Mon chef est un con !

[My boss is an ass!]

As its title does not indicate, this is a subtle and nuanced book. It starts by a few useful recalls on the notion of personality, fundamental in psychology. How does it develop? How does it show through permanent traits, and also through variations linked to specific situations? Without losing us in the mysteries of psychoanalysis, the author provides us with a few practical keys to decode the internal logic of our boss. From the moment we understand this logic, his/her behavior suddenly becomes more coherent, more predictable. An asset to adopt a more effective relational approach!

The book accompanies us through a two-step diagnosis: establish the psychological profile of our boss, then evaluate the relationship between him/her and us. It then suggests strategies to counterbalance our boss’s potential shortcomings and our differences. Sparked by exasperation, we risk developing definite judgments on our boss. Yet, as the book recalls, we should also question our own personality traits, our rapport to authority, our attitude, etc.  These intervene equally strongly in the relational dynamic, which they can worsen or, on the contrary, improve.

A commendable book for the factual analysis grids it proposes, and also for the hindsight it invites us to consider.