We’ve all had them: bad bosses. Whether it’s because they provide too little — or too much — guidance and supervision; have poor communication skills; are irritable and difficult to predict; or just downright mean and unfair, the fact is that your boss has a pretty big impact on your life. Most of us spend a pretty high percentage of our waking hours at work, so it makes sense that our level of satisfaction at work has a great deal to do with our level of satisfaction in life as a whole. But here’s the rub: just like bad teachers at school, bad bosses at work are an inevitability: They’re going to happen at some point. As such, it’s important to have some tools at your disposal for dealing with the not-so-great supervisors in our lives. Pssst...these strategies could work for annoying, rude and ineffective co-workers, as well. 1. Stop talking so much When I’ve had bad bosses in the past, my first instinct has been to talk about it. With family, with friends, with the grocery store clerk; with just about anyone who would listen. The trouble with talking about it is, it can take a stressor that already takes up eight hours of your day, and stretches it to taking up 10, 12, 14 hours, or even more. Why give your boss more power and control than they already have? Try keeping work at work, and reclaim your off-work hours for things that are fun, relaxing and pleasurable. 2. Do something about it — even if it’s a small One of the things I talk to folks about in my psychology practice is recognizing the things they have the ability to control and the things they don’t. Do you have the ability to control your boss’s management style or personality? No. But you can control where you work. Even if changing jobs isn’t something you want to do, it is something you can do. Try flexing your muscles and check out other opportunities. Go to a networking event, read a book about communication, spruce up your resume, sign up for a continuing education seminar, or sign up to attend the annual conference — anything that puts you in the driver’s seat of your career. 3. Don’t take it personally Years ago, I had a boss who seemed unfair and unpredictable. No matter what I did, I couldn’t connect with him, and he seemed to have no interest in getting to know me. I spent months wondering what I’d done to upset him and trying (in vain) to win him over. It wasn’t until years later (and long after I’d moved on to another job) that I learned that he’d been going through a very nasty divorce while he was my supervisor. The point is, your boss’s bad behavior isn’t always about you. Understanding that other factors in their life might be the cause of their behavior may help give you the patience and confidence to make it through a trying situation. Source
