Dealing with a Difficult Boss

In an ideal world, we would all have fantastic managers, bosses who helped us succeed, who made us feel valued, and who were just all around great people.

Unfortunately, that's not always the case. But, whether the person you work for is a micromanager, has anger management problems, or just isn't very competent, you still have to make the best of the situation and get your job done.

What are the best advices for dealing a difficult manager? Try one or more of these tips to find some common ground with your boss.

1. Make sure you’re dealing with a "Bad Boss"

Before trying to fix your bad boss, make sure you really are dealing with one. Is there a reason for her behavior, or are you being too hard on him or her? Sometimes tough guys are good to learn new skill. The way they package can be rude or arrogant, the intent can be good. First check out their competency and behaviour pattern before deciding he or she is bad. 

Good or Bad is the judgment you create out of the reality what you see. It may not be true at times. So you can verify about their behaviour. 

2. Identify Your Boss' Motivation

Understanding why your boss does or cares about certain things can give you insight into his or her management style. 

If the rules are totally out of control, try to figure out your boss’ motivation. Maybe it’s not that he really cares about how long your lunch break takes; he actually cares about how it looks to other employees and their superiors. Find out what is the key motivation factor for them. Focus and ensure things are perfect in that area. For example, if they expect you to be punctual, then you shall take steps to avoid failure in time management area. 

3. Be free from Stress

No matter how bad your boss' behavior, avoid letting it affect your work. You want to stay on good terms with other leaders in the company. Don’t try to even the score by working slower, or taking excessive “mental health” days or longer lunches. It will only put you further behind in your workload and build a case for your boss to act like that.

4. Stay One Step Ahead

Especially when you're dealing with a micromanager, head off your boss' requests by anticipating them and getting things done before they come to you. A great start to halting micromanagement in its tracks is to anticipate the tasks that your manager expects and get them done well ahead of time. If you reply, “I actually already left a draft of the schedule on your desk for your review,” enough times, you’ll minimize the need for her reminders. She’ll realize that you have your responsibilities on track and that she doesn’t need to watch your every move.

Communication gap is one of the major challenge. 

5. Document Everything

Make sure to document interactions with your boss, be it requests or criticisms. So you can refer back to them if she ever contradicts herself.

When your boss asks you for something, get it in writing. You need to create a paper trail of all requests as well as everything you produce. If your boss is the type who gives you directions verbally, follow up with an email that outlines the discussion to ensure that you heard everything correctly. Cover yourself at all times and be prepared to pull out your documented proof if your boss questions your outputs.

6. Act as the Leader

When dealing with an incompetent boss, sometimes it's best to make some leadership decisions on your own.

If you know your area well enough, there is no reason to not go ahead creating and pursuing a direction you know will achieve good results for your company. People who do this are naturally followed by their peers as an informal leader. Management, although maybe not your direct boss, will notice your initiative. Of course, you don’t want to do something that undermines the boss, so keep him or her in the loop.

7. Identify Triggers

If your boss has anger management problems, identify what triggers her meltdowns and be extra militant about avoiding those.

For example, if your editor flips when you misspell a source’s name, be sure to double and triple-check your notes. 

Everyone is good in their own way. So good or bad tags we attach to people by our own experiences or assumption. Verify and learn to adopt with the working environment. Learn to appreciate the good things what others have. Most of such problems may come to an end.