Hey, I am an in-house Art Director who works with a Marketing Manager. We have a very similar problem with our mutual superior, the CEO, who has poor taste. He insists on seeing every project and making changes too it. He is incapable of approving something without the words 'let's just add' or 'this just needs.' I suspect he feels it is his job to tell me how 'dull and pink' a shade of orange is while pointing to his laptop's uncalibrated TN-panel display. However, his employees know how smoothly the company runs when he's on vacation.

Oh yes, the company colors: orange and teal. Why? Because the CEO likes orange. Teal because he hates blue. He wears orange belts. He has an orange phone case. His chair is orange leather. He shows no restraint in his ruthless application of a bright saturated hue #30 to t-shirts, notebook covers, and even the front door stop. My email pointing out that these bright toy-like colors make our very expensive services feel cheap was not replied to.

The marketing manager has the same problem. The CEO often reads content for the website or press release. Again, he must rewrite it in his own voice, using industry terms, and adding a pinch of arrogance. For example, the opening sentence on the service page is: "[company name] is what happened when big data finally ran into digital." It is remarkable in that it fails to explain to readers what we do, while simultaneously makes us sound like assholes.

I struggle to deal with this. I was very excited when I was first hired. I regularly worked beyond 40 hours to make the changes from his last minute comments and meet deadlines. After all, I was new and knew little about this seemingly complex company. Now I realize the changes weren't because I was new, it was just the way the company worked. Over time I have seen myself become openly bitter and hostile in meetings when faced with dozens of current projects and someone telling me to make deep drastic changes during the 11th hour for a reason not mentioned in the original creative brief. If I was a freelancer I would (ideally) have enough work to tell this particular client that I cannot help him anymore. But since I am in-house I have to focus on the health insurance and regular paychecks. Try to leave work at work (I know it's hard, especially in this profession) and do something you want to do when you get home. Personally, I am applying to a masters program for applied cognitive psychology. You've identified a problem. You can't change how your Dean operates at that university, so identify a on achievable goal that removes yourself from under that particular person. Oh, and venting helps.