Handling Difficult Bosses: What Are Your Real-Life Solutions and Experiences?

Handling Difficult Bosses: Seeking Practical Solutions

This is one of the very frequent questions in our class discussions: how to handle difficult bosses? It comes in different formats because 'difficult bosses' come in various shapes and sizes. For example:

a) My boss is surrounded by sycophants. I get all the work while his favored employees get all the credit and increments.

b) My boss calls me at unearthly hours. I cannot leave before he leaves, even if I have completed all my work.

c) My boss talks rudely to me and does not listen.

d) My boss doesn't appreciate my effort.

And so on. What has been the experience of the senior people here? What practical ideas can be put forward for this issue? Please share your experience.

The Impact of Different Boss Types

Bad bosses are plentiful in our lives. In my experience, a boss striving for his next promotion is the one who will keep pushing his subordinates. It's purely a matter of luck whether such a boss believes that supporting high-performing subordinates will help him grow or if he is the type who is concerned that competent subordinates may steal his thunder and not give him credit for their good work.

In typical government setups, bosses are always looking to play it safe and avoid making decisions. They often get influenced by union pressures and what they perceive as the desires of top management. Personal biases towards subordinates are among the most common traits of bosses. The boss's favorites can do no wrong, while those he dislikes can do no right.

Some bosses I have worked for were open-minded and gave credit to their subordinates, providing support along the way. Mistakes were always viewed in a positive light—errors happen in the course of work. Unfortunately, bosses like these are too few in our current environment.

It is good to see a post from you after a very long time, and you have brought to the forum an evergreen topic on BOSS!

I am happy to share my experiences and some learnings as I pen down answers to your queries maintaining the seriatim.

a) Sycophants (or coterie) are an extended version of the manifestation of a rude boss. The bosses nurture them to no ends so that they can continue their whimsical ways merrily. Can you do something about the boss? The simple answer would be NO. The same is the case with sycophants. There is seldom any tactic available to dethrone them. Then the option (if you want to continue with the same boss) will be to endure. If possible, do not bump into any of them. It will only increase your agony. Increment can be to your liking only when you dictate terms. The moral is to grin and bear it.

b) To be on the lighter side, unearthly hours are also earthly hours somewhere else! Tough bosses make their own rules. They do not know empathy. They know how to torment. So consider your options.

c) Yet another characteristic of a boss. Rudeness and impatience (in not listening) are part of their armory to destabilize the other person. Well, it may be easy to say. Please develop tolerance. After all, there are so many dogs that bark without any purpose. Simply improve your listening skills by switching off to any nonsense that is being uttered.

d) This point can be seen as a corollary of what we have seen in (a). It will be a surprise if he does appreciate.

Having seen all the above, what is the way out? If you really want a solution, it is to get out. Can you? In most cases, the answer may be no. There may be so many constraints.

There may be many plus points in this job and will be known only when you start digging. Will you be easily accepted anywhere else with the same or better salary? One cannot be sure of that.

What if, after a change, you land with another BOSS who would make you think that the previous one was after all not that bad. Hindsight wisdom may be too late.

This is where management gurus like Stephen Covey come to our rescue. To be proactive is the key. One who is suffering has to read his concepts on FREEDOM TO CHOOSE. I have enclosed a slide for the benefit of viewers to immediately recall and appreciate the useful concept.

I have also given below the views previously expressed by our members on this topic.

I am curious to get other viewpoints and feedback.

Thanks for the good post that describes the problem faced by many.

http://www.citehr.com/559801-handlin...cult-boss.html

www.citehr.com/496842-difficult-boss.html

http://www.citehr.com/559801-handlin...-boss-pg2.html

http://www.citehr.com/105598-strateg...work-life.html

Regards