The dictionary defines a control freak as "a person who feels an obsessive need to exercise control over themselves and others and to take command of any situation." Whether at work or in our own love life, we've all encountered someone who fits this description to a tee. Maybe it's the surly supervisor who puts her nose in even the most minute things, like how many Post-It Notes the department is going through weekly.  Then there's the controlling partner who has to know where you are at all hours of the day.  The common thread here is that these individuals:  Treat you as if you were a child Seem suspicious of your every move Are possessive Are insecure  Make you feel as though you can't be trusted  So why are these folks this difficult? Yes, it could be that it's in their nature, where their need for self-control spills into their relationships. But more often than not, someone in their past caused them to be this way, whether it was an employee they ca...

Contrary to popular belief, it isn't how much money you make, how engrossed you are in your work, the work/life balance the job affords, or whether you feel what you do makes a difference in the world. While those things are certainly important, the single biggest determinant of on-the-job satisfaction is whether you get along with your boss and co-workers . I have several friends and a couple of relatives who have resigned from their jobs despite genuinely enjoying the work and being handsomely compensated. In each case, they either had a toxic boss or one or more co-workers who had a penchant for stabbing them on the back. Let's face it: No amount of money an employer throws at us -- whether it's $75,000 or $5 million a year -- can compensate for having to tolerate an abusive supervisor or conniving co-workers. Given that most of us spend 40 or more hours at the office each week, having to put up with such behavior can eventually take a serious toll on us -- physi...