Here is the 58th installment of Ten Top Lists of What Not to Do. The inspiration for this came from a number of blogs which focused on different kinds of bosses. Hope you like it.

Top Ten Things Not to do if You Have a Lousy Boss

10.If you have a lousy boss, do not try to curry favor. If you do, at best your co-workers will shun you. At worst, the boss may think you are a big ass suck up and have no respect for you what so ever.

9. If you have a lousy boss, do not wish a cheery good morning. If you do, at best the boss will think you are shallow. At worst, the boss will not appreciate your greeting since all days are bad in the boss’s opinion.

8. If you have a lousy boss, do not volunteer to plan an event. If you do, at best you will be disappointed in the boss’s disapproval of how the event went. At worst, your permanent record will have an entry about poor planning skills.

7. If you have a lousy boss, do not talk to the boss at company functions. If you do, at best the boss with think you are sucking up. At worst, the boss will allow paranoid feelings to influence the decision to move you to the basement mop closet.

6. If you have a lousy boss, do not ask a question at meetings. If you do, at best your co-workers will think you are sucking up. At worst, the boss will take your question as a personal attack on the company objectives and will record this lack of loyalty for your next review.

5. If you have a lousy boss, do not take normal coffee breaks. If you do, at best the boss will think you are not motivated. At worst, the boss will assume you are leading a plot with your co-workers to undermine the boss’s authority.

4. If you have a lousy boss, do not get caught taking to the boss’s boss at a company function. At best, the boss will allow the paranoid feeling to influence your next pay raise. At worst, the boss will have a private discussion with the boss’s boss on the need to develop a performance plan to get you back on track.

3. If you have a lousy boss, do not expect praise and reward for a job well done. If you do, at best you will be disappointed since the boss believes all good things are a result of excellent management of you. At worst, the boss will find out how disappointed you are and will make a note in your file about your weakness as a team player.

2. If you have a lousy boss, do not think the invitation to join a special team is an honor. If you do, at best you will be disappointed to find out the boss just needed some folks to do extra work. At worst, you will learn the special team is being held accountable and chartered to correct some screw-ups done by another special team appointed by the boss.

1. If you have a lousy boss, do not feel comfortable going on vacation. If you do, at best you just may be interrupted by annoying phone calls. At worst, you will not be interrupted but will come back to find your job function has changed with another forty hours of work added on to your current load.