If you’re here, chances are you’ve encountered one. You know exactly who I mean by “Dave.” They are that person at work making your life harder, stranger, and infinitely more frustrating than it needs to be. (And if your name is actually Dave – sorry, mate, it’s nothing personal! I just needed a kid-friendly code word for “dickhead” around my house.) From now on, “Dave” is our tongue-in-cheek safe word for every infuriating office idiot out there. And oh boy, do we have plenty to talk about.

Who Is This Blog For? (AKA, Yes, You)

This blog is for anyone navigating the theatre of the absurd we call work. Whether you’re trapped in a corporate cubicle, running a small business, or hustling as a freelancer, if you deal with people professionally, you’ve met your share of Daves. How can you tell you’re in the right place? Well, have you ever:

• Sat through a two-hour meeting that should have been an email?

• Received an email and then a follow-up five minutes later “just circling back 🙂” on the thing you haven’t even had a chance to ignore yet?

• Been forced to fill out mind-numbing performance grids or paperwork that no one ever reads?

• Looked around the office and wondered “Is this real life, or a parody?”

If you found yourself nodding (or laughing) at any of the above, congratulations: this blog is your new home. You’re not crazy—or at least, not the only crazy one. We’ve all looked at workplace madness and thought, “There’s no way I’m the only sane person here… right?” Take a deep breath and relax. You’re among friends who get it.

Why “Dealing with Dave”? (What’s In a Name?)

You might be wondering who Dave is and why I’m so keen on dealing with him. Truth is, “Dave” is the code word I used instead of “dickhead” when my kids were around. (Parenting pro-tip: creative censorship keeps the house PG and your sanity intact.) If I stubbed my toe or got cut off in traffic, I’d grumble something like, “Oh, that Dave in accounting…” instead of spouting unprintable curses. Over time, the name stuck as shorthand for every workplace wally, nincompoop, and self-important bureaucrat I ranted about. Thus, Dealing with Dave was born!

No offense to the real Daves of the world – I’m sure most of you are lovely. In our context, Dave is that special colleague or boss who tests your patience daily. Think of this blog as a way to expose and exorcise the workplace “dickheads” (with a wink and a smile), all under the more socially acceptable guise of “Dave.” We’re here to call out the nonsense with sharp sarcasm and hard-earned humor. After all, sometimes the only way to stay sane in a crazy office is to laugh at the insanity (preferably when Dave isn’t looking).

What Can You Expect Here?

Dealing with Dave is equal parts observational humour and survival manual for the working world. I will update the blog weekly, shining a spotlight on the latest office absurdity or corporate creature that deserves a good roast. Here’s what’s in store:

• Weekly Dave Archetypes: Every week you’ll meet a new archetype of workplace jerk (affectionately dubbed “Dave”). I’ll introduce you to their habits, dissect what makes them tick, and give you a hilarious profile of their nonsense and genuinely useful tips for surviving them. Think of it as collecting Pokémon, except all the characters are middle managers and conference-call warriors you’d rather delete from your inbox.

A sneak peek at some Daves you might recognize:

• The Corporate Politician – A master of spin who climbs the ladder without ever doing real work.

• The Over-Analyzer – Turns every simple decision into a six-month research saga.

• The Passive-Aggressive Emailer – Weaponizes phrases like “Per my last email…” and CC’s everyone for maximum guilt-tripping.

• The HR Gatekeeper – Lives and dies by arbitrary policy.

• The Micromanager – Treats delegation like a four-letter word, hovering over every tiny detail.

• The Credit Vulture – Disappears during hard work, only appearing when praise is being handed out.

• The Consultant – An outsider paid a fortune to sell your ideas back to management as revolutionary.

Survival Guides & Satire: Expect plenty of tongue-in-cheek survival tips for office life, from crafting the perfect passive-aggressive email response to navigating soul-draining review cycles. We’re talking satirical how-tos and totally legitimate frameworks like the “Dave Matrix™” or Buzzword Bingo cards to cope with endless meetings and corporate speak.

Relatable Rants and Ridiculous Tales: Ever feel like your workday could be a sitcom episode? Read “day in the life” stories chronicling epic showdowns with office absurdity. Laugh at my pain, cringe in recognition, and say, “thank goodness it’s not just me!”

Welcome to the Club (Bring Your Own Eye-Roll)

At Dealing with Dave, no workplace absurdity is off-limits. This is your space to laugh at the things that usually make us want to cry or scream into a pillow. Think of it as group therapy with punchlines instead of platitudes. Swap war stories, reclaim your sanity through satire, and enjoy knowing that the Daves aren’t going anywhere—but neither are we.

Grab your favorite drink, get comfy, and let’s tackle workplace madness together. And again: apologies to actual Daves everywhere—it’s not you, it’s them!