Posted by denised in It’s Monday. And nothing sucks more than Mondays at work than Mondays at work with a really bad boss. A bad boss can be the bane of your existence, or you can develop ways to deal with him or her, making the most of a really bad situation. Last week we offered five suggestions for doing just that. This week, we offer five additional reader submitted suggestions for dealing with a really bad boss:
6. Watch everything he does, and do the opposite – When bosses are really bad, the best lessons come from paying very close attention to what they’re doing and just as importantly, not doing. If your boss’ habit of screaming at employees to increase productivity results in increased productivity and a turnover rate approaching 100%, understand that screaming at your employees probably isn’t the best way to go at it. Creating nurturing, encouraging environments on the other hand will improve productivity and create a place where good employees are more likely to stay.
7. Pick your battles wisely – I once had a manager who, despite the sweltering southern heat, insisted that her female employees wear pantyhose to the office. Her thinking was that it made us appear more professional. Never mind we had some of the worst customer service ratings in our region, the paint was peeling off the walls and at least once a month cars were broken into in the parking lot. No, in her mind, the key to cracking the professionalism code lay in wearing pantyhose. It was an asinine rule and it drove us crazy. But instead of waging all out war against the pantyhose, we asked for changes in other areas that truly impacted our customers’ view of the office. She wouldn’t budge on the pantyhose, but she did authorize a paint job and a security fence.
8. Don’t try to change him – This piece of advice is boss specific. If you’ve got a relatively young boss with little experience, his soul may still be intact and therefore still reachable. Gentle suggestions worded to sound like his ideas, might bring about the changes you desire. On the other hand, if your boss has been a really bad boss since dot matrix printers were the rage, then refer to suggestion number 6, watch what he does and do the opposite.
9. Don’t let them see you cry – There’s no crying at work. Ever. Not if you want to be taken seriously. Unfortunately for me, when I get really angry, rather than punch someone or something, I cry. It’s not pretty, and it’s not professional. I was guilty of it very early on in my career, but soon realized my boss took a sadistic pleasure in seeing his employees squirm, fidget and yes, cry. Sitting in the Reprobate’s office weeping after wrecking the company car, I decided that no matter how hard he came at me in the future, he’d never again see my tears.
10. Don’t stoop to their level – When you’re under pressure and under a really bad boss, it can be difficult, very difficult, to live above the nonsense. Middle managers are in the worst position of all, dealing with really bad bosses above them and really bad employees reporting to them. Resist the temptation to treat your employees and colleagues the way the big bad bosses do. Treating your colleagues and employees well will get their respect and loyalty when you’ll need them the most.
Next week: Create a master plan and stick to it.
