How to Deal with a Difficult Boss
Regardless of industry or company, there are nearly always challenging bosses in the workplace. If you’re in this situation, you likely want to find a way to get along with them better, especially if you otherwise enjoy your job.
The reality is that some managers move up when they don’t have the best leadership skills. Bad communication skills, lack of empathy, and below-average team organizing skills can create a challenge for the team working for the manager.
When it feels like your boss doesn’t understand you, is incapable of leadership, needs to work on management abilities, or acts emotionally rather than logically, it can be hard to work with them. Complaining, confronting, or being disruptive can just make things worse.
If you want to stay but are having issues with a boss, there are a few things you can do to make the workplace less stressful. All of these things can help you create a better relationship with your boss and learn skills you might use when promoted or at a different organization.
Show Some Empathy
Just like you and your teammates, the boss is likely under a lot of pressure. It just happens to be a different type of pressure. Managers often know upsetting information and will be accountable for all sorts of things you don’t think about. In some cases, this can lead to feelings of anxiety and stress that are transferred to you and the rest of the team.
If a manager isn’t good at dealing with pressure, it can make the team feel as if they’re walking on eggshells. When the boss is anxious and that grows, it makes it harder to cope with all the things going on. Rather than getting frustrated, consider asking about what pressure the boss is feeling.
Consider Behavioral Style
Bosses who aren’t great at communication may also have trouble encouraging their teams. Behavioral style can play into this. Some people are quick to act, extroverted, and fast-paced. Others are slower, more thoughtful than apt to act fast, and introverted. There are many combinations of behavioral styles between these two, as well.
Watch your boss to get an idea of how they do things naturally. Once you see what works for them, look at the differences between the two of you. These things could be causing conflict. Rather than fighting about who is right, think about whether you can make some small changes as a compromise.
Support the Boss
Even if your boss isn’t nice and supportive, that doesn’t mean you have to have that same attitude. There’s nothing wrong with heading home to vent about a boss you do not like. This is normal and healthy. However, you shouldn’t act this way when you are in front of the boss.
Instead, do whatever you can to support the boss and the company as a whole. Don’t think of this as faking it, it’s simply part of getting through the day. Support the boss as much as possible and leave venting outside the office when needed.
Final Thoughts
In many cases, a bad boss can be stressful. However, there are ways to make the situation less stressful. Of course, this doesn’t apply if a boss is abusive or unethical. In that case, you should speak with someone above the boss. If the problems do not get better, a therapist may be able to help you decide your next steps.