In a 25 year career, from 1985 to 2010, I had (about) 6 jobs and (about) 15 bosses.
As one would expect, a few bosses were very good, most were good, and none were poor (you don't get to be a boss in a high tech company without being good at your stuff).
For the first 20 years of my career I'd heard of "bullying" and was dismissive of it. I thought that those alleging it was either imagining things, or not dealing with it professionally.
EXCEPT
I started a new job as a contractor with the DoD here (Australia), ie a private contractor in a government department. Within one week the supervisor had upset me with needless criticism and micro-management. I dealt with it "professionally", ie. keep my cool and address the substance of his complaints, not the manner. Within another week it was repeated - more complaints, more micro-management. I stayed "professional". Within another week he was contradicting his previous complaints. He had repeatedly told me to he wanted me to be more "communicative" with him, so I was I went to seek his guidance in a situation where it wasn't strictly necessary. Rather than answer my question he took the opportunity to tell me he expects contractors to be able to work these things out for themselves, and walked off with a snarl. I then realised I was dealing with a "bully". By the end of the first month work was a misery and I thought about him day and night. I quit after three months. This was the first and only time in my career I left a job just to get out of a place rather than to move on to something better.
I learned from other workers at the office that a previous contractor had also quit and the man's colleagues in the DoD couldn't work with him either. (How he stayed in a senior job is a mystery, but I think he was very good at sucking up to his own bosses, presumably blaming his subordinates).
So, I learned that bullies are rare, but when you get one you are in an impossible situation.
When I look back to the interview there wasn't much that gave him away, but there was a very "superior" attitude where he seemed to be putting me in my place, and apart from asserting himself he wasn't very interested in me.
Some time after this I saw him at a gym. I noticed him strutting around with his nose in the air, looking like he was full of himself. He was tall and muscular. He didn't see me. I don't think he saw anyone.
I only had one, in 25 years (Score:5, Interesting)
In a 25 year career, from 1985 to 2010, I had (about) 6 jobs and (about) 15 bosses.
As one would expect, a few bosses were very good, most were good, and none were poor (you don't get to be a boss in a high tech company without being good at your stuff).
For the first 20 years of my career I'd heard of "bullying" and was dismissive of it. I thought that those alleging it was either imagining things, or not dealing with it professionally.
EXCEPT
I started a new job as a contractor with the DoD here (Australia), ie a private contractor in a government department. Within one week the supervisor had upset me with needless criticism and micro-management. I dealt with it "professionally", ie. keep my cool and address the substance of his complaints, not the manner. Within another week it was repeated - more complaints, more micro-management. I stayed "professional". Within another week he was contradicting his previous complaints. He had repeatedly told me to he wanted me to be more "communicative" with him, so I was I went to seek his guidance in a situation where it wasn't strictly necessary. Rather than answer my question he took the opportunity to tell me he expects contractors to be able to work these things out for themselves, and walked off with a snarl. I then realised I was dealing with a "bully". By the end of the first month work was a misery and I thought about him day and night. I quit after three months. This was the first and only time in my career I left a job just to get out of a place rather than to move on to something better.
I learned from other workers at the office that a previous contractor had also quit and the man's colleagues in the DoD couldn't work with him either. (How he stayed in a senior job is a mystery, but I think he was very good at sucking up to his own bosses, presumably blaming his subordinates).
So, I learned that bullies are rare, but when you get one you are in an impossible situation.
When I look back to the interview there wasn't much that gave him away, but there was a very "superior" attitude where he seemed to be putting me in my place, and apart from asserting himself he wasn't very interested in me.
Some time after this I saw him at a gym. I noticed him strutting around with his nose in the air, looking like he was full of himself. He was tall and muscular. He didn't see me. I don't think he saw anyone.