There's No Such Thing as a Bad Boss
quick to point a blaming finger at others in the department in order to reroute criticizm.
During a personnel cutback, she was one of the first to be let go because the organization's senior management came to recognize her for what she really was - a scheming politician. A lesson I never forgot!
FROM A "TAP DANCER," I LEARNED THE IMPORTANCE OF SUBSTANCE.
A workplace "tap dancer" is one who uses fancy footwork rather than substance to impress his'her audience. A tap dancer comes on strong and initially impresses most people with his/her charm, affability, and seeming grasp of the requirement of the job. While it doesn't take most people long to recognize a tap dancer, a skillful tap dancer usually knows when it's time to leave the stage and seek employment elsewhere.
I once worked with one of the best tap dancer I have ever had the displeasure of observing. Although those who reported to him, and those of us who were his peers, quickly recognized him for what he was, he gained access to the company's chief executive officer and spent hours in the CEO's office suggesting ways to improve departmental and organizational operations. Our department manager was frustrated with the guy's access to the CEO and knew that he couldn't terminate him as long as the tap dancer had the CEO's ear.
As happens with all workplace tap dancers, the CEO eventually tired of his empty promises and non-performance and told my manager to terminate him as soon as possible. But like all true workplace tap dancers, he foreordained his imminent terminination and resigned just before the axe was scheduled to fall. Although we were all happy to see him go, the happiest were those competent people who reported to him. A lesson I never forgot!
FROM A "PROCRASTINATOR," LEARNED TO GET THINGS DONE.
Handing me a document sporting a two week old date stamp, my procrastinating manager announced that I had to respond to the senior management requests contained in the document before close of business. Detecting my extreme displeasure with his directive, he told me he thought I worked better under pressure.
Rather than responding to his idiotic suggestion, I told him that I had other assignments that required my immediate attention and it would have been much better for all concerned if he had passed on the assignment on the day it hit his desk. After hearing what I had to say, he just
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