8 Clever Tips for Dealing With a Difficult Boss
Heading into work every day can be difficult when you know you’re going to be greeted by a boss you don’t like. In an ideal world, all bosses would be wonderful, helpful and understanding. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. Whether you work for someone with anger management issues, a boss that often shows favouritism or even just someone who doesn’t seem good at what they do, here are 10 clever tips for dealing with a difficult boss:
- Are You Sure They’re Being Difficult?
Before you begin your daily plan of action, ensure that your boss is actually the problem. Are you being the best employee you can be and are you dedicating yourself to the job? Observe their behaviour before jumping to any conclusions. Notice how they handle certain situations and ask yourself whether a competent boss would do the same.
- Identify Your Boss’ Motivation
Understanding what exactly prompts your boss behave in a particular way is key. This can give you a great insight into their management style. For example, if they seem to be harsh on how much time you’re taking on your lunch breaks, perhaps they’re just worried about how it looks to other employees and superiors. They may want to give the impression they’ve got everything precisely under control.
- Stay One Step Ahead
When you’re dealing with a micromanager, it’s great to anticipate what their next move might be. That way, you’ve already done what they would have asked for. For example, if you work in real estate and you know you’re going to need to complete the compulsory purchase process, then you can organise it ahead of time. This is a fantastic method to stop micromanaging in its tracks. Soon, they’ll realise you’re always ahead of time, and that they don’t need to keep chasing you up for work.
- Don’t Let It Impact Your Work
Whatever happens, don’t like your boss affect your work. It’s important that you still stay on good terms with other leaders in your company, even if you don’t get on with your current boss. Don’t try to even the score by producing poor work or working slower, as this will only ever reflect poorly on you.
- Set Some Boundaries
If your boss doesn’t appear to have any boundaries, then you must set them. For example, if they answer their work phone out of hours and expect you to do the same, you must make it clear that you won’t.
- Rely On Your Knowledge
You got the job because you’re good at what you’re doing! Trust in your knowledge. If you’re working for a commercial property management company and you’ve got tonnes of experience, then there’s no doubt you know the industry well. Just because someone has the managerial title doesn’t mean they have the right answers all the time.
- Identify Triggers
If your boss has anger management issues, then identifying what triggers their outbursts may make it easier to avoid them. For instance, if they often become frustrated when you don’t arrive exactly at 9am every day, plan your morning so you arrive at 8:45am each day.
- Be a Leader
If you find yourself dealing with an incompetent boss, then sometimes it’s better to make leadership decisions on your own. When you’re confident in the area you’re working in, then it’s worth pursuing a direction if you think it will achieve good results for your company.
