How to Quickly Become ‘The Most Hated Boss on the Planet’

It doesn’t take a lot of effort.

As Michael Scott demonstrated in the pilot episode of The Office, you could just carry a cup around that proclaims your greatness to the minions. (They will snicker and scoff every time they see you.) Another highly effective technique? Just mimic the behavior of the boss in the movie Office Space and demand that people work over the weekend.

That might be going too far, but there are a few things bosses can do that make them despised in the workplace. A few are a little more subtle than a World’s Greatest Boss mug. Avoid these techniques unless you really like Michael Scott.

1. Never produce any actual work

You’re the manager, that means you don’t have to work, right? Many leaders in business get a little confused about the role. It’s much more effective to demonstrate to employees how to do good work. The most hated boss? That’s the person who keeps making demands about getting project done on time, often listing out the tasks in a spreadsheet, without doing any real work.

2. Avoid getting personal with employees

That’s right, this is serious business. Why bother asking about a sick family member or what the employee did on vacation? Sticking to the facts means you present an image of someone who lacks empathy or, let’s be honest here, doesn’t really care about anything except doing good work and finishing tasks on time. While being overly familiar is always wrong, the best bosses know how to act like a human.

3. Work constantly at a coffee shop

One sign of a terrible boss is you never see him or her. This type of boss is a ghost–in the office one day, gone the next. You can never find this boss, because the communication is always a bit obscure. Meanwhile, the employees are expected to update the team on their whereabouts at all times. Sure, you can send emails from a coffee shop or chat on Slack, but when the boss is absent, it’s impossible to develop a relationship or understand his or her motivations. It’s basically like talking to a mannequin.

4. Toot your own horn as loudly as possible

Bad bosses don’t ever praise anyone in the office. They praise themselves. There’s nothing quite as infuriating to employees as a manager who doesn’t notice their accomplishments but is always bragging about management wins. Want the bad boss label? Make communication as one-sided and slanted as possible.

5. Manage with as much anger as possible

Loud bosses are always the most hated. You can’t seem to do anything right, you get chewed out constantly, you don’t follow the rules. Sure, that’s going to work. When there’s a ton of emotion involved, employees don’t really want to work that hard. They know they will eventually get called into your office for some violation or another. Parking in the wrong spot, not cleaning up your mess in the break room. Oops and oops.