PR Grouch’s guide to rubbish bosses in PR

 3rd October 2013    PR Guru 

My boss is awful. She doesn’t know how to manage. She was once a great PRO, because (apparently) she came up with decent ideas and wrote fantastic copy.

However, those talents don’t make her a great manager. Her creative temperament seems to go hand in hand with an unstable personality. So one day she is all smiles and tells us we’re all wonderful, the next, she picks on everything we do, from how we fill in our expense forms to the colour of the shirts we’re wearing. And if she’s having a bad day, she starts telling us about irrelevant, obscure details.

Really, did that person on the phone say that? How interesting. Oh no, your daugher swore at you - what a suprise! I'm glad I know that.

It’s not easy managing people, but here are some signs that you are getting it wrong:

1. No one respects you

If you're not any good at PR - I can't see how you can manage PR people. Simples.

2. People cower in your presence

Okay, being a manager is not about being popular, but there’s no need to scare and belittle everyone. People will just think you're a tosser.

3.You have no work to do

You are over delegating. If everyone else does all the work, they’ll eventually cotton on and realise the business would be better off without you.

4. You work far longer hours than everyone else

You are not delegating enough. Also, working ridiculous hours doesn’t make people admire you, they think you’re sad.

5. You are too emotional

It is off-putting to see your boss cry. Please stop.

6. You are a machine

On the other hand, someone who shows no feelings and doesn’t appear to care for anything other than their work - just seems, a little, cold. And pathetic.

7. You are an alcoholic, or take too many drugs

You probably don’t think anyone has noticed, but they have.

8. You don't get invited down the pub

The reality is, no-one likes you.