11 signs you boss is passive aggressive by Áine Cain on Aug 26, 2016, 10:03 AM Advertisement
 Having a passive-aggressive boss is the worst. Here's a weird historical example to prove that point, involving Tsar Ivan IV (spoiler alert: he's now remembered as Ivan the Terrible). After years of squabbling with the powerful boyars (Russian noble families), Ivan stormed out of Moscow in 1564. From his self-imposed exile, he sent out letters announcing the possibility of his abdication, according to "Ivan the Terrible" by Robert Payne and Nikita Romanoff. The tsar cited the corruption within the upper echelons of Russian society as the main reason for his departure. Good for the boyars, right? Nope. Ivan's departure put Moscow on edge. Fearing violence, the boyars begged him to stay in power. Of course, before he would kiss and make up, Ivan had a few conditions — namely, seizing absolute power that would allow him to persecute any perceived traitors without oversight. In the subsequent years, he proceeded to wreak havoc on the boyars and anyone else he saw as disloyal. Pretty passive aggressive, right? If you think of Ivan as a sort of early modern boss, you can begin to understand why a passive aggressive manager is a dangerous manager. They've got all the bitterness and wrath of a plain old aggressive boss, but they're much subtler, and therefore harder to deal with. Therefore, it's imperative that you learn to pick up on some of the tell-tale symptoms. Here are 11 signs that your boss is passive aggressive: SEE ALSO: 24 signs you're a good boss — even if it doesn't feel like it DON'T MISS: 9 signs you're dealing with a passive-aggressive coworker Their humor verges on hostility Your boss might say "just kidding" after hurling insult after insult at you, but you're not laughing. Writing for Psychology Today, Preston Ni notes that "disguised hostile humor" is a tell-tale sign of passive aggression. Your boss might hide behind the guise of humor, but they're really just using you as a punching bag.
Their feedback is unclear During your feedback sessions, they talk in circles. Passive-aggressive bosses leave you with the impression that you've screwed up, without giving you concrete information on how you can improve. It's a passive-aggressive tactic, because it avoids confrontation while also signaling something is wrong. This can really throw you off balance.
They stir up office politics Maybe your boss has an obvious favorite that they coddle. Maybe they sow seeds of discontent within different teams, giving rise to a toxic, hypercompetitive environment. Maybe they even wade into the sludge that is the office rumor mill. Either way, if your boss is playing games in the office, treat it as a red flag that they're a passive-aggressive person. Instead of taking charge and managing, they'd prefer to adopt sketchy behaviors in order to further their agenda.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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