Ah, the 9 to 5.
All in the same day, your job can be the bane of your existence and a great place to kill time and get paid for it.
(Crap! Did I say that out loud?)
Seriously, for the majority of people who can’t, or don’t want to, leave their job, sometimes it can be OK.
Sometimes, there are days where you don’t leave at quitting time wanting to stab your eyes out from looking at TPS reports all day. (those days are rare, though.)
Believe it or not, one of the true keys to whether you like your job is whether or not you like your boss.
Yes boys and girls, the reason you’re still there could be your boss. Now for some, the reason you’re still at your day job could be the hot chick down in accounting who wears the tight skirts everyday, who you’re scared to talk to. Or, it could be the guy in Human Resources who you’ve day dreamed everyday of what you and his wedding day would be like on the sands of Hawaii.
But, believe it or not, you’re still at the “ol’ coal mine” because you like your boss.
However, if your boss is a tyrant like Darth Vader from Star Wars, more than likely, you not only fear them, but you “hate” them with just as much passion. The thing about Darth Vader is that, although a strict disciplinarian, he also got results. Love him or hate him, you definitely respected him.
(Editor’s note: The term “hate” is not being used in the sense that you want your boss to die. But more in the sense that if he had irritable bowels for an extended period of time, you’d be ok with that.)
Here’s how to tell if your boss is “Vader-like” or “Vader-lite”:
Darth Vader doesn’t take crap from anyone.
Before the sub-par “prequels of the Star Wars franchise, Vader was a true badass. The first scene we are introduced to him, he strides in looking for two droids, eliminating anyone in his way. How many times have you seen your boss tear through the office needing that report or statistics and yelling at you or your co-workers until he got what he wanted?
Darth Vader has your promotion in the palm of his hand. Literally.
Darth Vader has the power to promote his subordinates as quickly as he eliminates them. He will even terminate the person who has “failed” him at the same time he promotes his replacement. Some bosses hate the fact that they have to terminate their employees. But others take pleasure in others misery. That promotion you’re waiting on? Yeah. It goes through your boss, unless the boss of your boss loves you. If so, this puts you in a sweet position.
Cut off his right hand and Vader’s pretty much useless.
When Vader faced off against the only person who could defeat him, (I won’t spoil it for the two or three people who didn’t see the movies) his hand was cut off and badly wounded. He couldn’t do a lot afterward. In this example, the “right hand” would be the “brown nosing, yes-person who is your bosses’ shadow. They are the eyes and ears that reports back to your boss. Take away the “right hand”, and your boss becomes, let’s just say “less informed” about what the troops are doing. But, you don’t have anybody in your office like that, right? Right??!!
If his minions can’t get the job done, Vader will find others who can.
When Darth Vader was not getting the results he wanted as fast as he wanted, he brought in bounty hunters. He needed to find the rebels and used additional resources to make it happen. Your boss may do that. Whether it’s “consulting” firms or outsourcers, your boss won’t be afraid to bring in potential people who could replace you if you start slacking off.
Makes you wanna become an entrepreneur, now, huh? No? How about this-
When you make a deal with Darth Vader, he will change it when it’s convenient for him.
Darth Vader uses fear, intimidation and the power of the dark side to get his way. Does your boss do the same? And just because the deal you made with him in the beginning will be the same in the end. He will change the deal the way he sees fit. Usually, it will benefit him, in the end. Has your boss been promising to promote you? When is it supposed to happen?
While your boss cannot reach out his hand and use the Force to choke the life out of you when you don’t do his bidding, he shares other Darth Vader traits. If you don’t have a boss that’s Dart Vader-like, congrats! You’re in the minority and pray your boss stays forever.
