Most people are unfortunate to work with a bad boss at least once in their lives. Such bosses can be draining and can siphon all the satisfaction from your rewarding job or position. Such bosses have a way of undervaluing their employees, and eventually, make them seek better opportunities. However, in some cases, one is expected to work with bad bosses and find ways to cope and manage their shortcomings and flaws. Research shows that a majority of people that quit their jobs do it because of their bosses (Warrell). Another study states that workplace depression is often associated with bad bosses and less to do with workload or work pressure. As such, it is important to learn the different ways of dealing with bad bosses.
The first step in dealing with bad bosses is attempting to understand who they are. An employee can do this by studying how the boss handles decision-making, delegation, rewarding, conflict, assigning roles, and success (Warrell). By doing so, the employee can view the boss as a human being and can understand their personality traits and how to avoid getting on their bad side. Also, by identifying these things, an employee can speak to the boss and capture his attention by mentioning his priorities, core values, and concerns. This is a helpful tip for employees dealing with aggressive or controlling bosses. One can stay out of their way and respond in a friendly and accommodating manner. For instance, if the boss’ aggression is due to insecurities, one can reassure them that they will work hard to ensure everything goes well.
Secondly, it is important to note that having a bad boss should not excuse employees of their bad behaviors. For instance, one should not start coming late work, taking long lunches, or underperforming because of their boss. Employees should aim to remain focused and deliver as expected. Employees may not know who is watching or listening to their rants and such things can limit their future opportunities. For instance, if a boss is petty, the employees should not respond to them in a similar way but should instead remain calm and professional even in such cases.
When dealing with bosses that lack empathy or compassion, one may be forced to accept them as they are in order to keep the job (Scott 192). These are the kind of bosses who expect employees to put their work ahead of their families or personal lives. In such cases, an employee can try to negotiate the way forward by taking the boss’ and their own concerns to reach an acceptable consideration. When dealing with a boss that is a micromanager or perfectionist, one can attempt to assure them that they will be attentive to details and will be on top of all things (Scott 193). In some cases, this strategy may not work and the boss may nitpick unnecessary actions. In such a case, employees should use the art of detachment in order to be more relaxed. When dealing with bosses that are rude and insulting to employees, one should avoid responding to them in a similar manner; this may result in an escalation. An employee should wait till they are calm in order to explain that they understand the manager’s frustration and will work to correct the problem or mistake (Scott 194). Alternatively, an employee can wait till the boss is calm in order to discuss some of the hurtful remarks they made or can choose to let them go. In cases where the boss makes sexual or racist comments, the employee can report the matter using the correct protocol.
Finally, in some cases, the bad boss’ actions may force an employee to leave the company. For instance, in cases where the boss is involved in criminal activities and requires the employees to be involved or to cover up the activities, the best course of action would be leaving. Staying in such a job may make you complicit in the crime even though you were not involved in the criminal activities (Scott 195). In conclusion, not everyone has the fortunate chance of working with or for people that are respectful and create a good working environment. The decision to remain in toxic working environments may depend on the impact such an environment has on the employee. However, if one decides to continue working there, they should learn ways to deal with different situations that may arise.
Works Cited
Scott, Gini Graham. A survival guide for working with bad bosses: dealing with bullies, idiots, back-stabbers, and other managers from hell. AMACOM. American Management Association, 2006.
Warrell, Margie. “How To Handle A Bad Boss: 7 Strategies for ‘Managing Up’.” Forbes, 20 January 2014, http://www.forbes.com/sites/margiewarrell/2014/01/20/6-strategies-to-hanhandldling-a-bad-boss/#7f041d025624. Accessed 31 January 2017.
