The Clueless Boss
Humor consultant Bob Mankoff is also cartoon editor of The New Yorker. He often uses his drawings to help his clients laugh at the ironies and absurdities of the workplace. The clueless boss is a favorite subject.
©Robert Mankoff/
The New Yorker Magazine 2008/
www.cartoonbank.com
Talking Salary
Discussing paychecks is also a ripe topic for humor consultants.
©Robert Mankoff/
The New Yorker Magazine 2008/
www.cartoonbank.com
Communication
Talking to the boss—especially if it involves delivering bad news—is often particularly intimidating.
©Robert Mankoff/
The New Yorker Magazine 2008/
www.cartoonbank.com
Office Morale
As a topic of discussion, nothing beats office morale and the unthinking ways that managers can choke it to death.
©Robert Mankoff/
The New Yorker Magazine 2008/
www.cartoonbank.com
Ambiguity
In this cartoon, is the boss treating his employees like children, or are the employees acting like grade schoolers?
©Robert Mankoff/
The New Yorker Magazine 2008/
www.cartoonbank.com
Overscheduling
Rebellion against oppressive workloads is fair game for office humor, in the right context.
©Robert Mankoff/
The New Yorker Magazine 2008/
www.cartoonbank.com
Facing Hard Times
"How to Delegate During a Recession" can help employees open up about real problems faced in economic slowdowns.
©Robert Mankoff/
The New Yorker Magazine 2008/
www.cartoonbank.com
Job Security
Pressure to put in long hours at the expense of home and family are frequent causes of employee stress.
©Robert Mankoff/
The New Yorker Magazine 2008/
www.cartoonbank.com
Planning to Plan
The tendency of some organizations to map out every conceivable course of action for every possible scenario can be oppressive.
©Robert Mankoff/
The New Yorker Magazine 2008/
www.cartoonbank.com
Big Brother
From swipe-card entry systems and closed-circuit security cameras to keystroke monitoring software on computers and back-office auditors, it's easy to feel paranoid.
©Robert Mankoff/
The New Yorker Magazine 2008/
www.cartoonbank.com
Blame Game
Everyone's been there: Feeling as though he or she had to take the fall for someone else. Acknowledging how common it is can ease the sting.
©Robert Mankoff/
The New Yorker Magazine 2008/
www.cartoonbank.com
The Ultimate Fear
Being told you've failed—or been fired—aren't easy to discuss with even close friends; humor can make it less taboo.
©Robert Mankoff/
The New Yorker Magazine 2008/
www.cartoonbank.com
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