Classic Rant #824 (October 16, 2012): Who's the Boss

Today is National Bosses Day, both in the U.S. and Canada. According to Wikipedia, it has traditionally been a day for employees to thank their bosses for being kind and fair throughout the year.

“Patricia Bays Haroski registered 'National Boss' Day' with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in 1958,” said the Wikipedia entry. “She was working as a secretary for State Farm Insurance Company in Deerfield, Ill., at the time and chose Oct. 8 because she forgot that the birthday of her boss, who was her father, was actually on the 16th. Four years later, in 1962, Illinois Governor Otto Kerner backed Haroski's registration and officially proclaimed the day.”

Very interesting, wouldn’t you agree?

I have had some very interesting bosses over the years. One thing that they all share is that I have had a hard time figuring all of them out.

When I was in college, I had a boss who was a real nut case, and ended up being replaced in her position by her secretary, who she mistreated all the time.

Later, I worked in another place where the boss, I do believe, thought I was the perfect match for his daughter. When that didn’t work out, I was on the outs with him.

I worked for other bosses who were nice; alcoholic; abusive; filled with ego; and were horrid.

I had them all, and then some.

You have not really lived until you work for a boss who can’t handle his liquor.

He used to stumble all over the place, viciously insulted people, reeked of the stuff, and slurred his speech.

And due to his drunkenness, most of the time he didn’t know what he was doing.

It was sad, real sad.

And then there is the current boss to end all bosses. Thank goodness I don't work for him.

David Siegel--founder and CEO of Westgate Resorts, a huge national timeshare and one of the largest resort developers in the world--has informed his peon workers that if President Obama is re-elected, their jobs will be at stake.

You see, according to Siegel, he has worked hard to make his company what it is, but his workers haven’t done their part, squandering their paychecks all the time, so he has to make decisions like this to keep him and his company afloat.

But what can you do? You don’t pick your boss any more or less than you choose your parents.

They just happen to come with your job.

But I learned early on that no matter what your boss says to you, you must keep your perspective.

You are a tool that the boss uses to make his or her business run.

You are a commodity that he or she will try to exploit to the nth degree.

And if you lose your perspective, you will become that tool entirely.

You can be your own personal boss, but don’t let your boss at work make you think you are any less of a person than who you really are.

And for that, you don’t need  a day in your honor.

Hey, he or she only runs the business, they don’t run your life.

I have had good bosses, too, who understand that.

But so many are so engulfed with their own ego that they can’t see the forest for the trees.

So YOU have to. And if you don’t, well, I feel sorry for you.