BOSS AT WORK – 5 WAYS TO HANDLE THEM
There are few people who get the boss fitting right into their expectations in this world, and fewer of those who are happy with their senior on the management echelon. It is often tricky dealing with a boss if (and when) he holds a job you love dearly. Hence, you need to resort to what can be regarded as quite an ironical move; managing your manager.
So what can you do to manage your boss? Here are a few easy steps to start with.
- Try to understand your boss. It always helps to at least try to understand what kind of person your boss is. As his/her subordinate, you need to be able to fit his work criteria, so keeping an eye out for his/her quirks might help you form an opinion in coherence to what they wish. Also try to communicate well with them; you will never be able to understand them and help them understand you if you are not interacting with each other.
- Be their support and work through their weaknesses. You can always draw a lot of strength from your boss, of course, and enhance whatever you are working at. But keeping an eye on his weaknesses might help a lot in long run. Some who have a difficult boss might consider showing the senior down for their own vindictive pleasure, but it never stands to gain if you make your boss look bad. In fact, it makes the matter even worse at times.
- Take your job seriously. Do not be lax about what you are doing; nobody is asking you for absolute perfection but your work should have the best you can give. Also, do not make any commitments you will be unable to keep. You are in no position to complain about or to your boss if you are not doing your own job properly.
- Stand firm against the bully. There is a difficult boss, and then there is a bully. People often mistake both as one and same while talking of bad bosses, but there is a stark difference. A difficult boss might be someone who is good at their work, but cannot handle their subordinates well. Bullies however ride high on their power and get kicks out of humiliating their employees. Such bosses need to be dealt with calm but strong self-assurance. If you have given your best in a situation, stand firm in front of their criticism. You can also ask them for pointers and advice when they slam down your work. Just like any other playground bully, if you do not cower after all they throw at you, they will get bored and find another victim to hack about.
- Do not let your attitude be coloured by your boss. Your boss might be the jerk of epic proportions, but your workplace attitude should not adopt the same outlook as him/her. Take the high road; do not slack off or stop performing just because you have a bad boss. While it is easy to start resenting your job, bad behaviour directed towards work will not only worsen your relationship with your seniors, it will massively affect your own image and integrity.
One might feel a bit disgruntled about having to manage a boss along with their own work. One, however, needs to see that managing one’s boss is just as much a part of your job profile since they are the once who give direction to your work. A positive relationship with them, thus, will not just help one cog of the machinery which is your organization run smoother, but also help you achieve more out of your job.
