Napoleon not so Dynamite

I am currently working in a terrible work environment. My supervisor is Napoleonic. He is rude, somewhat racist, controlling and UNBEARABLE! How do I keep my job without hating my life?


Ahhh work. You're thrown together with people, forced to interact, and completely exposed to personalities you never wish you had come into contact with! I have a quote that I stored in my blackberry, I liked it so much. It rings very true for this situation....

"If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to evoke at any moment." Marcus Aurelius

While I think this is a great concept, sometimes a little action is required to make your work experience more bearable. My first strategy would be to employ the "kill them with kindness" approach to problem solving. When you are in the practice of being kind, you make it difficult for people to take issue with you - and you're in the habit of being a peaceful person. Your supervisor sounds like he is dedicating a lot of time and effort to being hostile. Don't engage him in any way that will allow this hostility to grow.

The second strategy I would employ is some healthy boundary setting. When your supervisor has done or said something offensive, let him know KINDLY that you would appreciate it if he kept his political views to himself for example. Point out that you would hate for him to get into trouble for expressing himself so freely.

What you probably shouldn't do is become passive aggressive and pull some pranks on this person. BUT if you were to do this, I've come up with a few ideas. At least you can laugh at the fantasy.....

*Bring in a framed picture of Napoleon to put on his desk with a note that says: "Thought you'd like this".
*Remove some critical screws from his swivel chair
*Come into work wearing the uniform of a French officer under Napoleon's rule. Salute. Often. Maybe even throw in a heel click.
*Whenever he says something, say "I'm sorry, I can't hear you." Keep doing this until he's yelling, then follow up with: "Jeez, you don't have to yell!!!"
*Whenever he comes over to talk to you, act like he has food on his face, miming where it is.
*Get him coffee and put hot sauce in it. Or spoiled milk.
*Put a dirty diaper in his trash can.

You get the idea. I think the best thing you can actually do is try to appeal to whatever shred of humanity he has and find out how you can best work together. The more information you have about his motives for his actions, the better you will be able to work around them. If it is warranted I'd also report his inappropriate and/or offensive behavior (specifically the racism) to the proper people in your organization. In the end, know that people who are difficult to work with are rarely the ones that go very far in life. So at least you know you won't have to work with him forever. In the mean time, do what you can to make the best of the situation (even if that means a prank or two).