There are good bosses and bad bosses, but sometimes you’re not so lucky. Your boss is a key figure in your career advancement so, like it or not, he or she will play a major role in your life.
What happens if your boss is far from ideal? How do you deal with him or her?
The Five “Bad” Bosses and the Keys to Dealing with Them
- Everything is Treated as an Emergency
Work is stressful on its own. Unfortunately, some bosses make the situation more stressful than it should be. Everything he hands over is due “immediately” and is of utmost importance – or else all hell will break loose- in his eyes that is.
The solution: The key to dealing with this type of boss is to understand his stress triggers and plan accordingly. If he turns into a drill sergeant at the end of every month, be prepared to render overtime and possibly accommodate extra tasks. And, don’t forget to voice out your concerns.
Tell him you find it difficult to figure out which are the most important tasks. Let him know you want to do a great job, and figuring out which tasks are most important to him will help you accomplish things as he expects.
- Boss Steals Credit for Your Work
You slave all week on a project only to find your boss took all the credit. This is not only detrimental to your career advancement, it eats up your morale as well. Unfortunately, accusing your boss of taking credit won’t help.
The solution: Find ways to let the rest of the organization know the work you put in, before your boss steals your thunder. If you plan to talk to your boss, put a positive twist to your tone. Don’t directly accuse him of stealing credit for your work.
- Playing Favorites
It is human nature to prefer certain people over others, even in the most professional and rigid environment. Gossiping or complaining about your manager’s tendency to play favorites will do more harm than good, so don’t do it.
The solution: Be proactive. Find ways to get on your boss’s good side. Take notes about his favorite pet. Who knows, you just might pick up some good habits. There is a reason after all, why your boss prefers this individual.
- Dictatorial Management
In a perfect world, everyone is easy to approach and communication lines are open. Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon to have a boss who is difficult to deal with.
The solution: If your boss isn’t doing anything illegal or abusive, just observe and pinpoint your boss’s seeming dislike of you. It could be something you’ve done or something in him that you can’t control. Focus on doing a good job and see if that helps. If the boss is mean to the point of crossing boundaries, you might have to talk to the human resources department.
- When your boss is all over the place
What happens when you’re babysitting your boss because he lacks the focus needed to get the job done? It’s a double duty disaster! Aside from your workload, you have the ungodly task of nagging your boss about deadlines, projects, and targets.
The solution: When faced with this type of boss, being very proactive is the way to go. Find out how best to communicate with him. Maybe emails catch his attention or writing down your concerns and notes work better. The trick is to find what makes him tick and work around his habits and work style.
The human element is crucial in any workplace and getting to know your boss’s professional habits will help in your career advancement. Remember to keep your cool and don’t let emotions get in the way of your relationship.