If you are working under a tough boss and you are already planning to file your exit to another department or perhaps another company, before you take harsh steps, it is recommended you should try to balance up the flaws with the boss and see if it could turn positive. Who knows what you are going to meet in the new department or the new company; do you?
The truth is bosses don’t need to be excessively friendly with their workers, it’s unprofessional. But bosses needs a good relationship with their workers to boost productivity – that’s professional. But not all bosses knows how to keep a good “boss to worker’s relationship” and that’s where the problem lies.
Below are 12 tips you really need to follow if you are working with a tough boss.
1. Make Sure You Are Doing What Is Right
Before you start nursing the feelings that your boss is wicked, try to examine your work life and ask yourself whether “you are doing what is right.” The number one thing that boosts “boss to worker’s” relationship is when workers are doing what is right.
Most workers just go ahead complaining about their boss and on the long run we find out that they’ve got the highest flaws. Don’t get me wrong your boss might truly be a tough one but just run a check and ask yourself certain questions; are you really being professional? There might be certain drops in your mode of communication or in your attitude towards work. So before we launch into the fact that you are dealing with a tough boss, check yourself and make amendment of any area you feel you are getting it wrong at work.
2. Just Make Sure Your Work Isn’t Affected
Most people make this mistake. You have having issues with your boss and not with the work so make sure you don’t tamper with it.
Don’t use this as an opportunity to balance up things by taking unnecessary leaves, resuming work late, spending longer hours at lunch breaks and lots more. If you do, you are just giving the boss tips to count on when he wants to file your case. You might also get into bigger problems with other authorities when you misbehave at work.
3. Identify And Always Try To Avoid His/her Triggers.
We all know immediately our boss gets angry or is in a bad mood, though the causes, effects and how to control it might not fully be understood.
You should try to identify His/her triggers; what makes him yell at you, what makes him bellow. There might be this thing that when s/he sees or hear s/he gets toughen and goes angry. Get yourself to find out what these things are and do your best to avoid them in all instances then you can do #4.
4. Take A Snap Survey And Realize what motivates your boss
Most of the time, understanding what motivates/ triggers your boss gives you more detail about his/her personality.
- Maybe He doesn’t even care about how long you take to clean the office He might just care about how the office looks.
- Maybe S/he doesn’t care how lengthy the email is, she might just care that the email contains some interesting parts that doesn’t make her feel bored while reading it
- And lots more.
Just try to take a survey of your boss and realize what makes your boss motivated, be sure you are doing it always with all professionalism and your boss will begin to get used to you and be free to disclose his/her intentions knowing fully well that you are a good motivator.
5. Take Records of Every Discussion
“The best and fastest way to catch an enemy is by his word.”
When dealing with a tough boss it is recommended to take record/put into writing any discussion you both have so as to be able to make reference to his/her word when the contradiction is about to spring up.
6. Be Open and Speak Your Mind
Do you know that not all bosses know that their workers aren’t pleased with the way they are behaving? Some bosses just take it as their mode of living and a way of making their workers respect them.
When you have a difficult boss, staying mute and not willing to talk to him/her isn’t going to help you in anyway; it won’t change anything it will rather worsen the situation.
Instead, ask your boss for a separate time to talk; s/he may not know that there is a problem. Fix an appointment with the boss but don’t allow him/her to tell you to choose a time insist that s/he should be the one to fix a convenient time. Plan what to say before appearing to meet Him and make sure you don’t say anything beyond what you have planned; don’t be cajoled, be bold to speak but in a calm presentation and in a more professional manner.
7. Watch What You Do And Say To Your Colleagues.
During situations like this, everybody wants to know what is going on. Some of your colleagues would even come to you and try to push you to the edge of committing a blunder. Though you might be tempted to pour out your feelings to a coworker but remember the worker that came to say all sort of negative things about your boss to you so as to get information from you today will also tell your boss all that you have said so as to get credited by your boss tomorrow. So watch out don’t discuss issues about your boss with any colleague and don’t be pushed to work against him/her. As far as s/he is your boss then work for him/her. Who knows, you might even be placed under a test. So don’t choose to fail.
8. Realize His/her Weakness and Work on It
We all need support in one way or the other, but not everybody are willing to disclose the areas of their weakness; especial our bosses.
- If you realize your boss is about to lose a potential customer because of her manner of approach and you feel you have a better sense of approach, why not help her get that customer back.
- He has typing defect and there is an urgent management meeting he has to meet why not offer to help.
One of the things that makes a boss glad is to find a worker so supportive irrespective of their attitude towards you. Then s/he begins to feel guilty and calls him/herself to order.
Note; This might not be the case in some company, your boss might even get angry the more, but just make sure you don’t relent in your support and make sure it’s always in line with your profession.
9. Gratitude
Gratitude also helps in suppressing negative attitudes. No matter how bad a boss may be s/he would have done something reasonable quite a number of times. So when you dealing with a tough boss, it is important to express sincere gratitude to him/her, it makes them feel like doing more.
- He comes to office with a strong face and counts on everybody’s mistake, then when talking to him, use words like -; I remember the first day you were transferred to this office, we were all scared as we don’t know the kind of man you are but to our greatest surprise you calmed us down with your smiles.
- If she is stingy and finds it difficult to render help, but either by luck or by chance she gives you something or renders a particular help, then thank her 10 x 10 times. She might feel bugged but the truth is we are all human (she’ll feel entitled to you want to do more.)
10. Never, Ever And Ever Think Of Fighting Back.
Train your emotions. No matter what the case may be s/he is your boss and you can never fight fire with fire; one has to be water and you should be.
It is better not to take an action that doesn’t seem secured than to take an action that you might regret later. If you realize your boss is giving you so much challenge that you feel you might want to give a harsh/negative response then it is better to excuse yourself and come back to respond to it what you are settled emotionally.
11. Seek Help from Higher Authorities
This is a bit higher step to take but in some cases it is the only option.
Supposed you have tried all you can to get settled and enhance a better relationship between you and your boss but all proves abortive, then you have to seek help from higher authorities.
Tell those in the higher authorities that you have come to seek help not that you are her to report. Stay focused on discussing the problem not your boss negative behaviors. Also state that you are a promoter of productivity but you are just having hard time with your boss. Allow them reason with you [but have this at the back of your mind that your boss is closer to the higher authorities; they might just sympathize and offer to help so] be careful not to speak negative words about your boss to the authorities.
12. Make Strong Decisions
Another way by which you could deal with a tough boss is to be ready to take strong decisions. Once you find out that you can no longer work with a boss then look out and realize the rightful decision you have to take.
Sometimes it is as simple as just asking to be transferred to another department in the company if you don’t want to leave the company; it will even speak well of you if you have once worked with another boss in the company and there was no negative report. But the case is more defined to some people. The situation might have gone beyond control that you don’t see any other way out than to leave the company’s work totally. If you realize that’s the only solution [If you realize] then what are you still waiting for. Life becomes hard when you can’t really decide what you want for yourself.
Daniel is the founder of the Perfect Motivations Blog. He is a motivational writer and entrepreneur that speaks about self-development, personal and team motivation, entrepreneurial and general desired success.