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Leslie Allan

Business Performance Pty Ltd

Managing Director

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Blog: Four tips for handling a difficult boss

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It’s a fact that the main reason why most people are unhappy with their job is poor management.

At one point or another, chances are you will have to deal with a difficult, grumpy or (hopefully) unwittingly disparaging boss.

You know the type: they get angry for no apparent reason, they completely ignore your questions and the only times they do talk to you is when they find fault with something you’ve done.
 
I’ve been there myself and over the years I’ve found four successful ways to handle difficult managers. Here they are:
 
  1. First thing, don’t take it personally. Chances are, you’re not the only person they treat in the same impolite and often condescending way. If so, their behavior most probably is a reflection of some deeper psychological issues that extend further than a typical workday.
  2. Find a discrete way to inform them about the negative effects their unhelpful behavior is having on your work productivity. For example, if you’ve been left out of last week’s client meeting, make sure to highlight that it’s difficult for you to fix customer problems if you are not involved. Address these issues factually and in a relaxed manner, without questioning why they acted as they did.
  3. When they criticize your performance, ask for specific details. Make it clear to them that it’s important for you to receive factual feedback on your work so you can improve it accordingly. How else could you possibly perform better on the next task if you don’t know what the problem was?
  4. Make it a habit to praise your boss every time they act wisely and considerately, even if it’s just a small gesture on their part. Your positive feedback is likely to encourage similar behavior in the future and maybe even trigger unexpected acts of kindness.
 
Remember, some managers have no idea that what they’re doing is making employees unhappy at the workplace. This is when your feedback and good communication can be an essential prerequisite to them improving their behavior.
 
What other strategies have you used in the past to deal with a bad boss? We’d love to hear your stories below in the comments section.
 
 
Leslie Allan is managing director of business consultancy, Business Performance Pty Ltd.
 
We welcome any and all contributions from the community, so please feel free to share your views and opinions with us, your colleagues and peers via our blogs section.

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One Response

  1. Comment on Poor Management Styles and the Negative Impact on oth

    Bringing in a Life and Business Coach to work with a Manager who is finding it difficult to manage staff effectively can provide an ideal solution. Many high performing employees who are excellent at managing their own workload or working effectively within a team experience the following difficulties when they get promoted into management:

    • The promotion goes to their head and they start throwing their weight around to assert themselves. This behaviour can evolve to mask feelings of self-doubt, to gain respect, or to establish dominance.
    • Some managers feel threatened by high performers within their team. Instead of nurturing their talents and encouraging their success and development they fail to provide them with the training and scope they deserve or to acknowledge their contribution and achievements. This can result in the best talent seeking opportunities elsewhere when they become frustrated by lack of recognition and progress.
    • Learning the art of delegation and allowing others to take on responsibilities within the team according to their abilities and talents improves commitment and morale within a team and motivates many to aspire to be the best they can be to gain recognition and reward in terms of promotion, incentives or career progression.
    • Holding brain-storming sessions or meetings where the ideas of those you manage are considered and valued encourages staff to think about how to improve their effectiveness rather than just follow a tried and tested path. Good ideas can be implemented and praised to improve efficiency. If the team excels their manager gains credit.
    • Any personality clashes or grievances which arise due to an abrasive or demotivating management style or within team members should be addressed and resolved. Bringing in an outside mediator such as a Life and Business Coach to sit down with the individuals involved and dig deep to establish the reasons for the conflict or nature of the problem from all perspectives, is the key to resolving such issues. An effective Coach is able to establish the root of a problem and encourage those concerned to plan a way to identify and resolve the issues step-by-step then implement a planned course of action leading to a progressive improvement and sound outcome.

    When a Life and Business Coach is retained by a company to resolve a problem with one/some of their employees – whether communication, conflict or stress-related, it is vital that firm parameters are set at the start with regard to confidentiality, feed-back, depth of reporting, the challenges and aims. These terms would be agreed by all parties concerned so that there is no unacceptable breach of confidence with the established outcome being the main goal.

    Comments by Sharon Henry of New Leaf Life and Business Coaching.

     

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Leslie Allan

Managing Director

Read more from Leslie Allan