Control Freaks

Ever been hired by someone, only to find that they have done a bit of research and consider themselves experts in your field?

"We'd like to redecorate," they might say. "We took a class on interior design at the local junior college. We must know more than you."

And then they'll tell you your business and you very politely point out what great feckin' eejits they are. What a shock to their system to learn that you've been at your job for a dog's age or you've got a graduate degree or you have a license that requires knowledge of the field.

People who rise to the top in the corporate world did not get there through faint hearts and shy withdrawal. Once they get on top, they cannot separate their lives from their corporate entities, the boss in control, running the show. They might delegate some work to you, but you can be sure that they're there, right over your shoulder, watching every move to make sure you do things right. Problem is, they don't have a clue as to how things ought to be done. No matter to our intrepid executives - they'll supervise just the same.

Is there anything more ugly than a whole group of control freaks whose children play sports? Why would any sane person choose to coach for such offspring, when the know-it-all adults are off on the sidelines, questioning every substitution and second-guessing every strategy.

The source of their expertise? Sure and they've read the sports pages every day for the past twenty years and listened to every post-game interview to garner a wisp of knowledge. They played the game as children and they know how it should be played. Oh, and their own child should be playing all the time. Little one's the best on the team, bar none, and what's the coach thinking to pull my star out and put in someone else?

Fingers on the pulse of business - control freaks who cannot ever relinquish control. You'd like to tell them to sit back and watch the show, but they're hell bent to run it, and they'll run over anyone who gets in their way.