Ever had a serial interrupter as a boss? How did it affect your performance?

In My Humble Opinion
21

Oh god yes, can we form a support group?

This is one of my 3 bosses (family owned) and she’s a killer if you misspeak. So I try to formulate my answers very carefully.

“How long until X is done?”

“Well, I think it can be done on Friday if I get the OK from your hu…”

“Oh no, not Friday, can’t it be done Wednesday?”

“Well, AS I WAS SAYING, I am waiting for approval from…”

“We really need it Wednesday, what is the hold up??”

And worse in a conversation in which she asks 5 question rapid fire in a row. Um, can I write them down and get back to you?

22

Not my boss, but a coworker and supervisor of a different group that I’m expected to collaborate with and work with much more than I can stand to do. Most people avoid talking to him at all costs.

Conversations are like:

Zippy: Do you know if anyone ordered the new monitors
Me: Well, I…
Zippy: You ordered them.
Me: No, I…
Zippy: You ordered them but they are delayed. Ok, so we need to blahblahblahblahblahblahblah
Me: STOP TALKING. I was trying to say that I was getting ready to order them.

Zippy: complains to my boss that I yelled at him.

Repeat for every single conversation.

23

I deal with my manager, almost exclusively, via telephone as we’re some 1100 miles apart.
When my manager interrupts, I stop talking… for uncomfortably long periods of time. So much time, in fact, that she’s often asked if I’m still on the line. I respond that, “I’m here. Just waiting 'til you’re done.”

Or I continue talking right over her interruption.

24

I was expecting to be the first person to make this admission.

I’m that guy. It sucks, I know it sucks, and I try to control it, but sometimes it just happens. Doesn’t make it alright, I know this, but I am aware that I do this. I do it to my wife too and it drives her apeshit.

I generally don’t have patience for people who repeat themselves and/or insist on telling the same story/anecdote over and over. This is when I tend to strike, sometimes rudely. I need to learn to just suck it up and chill the fuck out but, hey, I’m trying.