The boss right above my boss (the dep’t head) is also a control freak, but on a more macro level, which actually seems more bearable, if that makes any sense. At least he’s not calling and e-mailing every other second or setting up stupid adults-reading-to-adults meetings at the drop of a hat (thereby blitzing subordinates’ momentum and productivity).

But he does prevent subordinates from getting trained and developed (and my direct supervisor colludes in this).

When I first joined the company, I quickly realized that I was dealing with a micromanaging control freak boss (immediate superior) who would sap all the creative life out of me. I’m a copywriter with an ad-agency background, and I work in the (cough) “creative department” at this company…but, even though I was putatively hired because my portfolio contained strong creative concepts, I was immediately reduced to a production hack with no opportunity whatsoever to come up with ideas or concepts. (Whenever I did, they were squelched. Always with a different excuse.)

Anyway, I became so unhappy and frustrated that I decided to give myself a creative challenge–by learning about something new. I was doing e-commerce copywriting, and SEO was all the buzz, so I started learning about it. On my own time and on my own nickel, natch. I did ask my bosses if they would spring for a $100 SEO copywriting course (on CD). They refused, so I said, “The heck with this,” and bought it myself.

That’s how it’s been ever since. Under pressure from upper management, my bosses did spring, at one point, for some books for the department. But after the upper manager who had exerted this pressure left the company, the book-buying ceased. But that hasn’t stopped me. During lunch hours, I “attend” webinars, read blogs and fora, and download e-books on the topics that interest me, like SEO and conversion optimization. I figure that–even if I’m effectively prevented from putting *anything* I’m learning into practice–I can always use it elsewhere.

And that’s pretty much what keeps me going, to tell the truth.

You are so right: Knowledge is power. Which is why micromanaging control freaks have a strong vested interest in preventing subordinates from obtaining knowledge!

Thank you for explaining it so thoroughly!

Millie Shultz