Running a tight ship at Dunder Mifflin remains to be seen, as every manager who has come and gone has either interfered with employees’ work in some way or another, or they have been so uptight that the staff form an uprising.
To say that there have been so many managers in The Office jumping in and out of the manager’s seat like it’s a game of musical chairs, few of them have managed to keep the zany characters at bay. But despite their performances in actually managing the paper company, there are some leaders who people have fallen in love with, and other inadequate dictators that were despised.
Ed Truck
Not much is known about Ed Truck and he only appeared in one episode, when Michael Scott sought advice on how to be a better manager.
All viewers really know of Michael’s predecessor is that Michael is so friendly with his employees because Ed was so hard on him. Michael wanted to be a fun manager instead of one that people feared. In a way, we have Ed Truck to thank for Michael’s immature jokes and hysterical characters.
Charles Minor
Charles Minor, played amazingly by Idris Elba, was the manager who every employee wanted to be and every woman wanted to be with, but he wasn’t remotely likeable.
He was bitter, expected employees to work late, and was unnecessarily short with staff. Buying the office pizza on his first day was as close as he ever came to winning over the paper salesmen, and after his actions led Michael down the route of quitting, he became viewers’ most hated character on the show.
Deangelo Vickers
Deangelo was a hard boss to pin down at first, as he seemed as dumb as Michael when they first met, was a bully to Andy, and he got a shave from a barber in the office as a “power move.” In the end, he was sexist, pitted employees against each other, was a terrible salesman, and a nervous wreck.
After being rushed to the hospital and getting brain damage, the staff quickly forgot about him. He was one hell of a juggler though.
Robert California
Being named a genius by Jim is high praise, and Robert California’s ability to seemingly mind control characters is what makes him fascinating to watch, but someone who calls themselves “the lizard king” whilst berating people not a smart as him is hardly the most relatable Branch Manager.
However, he was only the branch manager for a few minutes before becoming the CEO (which is one of the reasons why he was the best boss,) and he may have won over a few hearts when he invited the entire staff to a party at his mansion after his divorce.
Nellie Bertram
It’s only because somebody didn’t show up to work that Nellie got the role of branch manager, and with already being unqualified, she ended up being one of the most horrible and nasty managers Dunder Mifflin has seen. Though Nellie is one of the most unlikeable branch managers, she became one of the most likeable salespeople.
After her demotion, the writers changed her from being the evil and unrelatable manager to a more rounded out three-dimensional character, getting her some of the best moments in the later seasons.
Dwight Schrute
Dwight might have proved that he’d make a great assistant (to the) regional manager several times, but when in the captain’s chair, he did a terrible job. And though it might have been funny watching Dwight make staff clock in and out and take lunch breaks at different times, it reminded us all too well of that one job from hell we’ve all had.
To top it off, he ended up shooting a gun in the office. However, he did redeem himself in the final season when he was given a second chance.
Andy Bernard
Though there are reasons to believe he is the Scranton Strangler, it’s easy to feel sorry for Andy - he was shot at by Dwight, his family are disappointed in him, and everybody knew his fiancée was cheating on him before he did - which is why he is one of the most likeable managers the show has seen.
He might get the sympathy vote, but he is also a genuinely nice guy, and when he was in the manager’s chair he did everything he could to increase morale and sales.
Kevin Malone
It might be hard to believe and though it may not be official, Kevin was in fact the branch manager of Dunder Mifflin... for one hour. In season nine, he spent the whole sixty minutes spinning on the chair in the manager’s office while Andy, the real manager at the time, sat outside counting down the minutes.
Kevin is an adorable, simple man who would never take advantage of the power of being a manager, unlike almost every other manager there was.
Creed Bratton
Of all of the ridiculous characters in the show who eventually became parodies of themselves, there is one character who has been consistently crazy from the show’s very inception. Creed may have committed a lot of crimes, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t one of the most likeable bosses there has been.
For his short time as manager, he believed he had a personal valet, had his assistant try to translate a made-up language, and created the acronym ‘Boboddy,’ and that was all within the first three minutes of the episode.
Jim Halpert
After a slew of misadventures with Michael Scott for five years, Jim Halpert was the first proper manager of Dunder Mifflin besides the Dundee creator.
Being the crux of the show and by far the sanest character, Jim is easily one of the most likeable branch managers, and that was no more true than when everything was going against him, including Dwight’s hilarious attempts to frame him.
Michael Scott
He might not seem like it due to his pranks and stupid jokes, but Michael is one of the most intelligent branch managers Dunder Mifflin has seen.
This is why he is the most likeable manager in the show bar none, as his incessant need to be approved by his employees actually pays off, and when the time comes that he must act like a manager, he does so in every sense of the word. And if any of his employees are going through personal issues, he is always there for every one of them, except for Toby.