You’ll notice that the image in the header is of a beautiful and tranquil Alpine scene. So what does that have to do with “Working for the Monkey”? Well, if you work for one (most of us do, or have at one time or another), the next time your “Monkey” gives you agita (Agita: Heartburn, acid indigestion, an upset stomach or, by extension, a general feeling of upset. The word is Italian-American slang derived from the Italian “agitare” meaning” to agitate.) just picture this peaceful and tranquil Alpine scene in your head and maybe, just maybe, your “Monkey” will fade away! Well! One can hope, can’t one?
| Is this your Boss?
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Before I go any further, I wish to offer my humble apologies to all of the monkeys out there (I know, the “Boss” to the left is not a Monkey. He’s a Chimpanzee!). I mean no insult to your species by comparing you guys to our human bosses. But if you guys ever had to work for one, a human Monkey that is, you would know exactly how we humans’ feel. |
If you wish, you can post a Monkeycom (acronym for comment about your Monkey, er, Boss that is). Oh! BTW, don’t leave your real name. There could be a “Boss” “hanging” around! The Administrator, J. Fred Muggs, will have to approve posts before they can be viewed. Sorry, because of spammers!
Now I must say, that for the majority if my career, I’ve worked for some very nice and great “Bosses” (three in all). They had the intelligence and the where for all to recognize the individual skills of their employees. And to that end, let those employees work to the best of their abilities. They trusted us to “do the job” at hand, knowing that they didn’t have to be on our backs (a monkey on your back as it were) and “micro manage” the jobs we were performing for them. They knew that if you had good, reliable employees, it was best to trust them and let them do their job. Better for the employees and better for the employer. They knew that “micro managing” and being a “monkey on your back” was wasteful, anti-productive and an employee moral buster. And most of all, cut into profits. They treated their employees with respect.
But alas my current “Boss”, as it were, is a Monkey of the worst kind. You, that have worked for monkey’s, know what I mean. I’ll throw out some adjectives and see if you recognize some, if not all, of them. Vindictive, insensitive, spiteful, abusive, belittling, tyrannical, hypocritical, duplicitous, double-dealing, insulting and etc, etc, etc. Well I could go on and on, but I’d run out of negative adjectives and I think you get the idea by now.
So. What to do? If one works for such a Monkey, what is one to do in dealing with the situation? You could quit and move on. A human being does not have to put up with abusive behavior. Complain to the higher ups? You know, the Monkey’s bosses. By the way, every body has a boss. Even bosses have a boss. The President of the United States has a boss, us. And if you are religious, even Christ had a boss so to speak, God the Father (I guess you could say it kind of ends there!). But I digress. You could complain to your Monkey’s bosses, but they could be even worse then he/she is. Or they just don’t want to deal with the situation or perhaps they can’t deal with it for what ever reason (their hands are tied).
Or do what many such workers have done or are doing, “get the monkey off their backs”. What exactly does that mean? I have discovered over the years that Monkey Bosses aren’t much more than bullies. And if you have the gumption, “give them a taste of their own medicine”. Bite back at the Monkey. If you are in the right and you know it to be so, “Yell back at them”. You’ll find that, as with most bullies, they’ll cower and take cover. That doesn’t mean you have to stoop down to their level and be mean and abusive. Just be firm and let them know that you will not tolerate their kind of behavior towards you.
So, that’s what this Blog is all about. Monkey Bosses and what are your experiences, thoughts and/or views on the subject. Have a comment about this article? Or perhaps you would like to relate a story about your particular Monkey Boss, or you just feel like “venting” your frustrations. You can post here. If you would like to be a contributor/author to this Blog, please contact the Administrator. I’ll be adding more on the subject from time to time and I’ll also be including links to various resources on the subject as I find them. Yours’, J. Fred Muggs
I have to wonder to become a boss is there an education requirement? Shouldn’t you have to learn how to properly manage people?
In my job the “boss” thinks it is perfectly acceptable to use your personal life against you. She trolls “public” websites such as Myspace and Facebook to see if there is anything you post that she finds unacceptable. Just this week she used such procedure to fire an employee explaining that she felt this person needed to learn a lesson. I think it’s an invasion of privacy, and maybe someone needs to teach this “boss” a lesson. Such is my quest. More to come.
Monkey Comment by B.Malone — September 10, 2007 @ 7:04 am
I personally believe that today’s Mid Level Managers’ do not receive the proper training in how to be a good Manager. I’ve seen way too many, as you say, “Monkey Bosses”, in the workplace. Many of them feel that they have to manage by intimidation.
Monkey Comment by Brian — September 14, 2007 @ 11:46 am
Worked for many “Monkey Bosses” over the years. Until I freed myself and set up my own company. I now work for myself. Yes, it’s hard work, but the rewards are worth it. The few employees I have, I treat with respect and they in turn, respect me. It’s a two way street.
If you really wish to free yourself of Monkey Bosses, work for yourself. But, for pete’s sake (no pun intended), don’t become a Monkey yourself.
Pete, Dallas.
Monkey Comment by Pete — September 15, 2007 @ 3:59 pm
Everyone has a boss. Your boss has a boss, someone even he or she has to answer to. It’s all about the political game and how well you can play. How good are you at putting on the friendly goodwill face while carefully orchestrating a fall for the “boss” and are you willing to face the consequences? How much do you have to lose?
Then there is the other side - you are not being harassed but others are, can you be their champion? Is that a lost art? Who teaches the young ones in the work force how to deal properly with these types of bosses? If we don’t teach them do we risk having young people think that this behavior ok? And in the pocesses creating more of the workplace monsters? So many questions I know how I answer them but can one person change the world.
The boss I was questing for - well she had a meeting with the bosses she didn’t realize she had and she’s now on notice. Not the justice I would have like but still taken down a peg. It works for now.
Monkey Comment by B.Malone — September 29, 2007 @ 9:04 am
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Monkey Comment by Larisa Kerper — November 21, 2010 @ 3:48 am