Dear individual,

As we know, bad and ineffective managers (and workers)
exist in every organisation. However as Anti pointed
out - one has to find coping strategies in order to
keep your job, and your sanity.

I've found it helpful to keep notes, dates, a record of
incidents, et cetera. It's harder if you confront the
boss with detailed data when being accused of something.
It also helps to be clear about performance measures.
Having objective standards and meeting them is harder
for someone in charge to rate you poorly. Also keep
track of your accomplishments - using objective measures
and by all means maintain your connections to other
people within the company, as well as outside the company.
Having a network of colleagues is helpful, should you
decide to leave (or transfer to another department) when
looking for another job.

Instead of blaming others, look to yourself as to what
you can do to help yourself and cope with the situation.
You can't be responsible for the actions of other people,
only for your own. And it's not the situation that's
going to do the most harm to you, it's how you deal with it
that counts.

Lexi, "I've found it helpful to keep notes, dates, a record of
incidents, et cetera. It's harder if you confront the
boss with detailed data when being accused of something"

If you are doing that, move jobs. Your are wrong for them or they are wrong for you. It is a mismatch, solve it by taking the initiative.

Individual,
There is no doubt that a proportion of managers are useless. Some are absolute mongrels too. The tone is set from the top. The solution is as I advised to Lexi above.

It is useful to remember who is paying you and that you are there for an economic reason. It is not usual that an employee is sacked for poor performance. But where they are found to be personally unrewarding they are eventually shunted off somehow. Usually when asked, their work group and management agree on the unsatisfactory, anti-social behaviours. No offence, but it is easy to get into a rut. Cynicism, distrust and unhappiness even where understandable, can be very wearing on the work group over time.

-Just speaking as someone who was previously a contractor with one of the big internationals and got to see it from both sides. Mainly private companies but some public sector. Senior managers and employees let it all hang out in front of us and fortunately for all we always maintained their confidences and still do, some years later.

Imagine what you would like to be doing and head for that. Take action. There is no treading the water. Time spent niggling or not doing things 'because of management' is life lost forever.

Dear onthebeach,

Thank You for your advice.
I avoid responding in kind and
I only decided to keep
notes after several incidents had taken place.
It was totally objective, and simply made it difficult
to deny something when detailed data was provided.
BTW: That particular person is
no longer with that organisation.
I continued working for there for
several years after they were made redundant.
After which we travelled overseas and I applied and
got a more challenging position at a prestigious, private
institution of learning in Los Angeles.
It was a job that I absolutely loved.

Well, that's just so typical. I recall some career consultant several years ago visiting us. One of the first questions he asked was "what's the first thing you look when you read a job advert'.
We all just looked at him & remained stumm. "well, how much it pays of course" he said then.
One by one we looked at him then back at each other & gradually one of us said "no, we look at WHERE it is because we want to know if we would want to live there". This consultant was completely lost when he learnt that some people want a place to live in not just to make money. That's the problem we have when people come here just for money. They do not participate in anything unless there's money in it for them. We used to have a great community before idiot Goss destroyed it by removing those who made up the community & replaced them with career bureaucrats who don't give a toss what damage they cause. That's why the notion of "why don't you move" is just as idiotic as the bureaucrats who invade us to our detriment & yes they all have degrees. We want to live here, get it ? Tell those degree holders not to come here if money is their only incentive. We do better without them in every which way. Ask any indigenous what happens when the degree bearing experts come to town & stuff everything up.

Lexi, "That particular person is no longer with that organisation"

Fortunate for all remaining there.

As you realise, my advice is well meant.

The advice of advocates and urgers with an interest or stake in relationship difficulties at work might advise keeping notes and so on. However, where ordinary communication and politeness have not succeeded prior, the odds are firmly against a successful and respectful resolution.

Much better to re-examine our goals and slip out and away. Economic conditions might make that a little slow and difficult, but usually we could do with some honing of skills and presentation anyhow.

individual,

Sorry if I was a bit hard on you in my earlier post.

But....

You say that you "used" to have a great community....which apparently is not such a great experience now.

"...WHERE it is because we want to know if we would want to live there..."

Well it seems that you don't like being "where" you are now because your experience of it seems to irk you very much.

If you don't like the experience of where you are and who you are dealing with, you should strive to change it.

The power is with you.