Page 64 - PowerE-L05-C

Lesson 16

Boss

Did you ever have a difficult boss? If you are one now,
do you think you are a difficult boss? People’s management
styles are as different as their personalities. Some are lenient
and free-wheeling, others are strict and domineering. At one
time or another, we have been under either of these kinds of
bosses, and our reactions are different: it’s a safe guess that

when you were screamed at by your difficult boss, you put more
speed on your workplace and your carefulness level climbed
ten notches, but deep inside you felt resentful and grumpy. So
at the end of the day, you blew off steam by spilling your heart
out to a ready ear, or even imbibing strong liquor. For some of us, we take a
scolding with professional equanimity. For others, they take it sensitively and
still others handle it with detachment as if to say,” So what else is new?”, then
go back to their work. Were you ever scolded by your boss? How did you feel at
that time? Whether or not the boss was right or wrong didn’t matter at that time,

because as humans, we felt hurt and righteously indignant. So at that time of
passion, we may have felt like pick up our bag and walk out the door or fight
back to make matters worse. Have you ever felt like quitting before out of sheer
frustration with your boss or humiliation? Did you ever fight back? Difficult or
lenient, right or wrong, the boss is still the boss.

Comprehension

1. What reaction do people take when they meet a difficult boss?

2. How do people feel when they are scolded by boss?

Questions

1. Have you ever had a difficult boss?
2. What do you think of a domineering boss?
3. What kind of boss would you like to be? Why?
4. What do you think of fighting back when your boss scolds you?

Vocabulary & Expressions

lenient : not strict in the way you punish someone or control their behavior
domineering : someone who is domineering tries to control other people without considering how
they feel or what they want
resentful : feeling angry and upset about something that you think is unfair
grumpy : bad-tempered and tending to complain
imbibe : to drink something, especially alcohol
equanimity : calmness, especially in the way that you react to things
righteous : strong feeling of anger when you think a situation is not morally right or fair (adv.
righteously)
indignant : expressing anger and surprise, because you feel insulted or unfairly treated

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