Victim of a Bad or Difficult Boss

Are you feeling too much stress at work because of a bad or difficult boss? Bad management leads to high turnover rates and drives people to quit work. Actually let me correct that, most people do not leave the organization, they leave a bad boss.
There are in fact different types of bad bosses, each having his/her own characteristics. Weeklyworldnews stated ” 7 TYPES OF BAD BOSSES” of which are worth to mention :

1. The Ignoramus : This guy does not know what he is doing and therefore takes terrible decisions.
2. The Evil boss : This guy wants everyone to play his game. This guy will lie, steal and cheat.
3. The Dictator : This guy wants to control everything he can!
4. The Weakling : This guy have no decision skills and avoids them all the time.
5. The Tightwad : Getting a good salary or a promotion of this guy is difficult.

These bosses can also be classified as per “Alexander Kjerulf AKA:The Chief Happiness Officer ”  into three categories:

1. Those who does not know that they are bad.
2. Those that know they are bad and are willing to change.
3. Those who do not care either way.

Now after listing the above , how do you know you have a bad boss? well some of the symptoms (which i’m sure if you have a bad boss, you can list them on your own!):

• Disrespects you
• Blames you for things that you are not totally your responsibility
• Does not believe in the work/family balance,
• Assigns too many tasks within an unreasonable deadline
• Does not give/take feedback
• Does not trust the employees
• Is rude

Now the good part! well you are not powerless, reading your manager and knowing how to deal with his/her personality can save the situation, as follows:

Be positive
Do not always take things negatively until things prove that they actually are. If there are things your boss is doing that are making you unhappy at work then probably he/she is doing it for some unseen purpose. Put yourself in the manager’s shoes and find out why he/she is acting in this way. Do not judge things fast; observe and analyze the situation many times before you assume that the boss has bad intentions.

Avoid the repaying method “evil for evil”
Do not lose your nerves when your boss talks in a negative tone and becomes abusive. Fight the temptation and remain calm and act professional. People around you are observing who is the “jerk”. Your boss’s boss may be observing or getting the news from others at the office, so no matter what stay professional and leave the good impression.

Even if you have decided that there is nothing more to lose and you are ready for a fight, DO RECONSIDER! Think about it for a second; this will kill you career, and if it did not then one day you might need to do some business with your current boss again..”play it wise”.

Document your work
Keep a journal of all the compliments you may have received through email, bonuses, chat logs from others, and all what can come to your hands as an evidence of your hard work and accomplishments.

You should also use objective evidences such as “completed my project on timeline by Jan 2nd, 2012”.
In case things went too wrong, this will support you as a good evidence of your hard and efficient work. This can also help you with “TIGHTWAD” bosses in salary raises or promotions.

Find the right time and talk about it
If your boss does not know that they are bad, and if they are willing to improve, then you should find some time away from meetings so you could talk about what’s bothering you.

Praise your manager for the good things he/she does
Some think that compliments of achievements should only flow form the managers down to employees. Well news break, managers are human too! words of praise encourage them to improve and make their employees happier.

Base work and communication on documentation
Try to work on documented requests only. Preserve a backup of emails that contains eligible content and as evidence for your boss’s requests and/or potentially bad attitude.

Try to detach your self emotionally from your boss and cope with him/her
Some managers are not open to changes and therefore you should start creating more options. With options you will feel less trapped and therefore start dealing with other departments and building networks with professional people in the field.

• Learn how to base your work life with the concept of “I do not care about his/her attitude, I care for meeting my work goals”.
• Involve yourself with ongoing important events.
• Focus on the results your boss is trying to achieve rather than their current behavior.

If it all fails?!
Well, it’s definitely not the end of the world! It is just the time to move on and find another job where you believe you will have better opportunities and you will feel happier in.
Search for the exit when your life became miserable, you are being blocked and intimated.