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 end up working 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.
To help out, we’ve gathered the best advice from around the web for dealing with a difficult manager. Try one or more of these tips to find some common ground with your boss—or at least stay sane until you find a new job.
How To Deal With A Difficult Boss In Your First Job
1) Practice professionalism in your workplace:
Everything that happened in the four corners of the office should be taken professionally and not personally. If your boss says something that hurts or upsets you, don’t fight back. You have to respect your boss no-matter-what.
Don’t let it affect your work and productivity. But if the matter becomes too serious, don’t hesitate to ask help from people who are in the right position to do something about it. Even though bad things kept happening between the two of you, do not ever forget to still honor your superior!
2) Treat the situation as an incredible learning experience:
You might be suffering a lot now because of your relationship with your boss but you’ll definitely learn something from it. Meeting a difficult boss is not bad after all because you’re gaining knowledge and experience that you can use in your future endeavors. When you have successfully learned how to deal with such people, encountering more of them in the future won’t give you a headache anymore.
3) Martyrdom is not a way to career advancement:
Don’t always take the blame if you know it is not your fault. Do not get too much work if you think you cannot handle it all. Being a martyr is a choice and if you want to play that role in your work then you’re only being harsh to yourself. It will not help you in advancing your career.
4) Stay fascinated and not frustrated:
In this bad situation, some people just slack off or lose interest in performing well because they hate working with their difficult manager or supervisor. Don’t be like them, instead show your boss how better you are by performing well in your assigned job.
Be fascinated with your work. Stay upbeat and get engaged with your boss professionally. Keeping a good and positive attitude will not only make you feel better but it also drives you to be the best that you can be.
5) Dealing With a Difficult boss? Be careful with every word you say and every action you do:
Talking less and listening more is the best thing you can do to have a good working relationship with your employer. Do not let yourself become too angry and do not be offended easily. Keep calm and do your best in your work. This is a professional trait that sometimes is undervalued but can have a real payoff in your career.
6) Be a problem-solver not a problem-maker:
When problem occurs, do not just rely on your boss to solve it. You are in a team so you must help him in fixing things that have gone wrong. Try to avoid complaining and just find ways on how you can contribute to the solution of the problem.
7) Make the most of what you have:
You have a job, you get paid properly, and you have a good relationship with your co-workers – here are just some of the things that you should be grateful for. Even though your boss is such a pain, you don’t have to stress yourself out just thinking about him.
You can still make the most of what you have in the company you’re working for by focusing on the good things that are happening to you. Learn more about how to do this in this article here.
8) Avoid the art of backstabbing:
Backstabbing and gossiping is an unprofessional act. This should not be practiced in the workplace because this only destroys the relationship of people in the team or department.
Nobody is perfect and so is your boss. Avoid spreading bad things about him. Whatever happens between you at work or no matter how bad his attitude towards you is, you should not gossip about him to other people.
9) Last resort:
Move on and find another job!
If work just becomes too unbearable because of your horrible boss, you may need to consider quitting to save yourself and your health. Too much stress level is not good for you and it also affects your self-esteem so if you still have a little respect left to yourself, move out and look for another job that will give you some peace of mind.
