ProGrad Melbourne

How To Deal With A Difficult Boss

Bad bosses can be found in all types of organisations. Whether they micromanage, have no idea, are floosy and flaky, or are straight out monster-like control freaks, it is a sad reality that the job of your dreams could be completely bull-dozed by the actions of a bad boss.

Bad bosses pop up quite frequently in movies and television as the feature of humorous story lines. When Sandra Bullock played a demanding and difficult boss, and made her assistant’s (Ryan Reynold) life miserable in “the Proposal,” their relationship ended in romance and happily ever afters. However the cold hard reality of a work relationship gone wrong often ends with being fired or resigning and in the worst case scenarios – law suits.

So what could constitute a bad boss? Maybe it is one who takes all your hard work and turns it into reward and credit for him or herself. Maybe your boss thinks you have no life outside of work and you end up staying late every day.  You may be given impossible tasks to complete with little guidance or you may do everything right and still not receive positive feedback.

So what are the best ways to deal with a difficult boss?

• Find a mentor or someone you can depend on. If you love the company, it is likely that you can develop a solid relationship with another manager. They might be able to give you the guidance you require and have the pull and power to do something about your bad boss if the situation escalates.
• Stay professional. You can not like your boss and remain professional. Try to refrain from reacting to verbal abuse or criticism with emotion – this will only make things worse.
• Evaluate your own performance. Look at each area of your performance and see if there is room for improvement. In some instances a boss’s poor attitude may be due to a frustration in even the smallest thing you are doing wrong, and changing it could be revolutionary!
• Take note of everything. If things get drastic and your boss starts discriminating against you, keep a journal of what is happening. If the worst happens and the issue becomes more serious it will be crucial to have those details. It is also a good way of keeping track of what you achieve to bring up in performance reviews.

It is only natural that in any social environment some people will clash, and it is also important to consider that the attitudes displayed by your boss might be directly in proportion to the stress they are under from their boss!