Clint Cash

So there's a lot of activity on the stupid boss front. Today a co-worker received a few choice emails from a person who used to supervise my idiot boss. We dug up all sorts of dirt on the guy. Not surprisingly, he is less qualified and less respected by his peers than we even imagined. I take you now to come excerpts from the emails:

I served as his Supervisor when he worked in the Collection department (when it was its own separate department: in the 1970s). He caused personnel problems and was later transferred to other departments (Gov. Docs; Special Collections) but was shifted from department to department because of his limited skills and knowledge. Finally, he was transferred to the Historical Foundation and worked under Ned Hetting and Edith Hooper. Among his directives from Edith was to take notes on the behavior of employees; i.e., the time of their arrivals/departure from work; length of time taken for breaks, lunch, etc.

He presented major problems for me when I supervised him (for approximately 4 yrs). I encouraged him to go back to school and get a BA, as he has an Associate Arts degree from a community college. He didn't want to do that. He learned to keep notes on those with whom he works so that he can then write up complains regarding harassment; which he did with me. After Ned Hetting and Edith Hooper left their positions at the HF, the problem of where to send Jim (as he was called then; it was Edith and Ned who began calling him "James").

Because he worked within an archives setting, and because our department did not want him working with us, he was transferred to the Science Library (don't recall what year). He became a Library Supervisor IV (not sure of that title). My suggestions are to take your own notes whenever you are harassed too. And be sure to state your concerns immediately and don't hesitate to talk with HR. They are very good at resolving matters like the ones you are encountering.

So how do you deal with Jim? Just do your work; don't become his buddy; don't refuse to do the work, just do it. But keep your notes about what he assigned you to do, when he wanted it done, and how he wanted it done. You can only be judged for the work, that's all. Don't socialize with him or share your life with him or joke around with him. He'll turn on you in a minute for his own personal gain or pleasure and so that he can cause you problems. Just take it day by day. Yes, he's your supervisor, but so what? You won't be there much longer: you've got a career ahead of you and that will also come your way in time; just be patient. Jim's no kid: he's at least in his late 40s or early 50s...but you're smarter, have more education, have goals, ambitions: all those things that he doesn't have. He'll work here the rest of his life. He isn't qualified to do anything more than what he does and won't rise above his level of work.

Isn't that fantastic? The guy has half the education I do and a third of what my co-worker has. Also, this guy has been shifted around from department to department since the 70's because people hate him and want to be as far from his as possible.

I love the fact that someone who has known this man for years and has been his supervisor honestly think he is incompetent and will most likely live out the rest of his miserable days at this same job. It's also funny that he hates it when people call him Jim now, but he apparently went by that name for several years.

The encouragement to not befriend him or give personal information because he will use it to his benefit is both true and frightening. I judge how good or bad a day is by how much the boss man speaks to me. If he doesn't speak to me at all, it's a good day.

Here's another precious email about the guy and the fact that he drapes his anorexic frame in a black suit all day every day:

No, he began wearing the same black suit when he began working at the Science Library. I asked him why he wore that black suit. He said that his hero was Johnny Cash and that Cash always wore black. The suit makes him look more "professional". He wears that suit every day, rain or shine, winter and summer. Another of his heroes is Clint Eastwood. Jim grew his hair and began to look scruffy because Eastwood looked like that in his western films. He thinks he looks like Eastwood. Another of his heroes is Richard Nixon.

I think the suit hides his skeletal frame and suspect that he is anorexic. I suggested that he seek medical help for his eating disorder, but he ignored me on that. He's always been frail looking, but don't undermine his physical strength. Does he still stutter and tremble, and more so when he's nervous? He has several nervous habits which I'm sure you've noticed.

I knew that the boss man looked up to Johnny Cash but I didn't know about Clint Eastwood and I didn't know that he thought he looked like them. He looks a lot more like death. Seriously, more than a few patrons call him "Skeletor" and "Grim Reaper." He is the very face of death. He has about as much in common with Johnny Cash and Clint Eastwood as he does with Marilyn Monroe. All his heroes are tough guys and rebels and yet the boss man is constantly citing regulations and is about as tough as a Andy Dick. Actually, Andy Dick might be able to take him in a street fight.

Also, his nervous habits are alive and well. He doesn't speak to me face to face unless absolutely necessary. He sends out email directives and I have to do his bidding or face his wrath. It's a little like working for a fascist dictator except Hitler and Mussolini were considerably better looking.

My suggestion is not to engage in any discussion with Jim unless it's work related. Leave out the politics. He's a straight-laced right wing conservative and Republican. He annoys you because you let him. He knows it. Just keep busy. If you can wear an ipod or head set, do that if possible. If not, keep busy, head down and ignore the attempts to engage you in a conversation. He wants to know personal things about you and your life. Watch out.

That pretty much describes my daily interactions with this man. Every now and again he'll come up to me to have a conversation about one of the following things: 1) The prices of DVD's 2) Reasons Elvis Presley was better than any other performer is or will ever be 3) Things that his "friends" who are managers of various retail stores tell him 4) Things three or four (it's always three or four and he never gives names) patrons have told him 5) Reasons why Ronald Reagan is the best thing to ever happen to the universe (we all think he has some secret gay crush on Reagan). When the boss man tries to talk to me I just keep my head down, agree with everything he says and answer every question with, "I dunno."

Why do we have to interact with this guy like he's a leper? Because he's the most socially inept person you will ever meet. His "jokes" consist of asking different staff members, all of whom know each other quite well, if they have met. He does this several times per day. He'll also take one bit of personal information from you and disclose it to strangers. Every time I'm at the circulation desk he'll randomly come up and tell patrons that I play guitar. This isn't something that I'm ashamed of, but it's not something I would prefer to tell every person who checks out a book.

Apart from the social ineptitude is that fact that he is pure, diabolical evil. He will take information and find some way to use it against you. That is the only part of his life in which he has any level of competence: being a weasel. Even when you try to point out mistakes he makes, he'll find some way of blaming you and documenting the blame. He's as slimy as they come. It's best to treat him like a gnat and get him away from you any which way you can.