While 7 seasons of the hit NBC show (thanks to the genius of Ricky Gervais and the general sense of dry wit from England)
The Office has given us so much joy through their characters, there is something that is eerily familiar within each episode that features Dunder Mifflin: Michael Scott.
As an individual who has held a number of summer and part time jobs for the last 8 years, I feel like I have come to experience a myriad of different types of bosses. I have found that I work best with a friendly boss who knows exactly what they want from me. I am a person that responds well to direction and I am always happy to do something better for the good of my company. While the relationship of Boss/Employee seems to be a fairly straight-forward concept, I continue to find that too many superiors believe that they can live the double life of the punisher and the pal.
Why do so many bosses fall into the category of being a "Michael Scott"?
Watching
The Office at home on your couch in the comfort of your free time allows you to cringe and release the steam of the true to life personalities that you physically have to endure every single day. True, we all wish our work lives were as exciting and goofy as this paper company in Scranton, PA (I've been to Scranton...It's never as sunny as Studio City makes it seem), but what can we do when we come into contact with the most frustrating and confusing beast of all? Having a boss who tries to be your friend, but then turns around and pretends you are an idiot has no benefit for anyone. I understand if your boss has a delusion that people actually come to work to HANG OUT with them, but this is just a common problem for most bosses; there should be a pill for this.
And what do YOU do if you seem to have fallen into this attractive trap of a "fun" boss?
I guess you just suck it up and make sure that you do not think they are your friends. Not having a sturdy footing for the mood of the day, every day, when you come into work is very nerve wracking, but it's better than the alternative of no job? This universal concept of the "Michael Scott" boss is partly what makes
The Office so great, we've all been there and we will all just continue to be there until retirement.
