How to Deal With a Difficult Boss

Is Your Boss Really That Bad?

by Diane Domeyer, executive director of Office Team

Being able to work well with your boss is crucial to your career success. Your manager not only wields significant influence over your professional advancement, but also can affect your job satisfaction — and even your overall happiness.

But what can you do if you have a bad boss? Instead of giving up hope, take a step back and consider how your actions and attitudes affect how the two of you communicate. Following is a primer on identifying three of the most common types of “challenging” supervisors and ways of improving the situation.

The Micromanager
Instead of delegating tasks, a micromanager tells you exactly how, when and where to do them. Directives are given in painstaking detail and status updates are demanded constantly.

Action: Conduct a self-appraisal to determine if you’ve given your boss reason to doubt your abilities and limit your autonomy. Have you missed deadlines or mismanaged important projects? If so, focus on rebuilding your reputation. If feedback on your performance has always been positive, then explain to your manager that you’re ready to take on more responsibility with less direct supervision.

The Poor Communicator
Unlike the micromanager, the poor communicator provides little or no direction. Your assignments often must be completed in a mad frenzy at the last minute or redone because goals and deadlines weren’t clearly explained.

Action: Although the poor communicator may feel too overworked to take the time to provide instruction, it’s more likely your boss is simply unaware that a hands-off management style creates problems. That’s why, as an administrative professional who usually supports one or more bosses, it’s doubly important that you emphasize the importance of receiving all the necessary information upfront to avoid confusion and save time.

The Toxic Boss
Toxic bosses may reprimand or belittle you in front of colleagues, take full credit for your hard work or simply enjoy instilling fear in employees. Doing so can undermine your efforts, hold you back professionally and disrupt your ability to work happily and effectively.

Action: Unfortunately, some bosses can negatively influence your career, and no amount of effort on your part can remedy the situation. If you’ve already confronted your boss about his or her behavior and have seen no improvement, consider speaking to another manager or the human resources department. Eventually, it may be best for you to request a transfer or seek employment elsewhere.

Although some bosses are bad, in many cases, they’re better than you think. Examining your actions and how they contribute to your supervisor’s behavior, as well as improving the lines of communication, can often help you improve your relationship with your manager.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Diane Domeyer is executive director of OfficeTeam, the nation’s leading staffing service specializing in the temporary placement of highly skilled administrative and office support professionals. OfficeTeam has more than 300 locations worldwide and offers online job search services at www.officeteam.com.