How to Deal with a Horrible Boss ... Professionally! IM HIRED

How to Deal with a Horrible Boss ... Professionally! When hiding from your boss becomes more of a full time job than your actual job. We have all had them, we have all hated them and we are all glad when that days comes where we never have to speak to them again the horrible boss. You might even love your job but the sight of your manager makes you want to hide in the stationary cupboard for fall to long and any time theres a work trip that needs going on youre the first with your hand up because the manager at the other site couldnt possibly be as bad as yours. Now I dont want this to escalate to the point where you are reinacting the plot of the film horrible bosses, sneaking it to your boss house to mess with their stuff and plotting their demise. This post is all about handling that manager in a more professional manner. (So please refrain from bulk emailing pictures of your boss round the office with funny captions) I get it, when you dont like your boss its hard not to have a strange sort of teacher pupil relationship with them, where you feel they are being completely unreasonable but instead of responding maturely, you kick off or just act passively aggressive for the rest of the day. Now by the end of this post I am not expecting you to become best friends with your manager, going on lunch dates and tagging each other in memes out of work. I am just hoping to get you to a level of mutual respect and a professional working relationship. Noticed I used the word mutual; this has to be two way. What do you do? 1. Figure out what makes them a bad boss Its important we know the reason for the problem so we can resolve it. Were they unrealistic in their expectations, did they lack communication or were they just completely unprofessional constantly making jokes at your expense. Remember that although great if you have a fantastic friendship with you boss, this isnt about you liking everything about them. You are always going to have people in the workplace that you dont share the same interests with and you probably wouldnt speak to if it werent for work but this is about professional relationships which do work differently to best friends. 2. Try talking to them about it Now this isnt about confronting your boss in some sort of rant where you voice all your opinions and completely insult them in the process. This is about taking time to sit with you manager and explaining the best way in which you work. Every person has different ways they prefer to be managed and having a conversation might help your manager realise you work in a different way. Before any meeting write all your concerns down and discuss them point by point with your manager, think about your wording and only raise work related issues. Its not appropriate  to say you hate their fashion sense or you think they have a boring voice. If you dislike your manager it is easy to get a bit childish in your opinions but keep them to yourself. Dont get side tracked by them talking over you or dismissing anything you raise; tick off your list to ensure everything is covered on your end. 3. Dont react negatively Do you ever get to the stage where you are at breaking point and you just want to react in spectacular  style. All youre doing by reacting negatively to them is making yourself look bad, so if your manager shouts at you, dont swear at them or shout back. Have the up hand by rising above them and being the more professional of the two. If you do the latter, others will notice that it is the manager not yourself acting inappropriately. 4. Escalate it   If a manager isnt willing to respond to your concerns or even take time to communicate effectively with you regarding any issues then it is time to escalate  your problems. Its best to start with an informal chat, maybe with another manager that you have a good relationship with or a member of HR. Just someone who can give you an objective view and a ear to listen to your issues. However, remember to not spread gossip throughout the office so avoid having these types of conversation in the open or with other colleagues. 5. Have evidence   We all have periods where we just dont like our managers, their presence just annoys you and you wish you could be your own boss. Now none of that is grievance worthy but if you have a bad boss that affects you and your work with their behaviour then compile some examples of when they have done this. We all have the right to feel comfortable at work and if you dont then you need to do something about it. All Jokes Aside   A terrible boss can have an affect on you, whether that be at work or even in your personal life if you feel stressed about their actions towards you. Although there are obviously some fantastic bosses out there, when you get a bad boss it can seems like there is nothing you can do about it. But just because they are more senior than you, doesnt be any means mean they are untouchable, so take action. If you have experienced a horrible boss and want some advice on how to deal with it, drop me a message and Ill be happy to help.