Workplace Advice

Lucky is the man/woman who doesn't have a supercritical boss in the workplace who causes stress in everyone in the vicinity. Many people will try to resolve this stress by getting on the "good side" of that individual: commonly known as "brown nosing" or "apple polishing"; this is almost universally not successful. Some allow the boss to provoke them to anger. Neither of these techniques work since they allow the boss to invade your personal space and the boss is rewarded by a false sense of control over you and your activities...in a sense micromanaging your every move...you can never know what is correct or incorrect because the boss doesn't know what is appropriate or not appropriate in particular situations or he/she would not use this bullying technique to lead. A good boss, leader, leads by example and never asks his men or women working with him/her to do anything he/she wouldn't do. That is how you gain the respect of the troops.

If you cannot resolve problems with this type of individual try going through the company's grievance process if they have one. If none exists then try to limit yourself physically and emotionally from this type of individual because you will never win on a one to one basis. Trying to gain the approval of such an individual will never work unless you revert to the status of a slave with no mind, will or morals of your own. "Whoever corrects a mocker invites insult; whoever rebukes a wicked man incurs abuse. Do not rebuke a mocker or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man and he will love you" (Prov. 9:7-8). Stay separate and be true to your code.