Impossible Bosses: Secret Strategies to Deal with 8 Archetypal Managers by Vivienne Lawack, Hanlie Lizette Wessels and Robert Craig is out now from Jonathan Ball Publishers.

A difficult manager can be the cause of many a sleepless night, or in extreme cases, even make you want to quit your job. Impossible bosses can obstruct your professional growth by hiding corporate ladders and leave your career stuck in an invisible cage.

In this book, eight archetypal managers who create uniquely challenging situations at work are identified, including Mr Tumbleweed (the anxious and indecisive manager), Ms Say Me (the competitive control freak manager), Mr Make-Up (the people-pleasing manager), Ms When We (the hostage-of-the-past manager) and four other friends.

Drawing on real-life experiences, the authors describe typical workplace scenarios you might find yourself in with these impossible bosses and identify their key character traits. Most importantly, they share several secret strategies for how best to communicate your ideas and demonstrate your value to them.

Working with different psychological profiling systems, the authors try to demystify the personality type and explain why your impossible boss acts like they do. Armed with these insights and hands-on tips, you will be able to turn challenging interactions around in a shorter space of time and respond with an approach that will show your true value and leadership qualities.

A coach in your pocket, this book offers a practical guide for how to manage your manager.

About the authors

Vivienne Lawack is a lawyer by training and Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Academic at the University of the Western Cape. Hanlie Lizette Wesssels is a corporate executive who has held directorships at various multinationals, as well as regional and local companies. Robert Craig is a management consultant and executive coach. Apart from a degree in psychology, he is an accredited practitioner of a Yungian-based profiling system.

Categories Non-fiction South Africa

Tags Hanlie Lizette Wessels Impossible Bosses Jonathan Ball Publishers New books New releases Robert Craig Vivienne Lawack