How To Handle A Bad Boss Situation
In our climb up the corporate ladder, sooner or later, most of us
encounter a bad boss. Bosses, of course, are only human and
can have bad days, money problems or family crises, just like the
rest of us. Or they might be dealing with a bad boss themselves.
Often, though, unfortunately, theyre just someone whos
landed in the wrong position for his or her personality and experience.
A little prevention goes a long way in helping you deal with a
bad boss: Manage the situation, rather than allowing it to
manage you. Abstain from displaying negative behavior, and keep
focused on building your own career. Dont let someone whos
less on the ball than you are drive you away from a job that you
love and are good at.
Below are five typical bad-boss personality types, plus strategies
for dealing with each one.
The Idiot. Idiots make you wonder how in the world they
ever became managers in the first place. Their decisions are not
well thought out, and, in many cases, their thought processes are
just plain stupid or uninformed. Its difficult to fathom how
they think; consequently, you cant anticipate what they want
from you. Your best course of action is to distance yourself as
much as possible. You don't want guilt by association. But you still
need to make them look good.
The Back-Stabber. These bosses praise everything you do.
Then they speak negatively about you behind your back. Its
helpful to clear the air with Back-stabber Bosses. Don't internalize
the hurt. Ask to speak with them privately. Tell the truth and don't
mince words. It may not alleviate the problem, but at least they
will know where you stand. Chances are, once they recognize that
you are aware of their behavior and that you will stand your ground,
they will be less likely to repeat their actions.
The Glory Hog. Glory Hogs are insecure in the position of
authority they hold. They take credit for everything that is accomplished
by those under their command. The better you make
this boss look, the better your relationship becomes. I'm not saying
that you need to give away all the glory. Its your responsibility
to get credit for the things that you do. Just be sure to mention
your boss and your team leader. Acknowledge that the project was
a success, because you worked for X and that X was behind the scenes
all the way.
The Parent. This boss is overly protective, trying to hold
you back from accepting challenges, so youre not at risk of
making mistakes. Unfortunately, this type of boss won't allow you
to grow, either. The best way to work with this type of boss is
to continually push for more changes and responsibility. Document
your successes. Demonstrate why you should be given a shot at more
difficult assignments. If you have testimonials from customers or
clients about your performance, use them. If they want to play parent,
make them proud of you.
The Lunatic. Theres no understanding or predicting
what this type of boss will do from one day to the next. Typically,
Lunatics have a short fuse. They tend to get angry or lash out unreasonably
at colleagues. Dont stoop to their level by arguing or complaining.
Keep a cool head and a closed mouth. If any exchange gets overheated,
just excuse yourself. Better to remove yourself from the situation
than to say something you will really regret.
Hail to These Chiefs! Count Yourself Lucky If You Have One of These
. . .
The Coach. This boss is motivational and inspiring. He or
she will constantly challenge you to aspire to new levels and is
quick to recommend you to other associates. The Coachs desire
for you to achieve success may occasionally get you in over your
head, so be sure that you are up to the task whenever accepting
a new opportunity.
The Teacher. This boss is very patient and understanding
and really wants you to learn your job and the business. Sometimes
the Teacher can be too understanding and not give you enough rope
to make your own mistakes or decisions.
The Mentor. This boss (usually a man) has an open-door policy.
One caution: don't go to your Mentor every time you have a difficult
decision to make. Save the ear time for when you really have a problem
that seems insurmountable.
Bosses, good or bad, come and go. The important thing is
to remain flexible and look to the future. If you have a bad boss,
the next one may be a superlative one. Most important, don't let
a bad boss affect your job performance. Figure out how to make the
best of the circumstances, and learn from the experience how to
be the best kind of boss, when your turn comes.
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