Bad boss syndrome

Me thinks I might need to read this book. I left a job yesterday - my 3rd in 2 years. I was working for A COW - a very small minded one or is that an oxy moron - anyway she was a moron. I have had 2 years of really really bad workplace bosses. #1 the psycho coke addict. He used to talk and make no sense at all. God help you if you asked a question or for an explanation of a strategy. He'd target people at meetings - i think he thought it was inclusivity but you'd be sitting there listening making notes and then suddenly you'd be asked this random question. He snif at your response (because he sniffed all the time and had a permanent head cold for the 6 months I was there) I mean most of us were more intelligent than him so we all knew he was doing coke and who in their right minds sends 20 emails to 1 staff member between 2 and 3 am? Anyway I've blogged about him before. He just treated people as expendable. He didnt' invest any resources in them or work through anything. People came and went every week. The record was apparently 24 hours. One walked out calling him a pig - wish I'd seen that! Then I decided it was time for something with no pressure - so I was offered a job at the local fruit and veg. The unhappiest place in the world to work. Very few happy full timers there! Nice to see some people taking pride in their jobs and their work so seriously but when you get in trouble for the way you pack 7 oranges into a bucket me thinks nah not for me ..time to move on. And when the boss swears at 16 year olds because he's forgotten to tell them their roster. Staff turnover there was second to bad boss #1. He was a moody moody bastard - really miserable. Then there's job number 3 where I've been for the last 9 months. Sales are up 45% on the same period last year, not a word of thanks or praise. Begrudingly paid me every fortnight and always a day or 2 late because she was too busy to do our pays. I think the last one was professional jealousy. A grateful client brought me flowers one day - I should have known when she dumped them in the bin after a few days when they started to wilt slightly. Then a second client did the same thing as a thank you. I knew I was a goner then!! Yesterday as I left she looked up from a desk and said I'm really sorry I haven't acknowledged today at all (my last day) - I mean here's a card and pushed it over to me with the most pathetic words in it. It was a slap in the face. I mean for the first time in 5 years she had a week's holiday and the business ran like clockwork. I could manage it completely and had far more product knowledge and industry experience than her. I just wanted to look her in the eye and tell her what a pathetic cow she is. Anyways it has only reinforced that it's been so the right decision to move on ...I hope!! Fingers crossed I can report good things on the blog in 6 months time. I won't say a word before then as I just want to settle in and see how things unfold. I am acutely aware that the common denominator in the last 3 jobs has been me so I'm doing a bit of soul searching and examining my work ethic and capabilities, however, not having any feedback from anyone other than customers makes it hard. But all the feedback from clients and customers was incredibly positive so I'll take solace in that. It struck me too that with all these bad bosses - it's just bad manners on a really basic level most of them have so little courtesy to their employees. They think that by employing you and paying you they are doing you a favour. None of them appreciate that it cuts both ways and offering encouragement, praise, courtesy they may actually get loyalty and respect. None of my recent bosses in the last 2 years have earned my respect beyond the fact that I admire they have the unenviable task of running a business and managing staff. The only thing I've learnt from them is how not to do things. Bring on the next boss and a positive work experience.