To Save Your Job In 6 Easy Steps. Step 1 - Identify The Behavior

This is probably the most important tip of them all…to identify the behavior.

There is no better way to deal with an abusive boss than to logically and methodically point out the behavior that you consider abusive and why.

So the first thing you have to do is make a list of all the things that your boss does that you feel is abusive. More importantly, you need to be able to point out how other workers in the office environment are NOT being subjected to the same behavior.

What this will do is CLEARLY demonstrate how YOU are being singled out and discriminated against. If you can show that you can make a case of it, simply threatening to do so can be more than enough to get your boss to back down.

Now, there are different classes of abusive bosses and you have to learn how to recognize each one. Here they are:

The Critic - These are the bosses who use put downs and insults to make you feel small.

The 2 Face - These are the bosses who say one thing to your face and something else to everybody else.

The Gatekeeper - These are the bosses who are total control freaks.

The Screaming Missiles - These are the ones who are just totally out of control and often seem irrational.


Each one of course has to be dealt with differently.

The critic can be shot down by explaining how criticizing doesn't get the job done.

The two faces can be confronted by pointing out what you heard he said from others. You don't have to mention names. Just state the facts. He'll know they're true.

The gatekeeper can be shown best by showing that doing it YOUR way actually brought better results. Don't back down.

The screaming missiles are best handled carefully, because they are the most unpredictable of the lot.

It's important to know how to identify each one before approaching them with your allegations of abuse.