Start networking and exchanging professional insights

Register now or log in to join your professional community.

Follow

How to deal with difficult bosses?

user-image
Question added by Amany Bakr , HR and Administration Manager , Dubai Blocks Factory
Date Posted: 2013/12/04
amer jayyousi
by amer jayyousi , Business Development Consultant , freelance

same way you deal with your wife or soulmate.they all want to control you  and usually are not willing to hear your point of view.

be patient,listen to them,say yes, and at the end do things your own way.but remember deliver positive results,you will be trusted ,admired and respected.

 

SINIMOL SKARIAH
by SINIMOL SKARIAH , HR Business Partner , NMC HEALTHCARE (Al Zahra Hospital)

If you are doing the right work, at the right time and  at the right place, how can a Boss be difficult?

 

Nusrat Hussain
by Nusrat Hussain , HR & Engagement Project Officer , Sydney Catholic Schools

Few things to keep in mind:

 

1. Check again and again for mistake in your work.

2. Do not hide a problem to make it worse later on, find a good time to discuss the issue to resolve.

3. Do not lie.

4. Be proactive.

5. Keep notes and record of every email and prepare a file for it.

6. Know his/her weakness and avoid such thing which provokes him for trouble.

7. Be polite all the time and do not argue when he/she is angry and flow ith wind, later on which he/she is in good mood, re-discuss the issue.

8. Remember one important thing. BOSS IS ALWAYS RIGHT.

 

I am sure if some one apply the above , he can control his/her boss and stay happy in job.

Finally BOSS is human and they have heart . Feelings can make it softer.

 

WHEN YOU CHANGE THE WAY TO LOOK AT THINGS,

THE THINGS YOU LOOK AT CHANGE.

 

I tried this with my boss as he likes to be poking his nose in everything and if we want to say something he will try to argue why he is right so initially i used to reply no it can be done this way also but it went on till30 emails sometimes or10 -12 sms as well.

So i understood he is a difficult boss so now i will not immediately say anything and will say Yes to everything in a polite manner and then when things cool down put my views forward sometimes its accepted and he says okay to it sometimes he says NO outright.

another issue with him is as soon as a job is assigned it should be finished so you have to update him every half an hour and i learn to do it may just one liners its under control.

When he is in bad mood i try to speak to him in our national language as he feels better that way and feels very calm otherwise he can blow his top off as well.

we have also learned we should have our facts and figures very right to convince him any point so we do our home work and go to him otherwise he goes to nitty gritty of matter even for admin issues.

So such bosses should be handled very carefully and with smartness.

Alaa Chawki
by Alaa Chawki , Operations Manager , Silkor Cosmetic Surgery

Here are some strategies on handling a difficult boss situation.

1. Always have a plan B. Most people are scared about having a discussion with their boss concerning their abusive behavior because they fear reprimand or losing their job as a result of it. Their fear is usually justified if the supervisor is a control-freak and feels that their subordinate is threatening their control. Before you deal with any type of conflict, you always need to have a plan B in case things don’t work out. A plan B is the best alternative that you can come up without having to negotiate anything with your boss. In this type of scenario, your best plan B would probably take the form of having an actual job offer in hand with another employer before you have your talk. By not having a back-up plan, you have given your abusive boss even more leverage over you because they know you have no where else to go. Having a plan B, however, empowers you with the ability to walk-away at any time should the negotiation not go right. Increase your power and have a plan B before you deal with the conflict.

2. Never react to verbal abuse or harsh criticism with emotion. This will always get you into more trouble than you started with because it will become a war between egos and chances are good that your boss has a bigger ego than you have—hence why he is difficult in the first place. When a personal attack is made on you, they are trying to bait you into reacting emotionally because once you react, you become an easy target for additional attacks. The key then is not to react, but to acknowledge and move on. By doing this, you effectively strip all of the power behind their verbal attacks away from your abusive boss, without creating conflict. If your boss happens to be an intimidator or a control freak, then the best way of dealing with their behavior is to remain calm and acknowledge their power by saying, "You're right, I'm sorry." By saying this, you take away any chance of them lashing back at you because you have sidestepped their verbal attack rather than meeting it head on.

3. Discuss rather than confront. When your boss criticizes you, don’t react out of emotion and become confrontational with them about it because that just breeds more conflict. Instead, use their criticism as a topic for discussion on interests, goals, and problem-solving and ask them for their advice. If they criticize your work, then that means that they have their own idea on how that work should be done, so ask them for their advice on how your work can be improved.

More Questions Like This

Do you need help in adding the right keywords to your CV? Let our CV writing experts help you.