|
Your boss can hire you, fire you or make your life down right miserable. It has been said many times that people don't leave jobs-they leave bosses. If you're in what seems like an unbearable situation with your supervisor, sit down, relax, and breathe, there are ways to cope. The first thing you need to do is have faith in your self. If you have confidence in yourself, others are more likely to trust you. Many times a boss is perceived as being difficult because of the feedback they give. Their feedback is often negative bordering on degrading, and it is so easy to walk away feeling rejected and worthless. No one feels confident all of the time. We all begin to doubt ourselves and our knowledge at some point or points during our career. You have too look deep inside to know that you have the ability to complete your job well. If that isn't enough, look for a second opinion. Ask disinterested parties (your high school English teacher, a colleague, another professional in your field) to evaluate your work honestly. Their reply will help you gage if you are doing an inadequate job or if you have been doing it right all along. The second thing you need to do is sit down and take an honest evaluation of the situation. Is the problem that your boss is genuinely difficult or is it that your boss supervises differently than you expect to be managed? You might be a self starter who needs little supervision while your boss is a micromanager. You could be perceiving your boss's over involvement as his being difficult. If the case turns out to be a difference in styles, you may need to have a sit down talk with your boss to compromise somewhere in the middle. Perhaps you could suggest that you prefer to not let anyone see your work until it is finished because you often brainstorm and go back and change it. You might be able to schedule specific reviews at the beginning middle and end of your project. Chances are if you let your boss know how you are feeling about your differences in supervisory styles, they will work to meet you half way. If once you've completed your evaluation you determine that your boss really is just difficult, be prepared because it is your responsibility to learn to work with the boss-after all they are the boss. There are plenty of ways you can cope with your difficult to deal with supervisor. Let your boss know what you are working on. Tell him your plan of action and detail your workload. Many times we assume that our bosses just "know" what we are working on. They have their own jobs too, and many times they just aren't aware of how many projects we already have our fingers dipped into. By keeping your boss updated frequently, you let him know that you are working and you are on top of things. When your boss questions you, provide facts and solutions. For example, your boss asked you to book hotel rooms downtown for some visiting vendors. He only wanted to pay $50 a night, and there was nothing available in that price range. Instead of booking the rooms, you found rooms in his price range on the other side of town, and because they weren't downtown, you got the rooms upgraded to a suite. When your boss finds out about the changes, he is livid. Instead of sulking and slinking away like a punished puppy, you should clearly outline what you saw your objectives as and that you thought finding a room in the right price range was a priority. Explain the solution that you found and offer to find a car service to drive the vendors downtown in luxury. If your boss still isn't happy, when you leave the conversation, you can walk away knowing you did the best job possible. You know what your boss is going to respond negatively too. Prepare yourself for negative comments. Acting defensive doesn't help the situation. Instead, you should be prepared to offer the facts and solutions. You can also plan to consciously provide positive feedback to your boss and reinforce his positive behaviors. If your boss does something that you like, thank him or make sure he knows how much you appreciated it. If you still are having a rough time, you may want to consider hiring a job coach to help you find a better career option or start sending out resumes to other places. Eventually, a better job might come along. Ask your boss for periodic meetings every week or two weeks to discuss exactly what he expects from you and how you can deliver a quality result. Remember, you never have to put up with cursing, physical battery or ual harassment. If you are experiencing any of these things or if you just can't reach a happy medium with your boss, you should go talk to the human resources department or to your boss's supervisor. The human resources department is specially trained to deal with these situations and your boss's supervisor may just have the authority to step in and help you. Action Steps - Have faith in your self. Confidence is contagious and helps reduce stress.
- Evaluate your relationship with your boss and determine if a difference in management styles is to blame for your conflict.
- Keep your boss updated on your progress and workload. Keep it to just the facts and solutions.
- Give your boss positive feedback.
- If all else fails, go to your human resources department.
______________________________________ By Heather Wellman
|
