Taming the Abrasive Manager: How to End Unnecessary Roughness in the Workplace

Chapter 4. Bears, Bosses, and Business: Survival Through Dominance

When people get wind of the fact that I'm in the business of boss whispering, they frequently ask how I'm able to do this work: "Aren't you afraid to work with them?" This question implies that abrasive bosses will attack anyone they encounter in their territory, a belief also held of large predators in the wild. In the course of my professional life I've had the opportunity to observe animal behavior in a variety of habitats, from grizzly bears traversing Arctic tundra to abrasive bosses roaming their departments. If you're going to tame an abrasive boss, you'll be at an advantage if you're familiar with the laws of nature observed in my interactions with Ursus arctos horribilis ...