Dealing with a Difficult Boss

10 Tips on Handling Bad, Bossy Behavior

Chances are you’re going to encounter a difficult boss at some point in your career. Struggles with your boss can seep into your personal life, causing you to stress about your job even when you’re not in the office. It’s important that you develop a few coping skills so that you can handle such situations with composure and ease. Here are 10 tips to better manage a difficult boss:

1. Evaluate your own performance.

Perhaps your boss has been critical of your work. Or maybe the struggles you’re experiencing have more to do with bad chemistry than a flawed supervisor. Step back and evaluate your own performance and behavior with a critical eye. Is there something you’re doing to contribute to the problem? Are some of your boss’s criticisms valid? If necessary, take ownership for your role in the poor relationship and take steps to improve what you can.

2. Do good work.

Don’t give a bad boss any ammunition. Do the best work you can. This includes fulfilling your assignments, working as a team player, and participating in good communication.

3. Consider what you want.

Is the situation bad enough for you to leave? Or do you expect that things will improve after some time has passed? Evaluate the situation and weigh it against all the pros and cons. It may be worth looking for work elsewhere.

4. Discuss rather than confront.

It may be necessary to talk with your boss about what you view to be unfair and, possibly, abusive behavior. When you do meet with him/her, ensure that you discuss rather than confront. Approaching the situation offensively will generally make it negative and combative. Have discussion points ready and back up statements with concrete examples.

5. Don’t get emotional.

And when you do talk with your boss, check your emotions at the door. Becoming emotional is unprofessional and will generally escalate the discussion into a heated debate where things become personal and, often, hurtful.

6. Have a backup plan.

If you plan to discuss the situation and the need for improvement, you need to have a hard and fast backup plan; it’s difficult to have leverage with your boss if you have no other options. If you’re serious about seeing changes in the workplace, you must be willing to leave if your boss shoots you down. Having a job offer from another organization is a great form of leverage.

7. Don’t engage in negative behavior.

Two wrongs don’t make a right. Just because your boss exhibits bad behavior doesn’t justify you following suit. Try to be as upbeat as possible, ignoring your boss’s bad behavior while complimenting good behavior.

8. Go through the proper chain of command.

You’re only a tattletale when you complain to upper management instead of first approaching your boss. While it’s not unreasonable to move up the chain of command once you’ve gotten no response from your boss, it’s unfair to everyone involved if you don’t at least attempt reconciliation with your supervisor first.

9. Rally the troops.

Perhaps you’re not the only one frustrated with your boss’s behavior. While it’s unprofessional to gang up on a boss, it is reasonable to point out a common frustration and suggest ways of improving it. And your boss might recognize the validity of a complaint voiced by more than one employee.

10. Document everything.

If you decide to stay, it’s not a bad idea to properly document your boss’s misbehavior in case the situation escalates to a showdown before upper management. If you’ve documented everything, you’ll be able to argue your side without getting emotional. A paper trail is much more professional than a public display of your frustrations.It’s never fun to deal with a difficult boss, but if you take measures to temper the situation, chances are things will get better for everyone involved.