As more and more unbearable bosses seem to creep out from their corner offices to make our workweeks -- and lives -- miserable, you might wonder, "Have we had more full moons than usual lately?"While all workers have their own definition of a monster boss, most share these same creature features:Super-critical with unrealistic expectationsConstant and volatile mood swingsResistant to changeLives to work, with few interests outside the officeBelieves employees are responsible for company failures, while management is responsible for company successAlthough working for a monster boss can be frightening, most employees learn valuable lessons from the experience -- then they run screaming for the door! Public dressing downTake Beth K., a graphic designer in central Indiana, who worked for a monster boss who thrived on embarrassing her employees, especially in public. "I've always been taught to show respect for authority figures," Beth says. "So I usually bottled up all my frustration and vented at home to my husband. 'Sweating it out' at the gym also helped." Beth finally learned that she didn't have to put up with bad treatment in a situation she couldn't change. "I'd gained all the experience I could in that job," she says. "Then it was time to move on."Beth found that positive work environments really do exist. "My new boss trusts me to do my job and gives positive feedback," she says. "Mistakes aren't the end of the world, but learning opportunities. He gives credit where it's due. He's just a nice, realistic and ethical person."Carol G. is an accountant. Like many employees, she unwittingly found herself in a position of high turnover -- a clear warning sign of a potential bad-boss situation. "At only 19 months, I broke the seniority record in that position. I was employee number eight in five years," she says.Since making her move, "My new CEO starts every all-staff meeting by stating, 'I am extremely proud to be working with you all.' Management believes in hiring good people, contributing to their personal and professional development and allowing them to maintain work and home balance. I have it all!"No hello, no job knowledgeSometimes it's not what a boss says that makes him or her a monster -- it's what he or she doesn't say. "My boss never returned my hello as she walked past my desk. As the greeter for the building, it was dehumanizing," says Jen H., a receptionist who suffered with her monster boss for nine months. Despite her boss' snub, Jen maintained her polite manner. "I always tried to be professional and consider my own integrity," she notes.Lack of job knowledge can also turn a new boss into a monster boss. Tracie H., 36, worked as a promotions manager at a Missouri television station for one-and-a-half years. "My boss was financially savvy," Tracie notes. "But she had limited knowledge of broadcast practices. She had extremely unrealistic expectations when it came to project deadlines and output.""My diplomatic skills were not as honed as they are now," Tracie added. "I wasted a lot of time feeling frustrated. That experience taught me to communicate more effectively, to be more candid and ask better questions."Taking credit where it's not dueWhile most monster bosses drive employees from one company or department to another safer place, some choose to go the route of self-employment. Matt M., an attorney, recalls, "If there was a project that deserved credit, my boss was all over the place. But if something wasn't going well, he was nowhere to be found." There's nothing worse than failing to acknowledge an employee's efforts, except maybe taking credit for his ideas or accomplishments. Matt has opened his own law practice. While he admits this situation presents its own set of challenges, he's thrilled to be out from under the claws of a monster boss!