Everyone has come across a difficult boss at some point in their career. This is an unavoidable situation. As much as it is a learning process for an individual, it can be extremely daunting and overwhelming as well. Therefore, one needs to find ways to deal with such situations. Many people tend to leave such places of work, but it may not be a solution for others. Finding a way to cope then becomes crucial.
Let’s look at some ways to handle this in a better manner.
- Focus on the task at hand and what your boss is asking you to do with regards to the task rather than everything surrounding it. Very often a lot of things are said which may not be related to the task, but we need to learn to not pay heed to anything other than the task related information.
- We need to learn to not take things personally. When someone says something, pause and take a minute to check in with self if this information resonates with you. If not, we need to let it go and not make it a part of our being.
- Creating boundaries and maintaining them is extremely difficult for most people. But in certain situations, it becomes necessary or else it can get very hard to sustain. Practice it to get comfortable with making and maintaining boundaries.
- Understanding when to use your voice and when not to is important to gauge. Sometimes when emotions take over it can be very difficult to remain quiet for a lot of people, but choosing your words and the timeliness of it is very important.
- One can feel extremely frustrated and even angry from time to time. We need to seek external help or talk to a trusted source to express what one feels. This is necessary or else it can affect the quality of the work which is not how it should be. Therefore, reach out for help when required.
- It is human nature to talk about the person who is being difficult, but one needs to be careful not to do it with your work colleagues as it can take the shape of gossiping in the office. Reach out of the office so the help can be received.
- In order to maintain a work life balance, it is vital to leave the office and leave everything to do with the office behind before reaching home. Carrying baggage from the office is not a solution but in fact creates more trouble. It is an individual’s responsibility to maintain this balance.
- Being specific with how one communicates is very essential. Try to use fewer words and not beat around the bush. Coming to the point will help in such situations.
- We are human so it is very easy to get tempted to become like the person in front of us. This is where we need to try to go beyond and not emulate someone’s behavior which does not resonate with us.
- Everyone has a history which may not be pleasant. A person’s behavior can be a result of their unpleasant past. It is no excuse but when we take this thought into consideration, we feel less frustrated as there is some clarity around the reason behind someone behaving in a particular manner.
These are a few ways to handle such situations and people. Another piece which is important to remember for every individual is that work is a huge part of life, but it is still one aspect of life and there are many other things as well which are a part of an individual’s life. The more we can remain detached, the more helpful it will be. Dealing with difficult bosses or people can be very tiring but it is something we all go through at different phases in our life. The more we feel secure within ourselves the less the externals will affect us. Therefore, strengthening ourselves is what we need to constantly work on, so the impact of the externals keeps reducing over time.
Would like to end with a series of quotes put together, written by Maya Angelou.
“My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.” “Everything in the universe has a rhythm, everything dances.” “No matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.”– Maya Angelou
