30 Times Bosses Wrote Such Delusional Notes, These Employees Just Had To Shame Them Online

Sam Dogen, the author of 'Buy This, Not That: How to Spend Your Way to Wealth and Freedom' and the founder of 'Financial Samurai,' shared his thoughts with us about how employees can earn their bosses' respect, what bosses can do to inspire them, the importance of patience, and some of the differences in work ethic between the younger and older generations. "In general, every older generation thinks the younger generation is lazier and has things easier. However, each generation only knows what it knows. So it's unfair to discredit one generation because they now have more creature comforts and so forth," he told Bored Panda.

"As someone who used to manage a small team in finance, the one thing I appreciated the most from employees was effort. If employees were trying their best to get things done and showed that they cared, I knew they were going places," Sam said. "Showing you give a damn about your fellow colleagues and your work is more than half the battle." You can read on for the financial expert's other great insights, Pandas.

Financial expert and author Sam explained to Bored Panda that when it comes to work, it's a never-ending activity with to end goal in sight. And ain't that true! "There is always something new to create or something more to sell. Therefore, having an employee with a great attitude is the best," he noted that a person's attitude is incredibly important in the workplace.

"Bosses can inspire their employees by giving a damn as well! If the boss is always coming in on time, taking their subordinates out for lunch to see how they are doing, and works hard, employees will be inspired. And when employees are inspired, they will care more and do better work. It is a virtuous cycle," he said that employees value their superiors spending their time with them and giving them attention. "Great bosses lead by example. They are not micromanagers either. Instead, they are honest about difficult situations, believe in their employees, support their employees, and engender trust."

Bored Panda was interested to get Sam's take on how different generations view work from a different angle. The 'Financial Samurai' founder told us that he's a member of Gen X, turning 45 this summer, and this is the only generation that he knows very well. However, he did see oversee some younger employees at work.

"We grew up without the internet and now have the internet," he said about Gen X. "I did manage a couple of employees who were 10 years younger than me, hence the millennial generation. One got in trouble because he felt entitled to a much larger bonus than $20,000 after his first year out of college! After he got his bonus, he refused to come to work for a week. That was an interesting situation," he shared an unusual case of entitlement.

"It seems like more employees want to reach the corner office sooner, without putting in their dues. This may be perhaps due to the internet, social media, and how quickly information is disseminated. When you see someone on social media get super-rich quickly, you start feeling the same way too."

In Sam's opinion, it seems like more and more employees are unwilling to "put in their dues" before reaching the corner office. They want massive progress without the grind. "This may be perhaps due to the internet, social media, and how quickly information is disseminated. When you see someone on social media get super-rich quickly, you start feeling the same way too," the expert stressed.

"However, I believe for most people, the secret to their success is unwavering commitment. If you can do something well consistently for 10+ years, you will likely be set for life! However, patience is required. Just know that if the direction is correct, sooner or later you will get there."

The job industry is very different when you compare things to the last few decades. The spread of new technologies like the internet have completely changed how people work and the information they have access to. That’s not to say that fast-food restaurants or retail shops are going to become obsolete, but generally speaking, workers are now more aware of what work conditions others have, how the rich are living, and when they’re being exploited. There’s a world of workplace advice at your fingertips.

Bored Panda recently spoke about communication at work, quitting, and how to handle difficult bosses with workplace expert and author Lynn Taylor. She stressed that employees should try to be as diplomatic as they can, while at the same time drawing a line in the sand when it comes to bullying and outright disrespect.

“The best way to quit is to think about how you want to be remembered. Every industry in a given city has a relatively small network of good people. We have all heard 'it’s a small world' and the '6 degrees of separation.' As satisfying as it feels to 'put a bad boss in their place' upon departure, leave those fantasies in your mind,” Lynn explained to us during a recent exclusive interview that restraint is a very powerful tool in a worker’s arsenal.

“You never want to burn your bridges or get a reputation for being a troublemaker. It will get around and hurt your career," the workplace expert pointed out that an employee’s reputation follows them for years to come. Especially if it’s a niche industry.

"Your best bet is to thank your boss for the opportunity at the company and limit the number of negative comments you offer. It is unlikely to change behavior in a significant way. Be glad that you’ve decided to take the difficult step of moving on," the expert said that a bit of gratitude might be better than brutal honesty. In some cases. However, this doesn’t mean that you should bend over and grovel at your boss’ feet every time they walk by.

"Very few people want to engage in lawsuits against a bully boss, for example, unless they feel they it will most certainly be a win. When in doubt, of course, you should always consult an employment attorney. And while the idea can be tempting, you may want to place more of your energy in your next, better job—or career pursuit,” Lynn stressed that employees ought to consider where their time, energy, and nerves are best spent.

When communicating with management, it’s good to lay the groundwork and do a bit of preparation. "Know your objective. If you’re acting defensively, that won’t move the needle on enhancing your relationship. Think about how you would react as the recipient," the expert advised.

She gave Bored Panda an example of how employees could broach certain concerns with their boss using the ‘positive bookends’ approach.

One way to communicate work issues to your manager or boss might be to use so-called ‘positive bookends’ (aka the criticism sandwich approach). You could try something like this: "'I really enjoy my job, but there’s something that set me back a bit recently.' Enter: your beef. Wrap with: 'Thank you so much for taking the time to listen to me… I very much appreciate your efforts in trying to work better together.'"

The best things that employees can do when they’re speaking to management is to communicate as clearly as they can, anticipate any problems that might come up, use a bit of humor if applicable, and present themselves as problem solvers, not problem causers.