Bomb Your Boss!

To rise to the top of the office hierarchy, you must use coworkers as mere stepping stones. But one beast, the “psychotic boss,” doesn’t fit this scheme. Since you will never please him or win him over, simply remove him from your path.

KNOW THE PLAYERS

GREEN: You
BLUE: Staff
RED: Boss
BLACK: Ally

1. Win the mental battle
This person thrives on the anger and emotion you experience in his presence, so deny him this power by remaining calm and patient. Constantly tell yourself that the psycho will get fired or kicked upstairs soon enough. If he creeps into your thoughts, find an activity to distract yourself.

2. Wage a subtle war
Being overly submissive might make this guy even more unreasonable. If you must obey irrat­ional orders, do it on your own terms. For example, if he tells you to FedEx a report, give him a prompt excuse for why you’ll have to send it later. Little displays of defiance can go a long way.

3. Compile your evidence
Your coworkers might be unaware of your boss’ dark side. But rather than complaining, start collecting careful records of his every misdeed. Save those fanatical e-mails, voice mails, and sticky notes. It might enrage you to keep this stuff around, but you can use it later to incriminate him.

4. Secure key allies
Never let a psychotic boss isolate you. Instead of being a victim, volunteer for tasks in other departments in an attempt to get in the good graces of other superiors. Not only will this keep you sane and distracted; it will also bring you one step closer to delivering the final death blow.

5. Move in for the kill
If you bide your time, this lunatic will inevitably fly off the handle and do something irrevocably wrong. When it happens, kick him while he’s down by revealing your organized file to the proper authorities. With a little luck, he’ll be out of your way and you can resume your climb to the top.