How to cope with bad boss
We all dream to have a good boss, that will motivate us, we will help and inspire us. But we don’t get it. If you came across a bad boss, before you open a war it is necessary to understand the reason for his bad behavior.
Why your boss is bad?
Some bosses are bad by nature, even in his private life. Very often they have problems in relations with other people and feel unhappy. They want to dominate above others and always mock the staff who are under them.
Then, there are those leaders who do not want to be bad. Often they are not aware when they cause additional stress in their employees. Even think everything is done properly and that’s what good leaders do.
To select the correct strategy for dealing with your boss, you need to know what caused his misconduct, with which he deserve the label “bad boss”.
Promoted for the wrong reasons. It happens very often to get a boss who does not have knowledge of the area in which he operates and don’t know how to be a good leader. Political or family ties are doing their job, and you can easily have a boss, who doesn’t know what he’s doing.
Lack of feedback. Many managers do not know much, because no one wants to tell them that they’re wrong.This type of bosses do not want to listen to advice or recommendations of his employees, and thus destroys the communication and do not receive good feedback. They believe that they’re good leaders and that they shouldn’t change anything, because nobody has not told them the truth.
Reduction of communication ‘face to face’. Nowadays, most companies make their communication electronically. When your boss wants to increase communication, he often sends e-mail. The absence of direct contact creates a barrier for discussion and understanding. This leads the bosses to a bad relationship with their employees.
Micromanagement. Your boss wants to be part of every decision and every detail in the company, no matter how insignificant it is. Perhaps it is because a failure in his past, which he can no longer afford. So now he’s constantly hanging over your head and gets angry whenever you miss to tell him something.
Bad character. Some bosses are simply bad and in their professional and their personal life.They enjoy when there is someone over whom they have authority and power and use it. This type of bosses are the worst because even be the best, they will never be satisfied and never will change their attitudes to you.
There are many different reasons that make your boss bad, but now it is important to learn how to deal with that problem.
Tips to deal with bad boss in a good way
Set priorities for your tasks. Make a list of all the tasks you are given. In that list include the time and resources you need to complete these tasks. Sort them in importance and show him that list in your boss. Look for his agreement.
In the meantime if you get a new task, ask your boss, how big priority has the new task. So your work will be organized and at the same time will not give your boss reason to behave badly towards you, because late finish of a task.
Find out what your boss expects of you. Do not assume what is expected of you – know. Because it can happen that you think the problem is not with you, but actually it is.
Establish uniform style of working. All bosses process the information in different ways. Some are ‘listeners’ and want to be verbally informed about everything, because they ask to ask many questions. Others were ‘readers’ and want to submit information in written form, to have time to process it and then to discuss. If you know what style of work your boss like, you can adjust to it and to avoid unpleasant, tense talks.
Show respect. No matter how your boss got to that position and whether he shows the proper responsibility for that position or not, you should show respect to him. However, he is above you and your financial security depends mainly from him. Only if you have respect for him, you can expect it to return to the same extent.
Do not underestimate and criticize him before your colleagues. Often your boss may not be familiar with things as you are. But you should never afford to underestimate and humiliated him in front of other colleagues, because he can lose his authority and it may fall upon you. When you have advice or suggestion or want to better explain things, do not play smart in front of other colleagues, but tell it alone to your boss. So he will not feel stupid, and you will benefit his confidence.
When these tips are not helping you and your boss does not improve their attitude towards you, then it is time to stop being victim and to actively do something.
Talk with your boss. Never start the conversation, if you’re not alone. Choose a comfortable time and talk openly with him, but with respect. Display examples when you felt uncomfortable because of his behavior and how it affects the performance of your duties. If your boss is a professional, he’ll understand that and will try to explain his behavior. This conversation can improve, but also sometimes can worsen your relationship, so be careful how you approach.