My boss is an incompetent bully

[Anonymous]

Several years ago, a new CEO was chosen for the large non-profit organization where I work. I report directly to him. This person could not be less competent. I cannot imagine what the Board saw in him when they made this hiring decision.

In short, he is a micromanager who has no clue about the areas he's trying to micromanage-- fundraising, marketing and programs. My colleagues and I spend a large amount of our time working around him, or doing waste-of-time projects that he has requested, but that make absolutely no business sense. He has no ability to interact with other people on a normal human basis. For example, for any meeting scheduled with a current or potential funder, he insists that I create for him a long Power Point deck that he will then go through, methodically, during the meeting-- when a simple conversation would work so much better. I probably spend 50 to 70 percent of my time doing this type of work for him.

He seems to have no concept of his own shortcomings or of how he is perceived by others. Twenty percent of our staff has left since January, largely due to the horrible morale problems. He claims they are leaving for "lifestyle changes," whatever that may mean.

He's never been a CEO before and has almost no nonprofit experience. He spends his time sending emails, carefully editing documents, and writing press releases. Meanwhile our organization is in need of a leader who can assess and develop new fundable programs, and who can take a hard look at the areas where we are losing money and make appropriate cuts. He's not doing any of that.

My repeated attempts to forge a relationship with him, or to "manage up," have not worked. He is cold and remote, and does not seem to want to have a working relationship with anyone.

Despite all of the above, he says he loves working here and doesn't plan to retire anytime soon!

Other than the CEO, I love this organization. Should I hope he gets fired soon? (Our Board seems oblivious, so this may be unlikely.) Should I just give up and start working with a recruiter? Anyone been in this position?

[Anonymous]

There is not much you can do. This person is to stay
Why do you stay?

[Anonymous]

I had a boss like this. Although it was for a small company but all of what you said applies. He didnt understand some major aspects of our company and i had to do things his way (which wouldnt yield results )and i had to still do it my way in order to get results.

There really wasn't anyone to notice this that could have fired him,and ut would take a few years before his mismanagement to take a toll on the company's profits.

After I was yelled at for trying to explain something to him (something incredibly stupid on his part), i quit. A year later he is still there and they've had a lot of turn over since i left.

[Anonymous]

Yikes sorry for all the typos. My phone was giving me trouble when i tries to edit my post!

[Anonymous]

I had a boss like this. I left after 8 months. Other people followed. About three months ago he was fired. By pure chance I found out within hours of his termination. At that moment I happened to be at dinner with one of his ex direct reports.

I texted him a photo of me and his other direct report toasting a glass of wine together and said "congratulations".

Probably the most asshole thing I've ever done, but I don't regret it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had a boss like this. I left after 8 months. Other people followed. About three months ago he was fired. By pure chance I found out within hours of his termination. At that moment I happened to be at dinner with one of his ex direct reports.

I texted him a photo of me and his other direct report toasting a glass of wine together and said "congratulations".

Probably the most asshole thing I've ever done, but I don't regret it.

I like your style PP.

[Anonymous]

I too have worked for a crazy, incompetent, non-profit ceo. I would start looking for a new job. Life is too short.

[Anonymous]

That's not a bully. He may be unlikeable and incompetent, but he's not a bully.

Find another job, or suck it up.

[Anonymous]

I had a boss like this. She bated me. Fired me (unjustly.) She got fired afterwards!!!

[Anonymous]

*hated

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That's not a bully. He may be unlikeable and incompetent, but he's not a bully.

Find another job, or suck it up.

OP here. He is a bully-- I just didn't get around to detailing that part, after going into his other horrible qualities.

Best example of his bullying: three of my colleagues and I wrote him a memo offering constructive suggestions to improve the workplace. He immediately cancelled our regularly scheduled team meeting, and instead called each of us in to his office privately. In these private meetings, he tore each one of us apart for writing the memo and warned us never to collaborate on a strategic project again unless we cleared it with him first.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That's not a bully. He may be unlikeable and incompetent, but he's not a bully.

Find another job, or suck it up.

OP here. He is a bully-- I just didn't get around to detailing that part, after going into his other horrible qualities.

Best example of his bullying: three of my colleagues and I wrote him a memo offering constructive suggestions to improve the workplace. He immediately cancelled our regularly scheduled team meeting, and instead called each of us in to his office privately. In these private meetings, he tore each one of us apart for writing the memo and warned us never to collaborate on a strategic project again unless we cleared it with him first.

Yes, you need a new job. I'm the PP who texted a photo to my old boss when he got fired. Maybe the same guy !? Hah!

My boss from hell would snap at his staff over something stupid. One time someone touched his monitor with his finger to point at something in excel (it should be noted, the guy who picked his monitor was showing him something he had prepared ..).. And he got yelled at in front of all of us. I once got yelled at badly for cutting my boss off (which, ok, I shouldn't have but still). My boss was also incompetent. My first major project he asked me to look at cost projections worldwide. I said sure, and he wante me to predict our costs based on our prices. I looked at him blankly and suggested that modeling costs by looking at revenue made no sense. He insisted. I tried to explain that exchange rates, local labour laws, real estate prices, lease costs, etc - all differed by location, so using revenue wouldn't work. He said it was called "price based costing", and I explained he was likely thinking of "cost based pricing". No dice I spent 8 months trying to find a way to devise "one formula" that would predict a total cost by city.

Surprise surprise, there was no magic formula. The time came when he finally accepted the result and decided to go present to our leadership. Day of the meeting comes, he's late. So our executive asks me to present since I did the work, I get about 2 minutes into it, my boss walks in, I explain we just started, he says "no, I'm doing it" and STARTS over. We get to page 3 and the executive immediately says "Wait, why the hell are you predicting costs using price? That makes no sense." And my boss immediately goes into a "exhaust all avenues" argument. The exec replies: "Fine, exhaust all avenues but lets at least follow the road signs ok?" It was pretty beautiful.

I had even bet another of his reports he wouldn't let me present. The stories continue: he yelled, he gave one guy a bad performance review because he didn't keep the same hours as us (be worked 7.30 to 5.30 rather than 8 to 6, due to his train schedule) - cost tht poor bastard his raise. I could even tolerate te anger, but I couldn't tolerate the stupidity.

[Anonymous]

The Chief of Staff in my office doesn't know how co-sponsoring legislation works. She jumps in the middle of other people's projects all the time with crazy questions that disrupt (and sometimes end) really good work. She once made a man open his mouth and show her the dental work he supposedly had done---she hadn't believed the excuse he brought in, signed and on letterhead.

Nightmare of co-dependence and utter ignorance.

She talks about retiring all the time. It'll never ever happen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
The Chief of Staff in my office doesn't know how co-sponsoring legislation works. She jumps in the middle of other people's projects all the time with crazy questions that disrupt (and sometimes end) really good work. She once made a man open his mouth and show her the dental work he supposedly had done---she hadn't believed the excuse he brought in, signed and on letterhead.

Nightmare of co-dependence and utter ignorance.

She talks about retiring all the time. It'll never ever happen.

Okay, that would've been the point that I would've stuck my finger down my throat, displayed my dental work, and promptly threw up on that bitch. How ya like me now, lady?

[Anonymous]

Was in a similar situation with a female executive who has no business sense, gets bogged down with insignificant details, can't find her way out of a paper bag, relies on a few other power hungry directors who make her decisions for her and they are personally motivated but not in the best interest of the organization. A ton of people have quit due to morale issues, and as others have said she claims its "life style changes." Allows other incompetent managers stay who have no idea how to do their jobs, and yet those that do know how to do it are badgered and bullied until they quit. The board doesn't see her failings and renewed her contract. I finally gave up and moved to another job. Honestly it was a awful experience being asked to do tasks that made no sense, were a waste of time and effort and the moment the board evaluated it they would ask the same questions about the tasks I had pointed out. And yet she managed to stay on board. The organization is floundering badly because of her and there is just no way I could stay. So sad that these types can continue in their jobs when its obvious they aren't cut out for it.