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How to Cope with an Unruly Boss

A major factor to your productivity and happiness at work is your relationship with your boss. We’ve all had those jobs where we have had the boss from hell and learning how to deal with one is crucial for our own sanity and our personal career development. A bad bosses’ intolerable behavior varies; many are incompetent, unreliable, unreasonable, angry and unable to communicate properly.

A survey featured in the Chicago Tribune reported that 46 percent of U.S. workers polled said their boss is difficult. Of those workers, 24 percent admitted they wouldn’t do anything about it. Due to the current economic situation, not many employees want to confront their bosses about their behavior because they don’t want to risk losing their jobs. It’s possible to try to work successfully with your boss and tame their bad behavior.

Check Yourself First

Are you doing your work on time? Are you giving the work you do your all? It could be that your boss is responding to your bad behavior with some of their own. It could also be that your boss isn’t communicating exactly what it is they expect from you. If they’re making you redo work, it may not be your fault because they didn’t communicate what they wanted from the work in the first place. In this case, it’s important to communicate with your boss as to what it is exactly they want from your work. Ask for feedback and direction from your boss and this will ensure that you met their expectations.

Know Your Boss
You might know them for being a complete nut job or hothead, but do you know why? It just can’t be you that’s driving them mad. Bosses, even the bad bosses, are people too, and as employees we tend to forget this. It may be that your boss is feeling pressure from their own boss or personal issues at home. It’s also beneficial to know when to approach your boss and when to avoid them. They could be morning people and greet you “Good Morning” with a smile, but by mid-day they’ll turn into Godzilla and tear up their office and yell at you. Knowing when they’re approachable and in a good mood will help you figure out when it’s best to talk to them about issues you have with them.

Become Indispensable

Make sure your work doesn’t go unnoticed especially with senior management. Your work will speak for itself and thus eliminating any argument from your boss on your poor performance skills. If you feel that you can’t do your best work because of your boss’s impossible expectations and unruly behavior then seek out another person for guidance. Having a mentor in the office will give you the direction you need to move forward with your career and alleviate any stresses you have from dealing with your bad boss.

Become Thick Skinned

Sometimes all you may have left to do is tolerate your bad boss. Learn how to become thick skinned and don’t take any of the insults and complaints your bad boss throws at you to heart. More than likely, their temperament isn’t because of you, but they direct their negative emotions at you when they can’t at the people that are truly bothering them. Learning to cope with a bad boss will help you in the long run. When you become someone’s boss, you’ll know exactly how not to treat others.

Maintain a positive can-do attitude and a level of respect towards your boss and eventually with all your hard work you won’t have to deal with your bad boss for long. You’ll probably work with a bad boss more than once in your lifetime, so once you learn how to deal with the first, you’ll be prepared for the good and bad bosses that lie ahead in your future.

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune
IMAGE: Courtesy of Bella Petite

Hanna Guerrero

Hannah is an intern writer here at Spark Hire. She is from the northern suburbs in Chicago and is currently studying journalism at DePaul University. She has always had a passion for writing which is why Journalism has proven to be the perfect career for her. She has written for the DePaulia Online on various topics such as fashion, music, movies and television. She loves living in Chicago because it offers exciting events to write stories on. In her free time she enjoys going to music concerts, watching movies with friends, cooking vegetarian food and walking her adorable Cocker Spaniel Coco.

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