Customer Reviews

Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant: How to Manage Childish Boss Behavior and Thrive in Your Job

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I have been a senior manager at a successful printing company for over 50 years. During that time, I have had as many as 100 employees. Even though this engaging book mostly deals with how the employee should handle their bosses, it is also a valuable lesson for managers who want to know how they are irritating their employees. There is also a management section on how to prevent the proliferation of "junior TOTs" among your staff, which gave me ideas, too.

I must admit that when I've been under pressure over the years to meet deadlines, there have been times when I behaved a bit like a tyrant. I have sometimes felt that my staff needed to be scolded like kids, before they did their job correctly. I believed that I had that right, because I paid them. From my point of view, I felt that a boss has every right do so because he (or she) is just that, "the boss." When I finally realized that they were laughing behind my back, I decided to seek advice on "Bossism."

After seeing Ms. Taylor's interview on TV, I decided to buy her book. Boy, what a lesson I learned! I wish I had read it sooner. It made me start to look at my employees from their perspective of me. I've begun to change my behavior and have started appreciating the employee's perspective of working for a bossy boss.

If you've ever wondered how to improve your job situation, one of the first steps is to improve your relationship with your boss, and career expert Lynn Taylor has some amazing insights along with some great humor in her book, Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant. First of all, check out the book's cover. You'll notice that Lynn's term "Terrible Office Tyrant" breaks down to TOT. Lynn believes that many bosses possess the same traits as tots and toddlers. Some are hard to handle (whining, bullying, territorialism) and others are less abrasive but still challenging (fickleness, forgetfulness, short attention spans.) Throughout the book, Lynn provides helpful, friendly advice on dealing with the Top 20 types of boss behaviors, backed with her years of experience in the careers field. The end result? You'll learn how to cope with difficult bosses, and position yourself to have a stronger, more positive rapport with your boss. That can create much needed job security, as well as position you towards future success in your career. A must read!

Take the amazing journey into the unique land of Lynn Taylor's - you'll enjoy the jungle ride into an original landscape, complete with familiar signposts. Instead of the usual mundane, plodding, self-help books, try on Taylor's hilarious perspective of workplace dynamics and how to deal with them successfully. Taylor has an original intelligence which she applies here to the business world in Taming Your Terrible Office Tyrant; adeptly using humor, grace, warmth, and situational street smart recipes which actually work.

Recommended highly to all strata of the corporate world, to anyone dealing with complex interpersonal relationships, or for plain laugh out loud entertainment. It's no accident that Taylor's recognized as a top workplace consultant. Read this book for innovative and highly creative techiniques to navigate through the maze of life and business unscathed.

This book covers so many types of bosses that I have had. But I never knew how to deal with them. So now I do. The author had fun with the subject. I even laughed out loud. I would recommend this book to people who are just starting out in the work force; to those who have to deal everyday with terrible bosses; and to bosses themselves because the information is very helpful. Maybe childish bosses will recognize themselves and change. That would be great! I could even add a few of my own terrible-tyrant boss types. Hope she does a sequel.

Not only will you learn how to manage your day-to-day office sanity, but this knowledge can be applied to everyone in your life. You'll be surprised how Lynn Taylor's experiences relate to your world. Soak it in and enjoy Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant!

OMG, I love this book! So much insight and so many great tips.
It has for sure already improved my life! It's funny and practical at the same time.
Thanks Lynn!

Ms. Taylor's book is a quick and fantastic read, as she understands the workplace from the employee's perspective, but also from a balanced office view. There is some humor, but mostly it's extremely insightful. EVERYONE should have Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant -- TOT on their bookshelves at work and keep it very handy. It has given me a new perspective on how I view my staff, and even myself. Even though I have little turnover, I'm always striving to be the best boss possible.

It's about time this TOT syndrome is being addressed, and in a very clear and helpful book, well-written and witty as well. Everyone at one time or another has had to deal with this problem. Even the best of bosses under stress can become TOTs....This is a great book and everyone should read it...

I guess it's now official that bad bosses act like they're in their terrible twos, since there's a book about it. I have several bosses who range from subtle tantrum throwers to demanding, oblivious or moody TOTs. When I first read about this, I was so glad that someone finally noticed. I was even happier to see the tips and stories, which you can easily use. The book helps you see how using empathy but also setting boundaries like a parent works wonders. My bosses have been more human towards me recently as a result. I am using some of the author's advice with co-workers who "act" like they're my boss, and it's interesting to see them thrown off guard. I was hoping there might also be a little section on TOT co-workers, but when I read sections over with that slant, many of the rules still apply.
I'm now a little more sensitive to my own actions too. When my assistant seemed frustrated recently, I spent the time to understand what was really bothering her, instead of avoiding it, which I typically did before. I like the idea that TOTs are not bad bosses or people all the time, they're just kids that need training or "taming," and that we all can be TOTs if we don't watch ourselves. (Maybe someone's using this book on me...good for them!) This is definitely worth buying.

My daughter ended up with this book that I planned to read for myself. Instead, I retired! Having worked in management and as an HR professional for years, I know that there is always one in every office---or more! She has enjoyed the book and I've enjoyed not dealing with the office tyrant that I worked for for all too many years.