Six Proven Ways to Deal with a Bad Boss by Rick Conlow
Not surprisingly, bad boss behavior is really
harmful. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health says 77% of
employees receive significant stress symptoms from a bad boss. Research
published in the Journal of Business and Psychology shows that negative
leadership behavior produces lower employee morale and emotional distress.
How do you handle a bad boss? First, consider
that you can't change the person. For whatever reason, your boss is unable to
lead people well. Yet, the reality is that many companies keep terrible bosses
if they achieve their numbers or have personal relationships with key clients
or executives. Second, you can only control and change how you respond. If you
need or want to keep the job, don't allow yourself to be a victim or whine
about the situation. While it isn't necessarily easy to tolerate what's
happening, here are six proven methods you can use to train that horrible boss
and minimize your suffering.
1. Control yourself:
You spend way too much time at work to let a
bad boss ruin your career or family life. You start to handle a bad boss best
by working on yourself first. Center yourself by doing an honest self-inventory
about your strengths and areas to improve. Are you sure it isn't you that has a
problem? If it's the boss, find some personal ways to let off steam:
relaxation, exercise, talking with others or taking strategic timeouts. Take
the high road, treat your boss with respect, learn to do a great job or at
least a better job. Why does this matter? If you do your job above reproach,
you lessen your bad boss's impact on your work performance, and you will feel
better about yourself.
2. Clarify priorities:
Ask your boss for a meeting to clarify his or
her expectations. Take notes. Create a plan, with goals and action steps for
your responsibilities. Then present it and ask for input. Listen and make
appropriate adjustments. Why will this help? You are minimizing
misunderstandings about what has to be done and why. The incompetent boss will
often be delighted with your initiative, sparing them that necessity. Nearly
all bosses will appreciate this approach because it saves them time and effort.
3. Communicate upward:
Most bad bosses, especially the tyrants, hate
surprises. Regularly let your boss know what's going on: email, meetings,
casual update. One of my coaching clients had a obsessive data-driven manager
who sent long emails at all hours. Other employees became overwhelmed and
started complaining to one another. This caused them serious backlash from him.
My client managed his boss with good follow-up on key priorities. It provided
him lots of space his co-workers never received.
However, don't overdo the communication; learn
the timing and process that seems to work best for your boss. By doing this you
will also learn other information that will help you help your boss look good.
Why is this helpful? This isn't "brown nosing" here. You are
specifically checking in to keep your boss off your back and to make a tough
situation better for you. A common mistake in dealing with bad bosses is
avoiding or retreating from them. This just adds to your trouble.
4. Confront strategically:
The book, Leadership Secrets of Attila the Hun,
by Wess Roberts, provides a clue for a dealing with a horrible leader. Be
principled, but don't be stupid. If you fight a bad boss on everything you most
likely will lose. One manager I worked with took no gruff from anyone and had
some serious arguments with his no-nonsense manager. While my friend made his
points, he also lost his job when he could ill afford to do so. Pick your
fights and confront positively, with key data and plans to support your point
of view. Document your concerns when communicating with a bad boss, and keep a
copy. How does this help? You will gain the boss's respect, you maintain your
integrity, and you have a record.
5. Consult others:
Discreetly talk to other people you work with.
How do they experience your boss? Is it just you? What's working for them? What
isn't working? How do others handle situations like yours? Do this to broaden
your perspective and maybe pick up a new idea or two.
You may consider talking to your boss's boss.
Research the status of their relationship. What kind of leader is this leader?
Is she like your boss or is the person approachable? Bring your documentation
when meeting with her and refer to it, if it seems like she is empathetic to
you. Going over your manager's head can come back to haunt you. Do this
thoughtfully and carefully.
6. Contact HR:
Use this approach if nothing seems to get
better. You have to gauge the type of Human Resource team you have. Are they
compliance driven or are they employee advocates? If they are compliance driven
they will often take the boss' side, which doesn't help you. And, bad bosses
tend to get resentful. Most often it ends badly for employees. If they are
employee advocates you may gain some helpful counsel while they investigate and
keep your comments anonymous. Some organizations have employee hotlines
coordinated through HR. Research it, before you use it.
You have to determine if can you live in the
situation your boss creates. If you can, use these six tips to help. If you
can't, you can always quit giving yourself a chance for a fresh start, but
getting another job first. Of course, you could wish you worked at Amazon, who
recently announced they will pay unhappy employees to leave.
ORIGINAL TEXT (https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20140414031208-64275548-6-proven-ways-to-deal-with-a-bad-boss)
TO PRINT
No comments:
Post a Comment