Nowadays an employee’s worst nightmare is having a bad boss. Almost everyone has to bear such a boss once in his career life. If you are also one of them then you have my sympathy. Few years back, when I was working as an ad manager in a magazine, we had a boss who drove all of us crazy. He would start paroling the halls at 5:30 to prevent workers from taking an early leave. He would make your assignments hell by micromanaging them all the time.
He never encouraged his employees instead always yell at them and he loved interfering in everyone’s business. We started referring to him as The Hitler. All his bad habits damaged him at the end because all the employees started leaving the department one by one. He was the perfect example of a lousy boss. I can understand that having a bad boss is a very stressful situation and you surely want to quit your job all the time. But I suggest you to try to improve your situation if you surely want to work there and love your job. Recent survey shows the following types of bosses described by employees:
- Self oriented
- Stubborn
- Impulsive
- Overly demanding
- Interruptive
Methods to Deal with Bad Boss
Following methods will definitely help you out to resolve your issues with your bad boss.
Make Sure You are Dealing with Bad Boss
Before trying to figure out the solution, first remind yourself that you are dealing with a bad boss. When he does something wrong, try to remain calm and forgive him. Summon up all your courage and start a mission to handle this situation. To solve any problem, awareness about the issue and the reasons behind it are very important to understand.
Identify Prime Motivations
Its very important for you to understand what your boss actually wants. Try to walk in his steps and then see his management style. Once you know his priorities, you can explain your opinion and discuss your problem keeping his motivations in mind. Try to figure out his real motive before handling him
Work with Your Boss, Not Against Him
Although it sounds very tempting to sabotage your rude boss or make him feel lower but don’t do it. Undermining your boss will only damage you in the long run. So work with him and help him accomplish his goals. Try your level best to make his company succeed. I know it’s the last thing you want to do when you hate that person but its better to be constantly against him.
Don’t Bad mouth Your Boss
Never ever complain about your boss in front of your coworkers. Ii may feel very tempted to you but it can damage you badly. Keep all your negative feelings to yourself or discuss it with people outside work. Also avoid criticizing your boss in front of superiors as it will lower down your value and respect. Your trust level will be decreased. You will get in a very bad situation if your words get back to your boss by one of your evil fellows. So remember that you should look like an agreeable person not a complaining crank.
Figure Out Your Boss’s Weakness
Although it sounds very tempting to exploit your boss’s weakness but it will not make you succeed further. So try to manage your boss’s weakness and help him resolve his issues. If he is always late for meetings then reschedule them according to his timings. If he is facing difficulty in organizing reports before dead line then offer your help instead of criticizing him. In this way you will be in his good books and he will be grateful to you eventually.
Praise Your Boss When His Decision is Right
It is a wrong belief that praise should only flow from managers to employees. Every person likes to get praised on his efforts. So if you like any decision or act of your boss then acknowledge his efforts and praise him. But remember that you should not look clingy and buttering. It should sounds like a genuine encouragement.
Talk About Your Problem
If you want to resolve your issues with your boss then speak up about your problems. Staying silent would never help you. Most of the time bosses have no idea about how their behavior is affecting the employees. So explain your problem in a professional manner to your boss because it will eventually help you in the long run. Set a time to talk with your boss and give evidence and examples of how his behavior has affected your work. It will increase your confidence and interaction with your rude boss.
Make Yourself Right First
Before criticizing your boss, first you should take a look at your behavior. Make sure that you are working efficiently, meeting all the goals on time, communicating effectively etc. Start thinking about the things you can do to improve yourself and focus on making yourself better.If your boss is still being unreasonable and rude then you will be satisfied that its all upto him now.
Be Professional
No matter how much you want to act childish by showing up late at work, annoying your boss etc , avoid doing such silly things. Try to be professional all the time even if your boss is being childish and unprofessional. Maintain your dignity if you are having a conflict so that your boss look like the one who is wrong not you. So never stoop down to his level and act mature.
Don’t Lose Your Sense of Humor
I know lousy boss can be very frustrating but don’t allow him to get on your nerves. Don’t lose your sense of humor and be happy. Remember that your workplace is not your whole life so keep yourself motivated. So the next time your boss is being angry at you or annoys you, laugh about it later and don’t take it seriously.
FINAL SOLUTIONS
If in spite of all your efforts, your situation is not improving then try the following:
i. Talk to your senior supervisors
ii. Get yourself transferred to a different department
iii. Take action and consult an attorney
iv. Research about switching jobs first
v. Change your job
So never get frustrated if you are having a bad boss instead try to handle the situation in a peaceful manner. If your job is worth it, make every possible effort to cope with the situation. But if you are not that much interested try the final solutions and get rid of the Hitler as fast as you can.
