip Cracker
He or she knows everything, doesn’t have a life, and they
don’t expect you to have a life either.
The Spiteful Manager
The spiteful manager is a bully! He/she belittles people for
pleasure, nasty and ruthless wicked witch (or wizard!)
Types of Difficult Managers
3

4. How to Deal with the Types of
Difficult Managers
The Bland Boss (avoids risk and vague)
• Notice which situations triggers their bland or weak behavior.
• If they regularly avoid conflict, they need to be liked by everyone
so take a coworker into combat with you.
• If they are vague and provide little direction, he or she may be
lacking management skills and don’t realize that it is their job.
• Train you manager by being clear on what direction is needed to
do your job, commit it to writing and so that you both no what’s
agreed.
Admin Boss
Working
Together
4

5. How to Deal with the Types of
Difficult Managers
The Grunt
• Wow you thought of an excellent idea, researched it, know it will
work and take it to your grunt boss to agree how to implement it.
• Not a good idea!
• Why is it not a good idea?
• They will tell you why it won’t work or they don’t have the brain
power to understand a new concept.
• When managing a grunt, let them stick to what they know and wait
patiently for the next round of downsizing.
5

6. How to Deal with the Types of
Difficult Managers
The Control Freak
•What’s driving this behavior?
•He or she has anxiety about failing or making mistakes. Micro-
managing tasks gives them a feeling that the correct steps are
being taken.
•Make he/she feel better by detailing the steps you have taken, who
you have spoken to and how you have assessed and addressed
any risks.
6

7. How to Deal with the Types of
Difficult Managers
The Politician
1. Obtain their support by emphasizing how good they will look to
their seniors.
2. Avoid being a potential scapegoat by getting a public written
support for anything risky or controversial.
3. Remember that politicians play favorites often so enjoy it while it
lasts. When the politician drops you, don’t take it personally.
7

8. How to Deal with the Types of
Difficult Managers
The Absent Manager
• Establish a routine for communication and stick to it.
• Prepare beforehand to maximize face time with your manager.
• Think and talk in headlines by summing up what decisions they
need to make or direction they need to give and get out.
• This may take more effort on your part, but your manager will
respect you for keeping him/her on track.
8

9. How to Deal with the Types of
Difficult Managers
The Whip-Cracker
Advice for dealing with a the whip-cracker is to take a long term
view.
Is there some major deadline that the manager is worried about
that explains the behavior?
Or does lightening up scare them?
Then decide how many extra miles your are prepared to go,
how often and live with it.
9

10. How to Deal with the Types of
Difficult Managers
The Spiteful Manager (AKA/Bully)
Psychology Today published a number of strategies on how to deal with a
difficult or bullying boss:
1. Be Pro-active: Anticipate how your boss might react to a certain
proposal and have an action plan.
2. Be Prepared: Prepare your different responses beforehand, think
about how he might come back and prepare yourself for those as well.
3. Be Professional: Never lower yourself to the level of the bullying boss.
Keep the moral high ground, follow proper procedures.
4. Be Persistent: Keep in it for the long run, your boss and his behavior
are not going to change overnight, don’t let your guard down and
continue to be prepared at any turn.
“The one thing that a bullying boss respects is a person that stands
their ground.” Paul Keijzer
10

11. Next Steps
What if you have tried everything and you are continue to be at
the receiving end of a bullying boss or difficult boss?
1. There is an opportunity to follow a formal complaint procedure
within the organization.
2. Paul Keijzer article: “Are You Being Bullied By Your Boss?
Bully Back,” states that he had a good friend of his who tried
several different techniques to stop his bullying boss. He had
seen two of his coworkers quit due to the bullying boss. The
friend decided to take his problem to the companies ethics
committee.
3. The company decided the that the bullying boss was not acting
in line with the company values and decided to let him go.
4. Paul’s friend is still working at the organization and is doing a
wonderful job.
11

12. What Happens to the Bullying Boss?
The bully moves on.
Hopefully he/she has learned from his experience of being let go
because of his/her bullying style and personality.
A possibility he/she changed his/her approach and stopped bullying
peers.
Maybe, but not likely though…
Bullies often remain bullies and the best way to deal with them is to
have courage to stand up against them.
Stand up to bullies without turning into the thing you hate, and watch
your workplace experience drastically change.
How many of you have encountered such issues in your
organizations?
12

13. Resources
Are You Being Bullied By Your Boss? Bully Back!, Posted on
April 5, 2013, by Paul Keijzer.
“How to Deal with a Difficult Boss: Solutions to 7 types of Bad
Management Styles,” by Lyndsay Swinton, Owner, Management for
the Rest of Us, www.mftrou.com.
13

14. http://realbeautysketches.dove.us/
What We See and How We Feel
About Ourselves
14

15. Questions?
Or
Comments!
15

16. Thank you.
16

17. Victoria Prestia
Motivational Speaker
Email: vprestia1@gmail.com
http://www.victoriassecretsforsuccess.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/vprestia1
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/victoriaprestia55
Twitter: http://twitter.com/vickyp55
Cell: (847) 275-3960
17