From a lack of organisational skills and lateness to capriciousness and forgetfulness, there is no end to the number of difficult traits a boss can possess. For help coping with a difficult boss, our employee guide covers all the bases.
Support Your Boss’ Success
Whilst your dislike for your boss may make it difficult for you to root for them, making things difficult for them or facilitating their failure will do little for you. By supporting your boss, you create a solid foundation for your own success in the long run.
Instead of wasting your time and effort complaining about these things or trying to make your boss look bad, focus this energy on proactively working around these weaknesses. Offering to kickstart meetings that your boss tends to be late to and documenting interactions so that you can refer back to them in the face of contradictions are just a couple of the many ways to counteract your boss’s shortcomings and avoid falling victim to the fallout.
Take the High Road
Acting with unwavering integrity is the most important lesson a bad boss can teach you. When your distaste for your boss turns into resentment, stay focused on top performance at work and maintain an upbeat and engaged personality during the working day.
No matter how valid your feelings are about a poor culture and a lack of management at your company, mentally checking out and slipping into a poor attitude towards your work (such as slacking off, taking long lunches, and drops in performance) can significantly harm your career. Taking the high road will avoid you facing any unwanted repercussions.
However, it is important that you do allow yourself to vent your frustrations outside of the working day to avoid those feelings bubbling up and taking over. Complaining to your spouse or your friends, but not your colleagues or anyone linked to your workplace, is a healthy way to stay on top of your negative feelings towards work.
Sometimes our negative feelings can go beyond this to the point that it starts to take over our lives, especially in cases of workplace bullying, harassment, and unrealistic deadlines. If you think you are suffering from work-related stress, it is important you seek help in the form of stress management therapy through a licenced stress therapist.
Adapt To Your Boss’ Preferences
Free and paid personality assessments such as the Myers-Briggs Personality Test and DISC Personality Assessment undoubtedly have their weaknesses. However, taken with a pinch of salt, these tests can be a helpful tool to help you to understand your boss more and, in turn, understand how to deal with them.
From changing your way of completing tasks to adjusting the way you conduct yourself in the breakroom, adapting to suit your boss’ preferences can spare you a lot of strain and help you to speak their language. This is a valuable and effective corporate skill and a sneaky way to manage your boss without them even knowing it!
Seek Employment Law Advice
When it comes to coping with a difficult boss, managing up can only get you so far. If the issues you’re experiencing with your boss extend past annoyance and inconvenience to the point of affecting your job satisfaction or career trajectory, seeking employment law advice can help you to explore your options.
Whether you’re facing issues related to unfair dismissal, workplace discrimination, harassment, wage disputes, or any other employment-related matter, an employment solicitor can help you navigate a number of stressful situations and find a solution that you are content with and deserve.