Listen to this article
There are many types of managers that will make you feel like you’re dealing with Freddy Krueger on Elm Street. Some are dramatic, some love pointing fingers or blaming others for their failures, some are too bossy to handle, and others are simply there to tell you that no matter how right your opinion is, you’re still wrong. Now, dealing with C-levels like these requires certain skills. And no, I am not promoting tolerating a toxic work environment. Simply put, I am giving you tips on how to reach out to that person and deliver your idea. Because in life, if you’re not your own boss, you’ll meet managers of all types. This, my dear reader, is your ultimate guide to dealing with bad management.
The Credit-Stealer
This is the type that steals ideas like they’re hot leads on a cold day. They’re suddenly “inspired” right after you present in a team meeting. Your original idea becomes “something I was already thinking about.” The frustration level? An unmatched one. So how do you deal with them?
Response Strategy: Keep receipts. Not just metaphorically, I mean real ones. Email trails, shared documents, timestamps. And when you share wins, make sure to blurt out phrases like “as we discussed last week in my draft” or “following my initial outline.” Subtle, but effective. Because it’s your right to make your wins visible for the team and claim what’s yours.
The Micromanager
This is the type that may think of how “autonomy” could be a threat to productivity. They ask for hourly updates on a task that takes four hours, and you’ll most probably find them hovering like a pop-up ad that you can’t seem to be able to close.
Response Strategy: Anticipate their panic and over-communicate. Set clear timelines. Share updates before they even think of asking for them. Basically, manage them into feeling secure enough to back off. I know that it sounds like performance marketing, but for your sanity and trust, this is what you’ll have to do.
The Ghost
You need input. A decision. A sign of life. However, they disappear during key milestones and resurface post-mortem asking why “this wasn’t aligned with expectations.”
Response strategy: Default to documenting your actions. “As there was no response by Tuesday EOD, I proceeded with X.” This is stakeholder management 101. Moreover, it keeps things moving so that when they finally resurface with their infamous “Why wasn’t I looped in?” You’d be able to simply reply with “You were.”
The Blame-Shifter
When something goes wrong, they don’t look for solutions. This is the type that looks for a scapegoat. Usually you.
Response Strategy: Document everything, again. Keep receipts and timelines, and clearly note where decisions came from. You wouldn’t want to be the face to be blamed or the direction they point their fingers at. Keep everything data-backed and timestamped. If it’s not in writing, it didn’t happen. Make sure to present findings with tact. And again, don’t shy away from transparency. Because reputation management works internally, too.
The Drama Royalty
This is the type of manager that will make you feel like it is the end of the world if you miss a comma. The type that makes a minor update with a slight negative outcome feels like a space shuttle launch gone wrong. This is when your life becomes the soap opera of KPIs and client demands.
How to deal: Be the calm in their storm. How? By offering solutions and not reactions. This type of manager will require you to have the skill of presenting facts and offering paths forward and will need you to have the capability to resist the temptation to match their tone. Provide options, timelines, and impact analysis. Be the strategist to their chaos engine. It’s like A/B testing emotions. Choose the version that performs better, which will usually be the calm one.
The “One Man Show” Tyrant
This is the type that loves you to always present them with certain data until it is in contradiction with their gut. Your expertise? Optional. Their gut feeling? Data-driven (obviously.)
Response strategy: Co-create buy-in. Frame your ideas around impact metrics they see as valuable or care about. Like, for example, ROI, engagement uplift, customer retention, etc. You can also ask questions that lead them to conclusions you’ve already modeled. This is what I like to call the process of conversion through suggestion and not direct confrontation.
The “Friend” Who Shouldn’t Be a Boss
Ever heard of the boundary blurrer? No? Now you do. This type of manager is more interested in team “vibes” than output. Moreover, they consider conflict avoidance their entire management style to lead with.
Response strategy: Set your own rules and stick to them. Request clear feedback during check-ins and maintain professionalism even when they casually overshare during 1:1s. This type isn’t considered the “worst,” however, you’re working to enhance yourself and your skills, and in my humble opinion, friendship can’t be your performance review.
Final Word
There will never be a living manager that is considered perfect. No human is. But some? Some are walking, breathing case studies on how not to lead. However, with the right strategies, you can navigate these personalities like a detail-oriented campaign manager. One that is calm under pressure, data-informed, and always ready to pivot. Because while you can’t control every chart, you can control your narrative within it. And if all else fails? Update your LinkedIn. With flair.
