“Some bosses are like clouds, the minute they disappear; the day gets brighter”.
How to deal with a difficult boss? They are seldom easy to handle. If your boss always demands from you to do more, does not approve your leaves so often, yells at you sometimes.” appreciates your hard work and always complains about your work; then consider yourself to be among 99% of the subordinates.
While a boss can mostly be annoying, it does not mean that there is no way to handle him. Leaving a job because of your mean boss is no solution. You never know what kind of a new boss you are going to have in your next job.
How to deal with a difficult boss is the question that does not pop up in your mind only. It is a common quest to find ways to manage boss who is very tough to handle. So here are some of the useful tips to handle a difficult boss at work.
Take it as an opportunity to learn:
Believe it not; there is always something extraordinary in your boss, which has rewarded him with his post. You have to compare your abilities with the abilities of your boss, and you will know the answer. The skills your boss is better at, his professionalism, intelligence, style of work or his overall personality are some of the factors which you can compare, and you will come to know where the opportunity lies for you to learn from him.
You might not like it, but it is always in your favor to get the most out of your boss and his capabilities to polish your existing skillset.
Appreciate his positive criticism:
If your boss reminds you about a piece of work, you had forgotten to perform, understand his move and thank him for reminding you. If he points out mistakes in your work, ask him how you can improve. In this way, your boss will come to know about your positive attitude and will develop a soft corner towards you.
Be professional:
This is very important if your boss is annoying, mean, or difficult to handle. Being professional does not only mean to do the tasks you are asked to do. It means to avoid any unnecessary discussions with your boss which have nothing to do with your job.
A difficult boss will always find some ways to make your work life difficult, don’t let him to do that.
Make use of his strengths
Don’t forget to find out his strengths. A boss always has some special skills, and you are going to use those in your favor.
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If your boss is good at making presentations, offer your assistance to get an opportunity to enhance your presentation skills. If he is good at closing the deals, ask him to watch you do it for him and let him point out the mistakes. However harsh he may be, it will always be in favor of your professional growth.
Play around his weaknesses:
Nobody is a superman. Every person has some weaknesses. You have to point out his weaknesses and see what you can do with them. There must be something you are good at, and he is not. Make a list of his such weaknesses and do not leave a chance to impress him with your additional knowledge.
Even if you are not good at something which can impress your boss, learn it from YouTube or Google, there is nothing you cannot learn from these platforms.
Always be to the point
Being to the point is a rare quality. While some bosses may like to have talkative subordinates, talking too much may get you in trouble if you have a tough boss.
You should always mean business while having a conversation with your boss. This is not enough to get you in his good books, but it will certainly not put you in his bad books either. So be to the point and keep a safe distance.
Analyze his career milestones
If your boss is also reporting to someone, then there will always be some milestones in his career that will get him going for his promotion.
Even if your boss is the CEO of your company, there will still be some milestones for him to grow his business. If you can ever help him out getting any of his objectives, you will certainly mean a lot to him.
Get yourself in his shoes
If you were at his place, what would you have done in a particular situation? Think about being your boss and maybe you can feel his pain a little bit to understand him better.
Own his business for a while. Think about his challenges and worries. Think about helping him out. Even if it does not ease his work pressure, you will at least be satisfied in terms of justifying his behavior.