How to Deal with a Bad Boss

herbivor

How to Deal with a Bad Boss
by Penelope Trunk
Posted on Wednesday, February 7, 2007, 3:00AM


Here's what a bad boss is: Someone who lies, cheats, steals, or touches you after you've told him, in writing, not to. If you have one of these bosses, quit complaining and start applying for other jobs.

All other bosses aren't truly bad -- you're just bad at managing them.

A Boss-Management Decalogue

One of the most important parts of being competent at work is managing up: Making sure you give your boss what he or she needs, and then getting what you need in return. That's no one's responsibility but your own.

Here are 10 ways to manage your boss:

1. Understand the person you're dealing with.

Is she detail-oriented? Give her detailed reports. Is she a big-picture thinker? Tell her your big ideas. Does he like voicemail? Then leave some, even if you hate using it.

Understand her personality strengths and weaknesses, because this is usually the path toward forging a relationship. If you know her weaknesses, you can have empathy for her shortcomings instead of impatience. And whatever you feel will show, so figure out how to feel compassion for your boss, or you'll get nowhere with her.

2. Ask for your quarterly goals, in writing.

If you don't have goals, how can you even know what your job is? And if you don't know what your job is, you can be sure you won't make your boss happy.

If your boss does not know your goals either, write your own. Create a fun job for yourself that will be an integral part of the company's strategy. If your boss doesn't like the goals you create, she'll suddenly be able to come up with them herself.

3. Know your boss's biggest worries, and help him address them.

Why are you working on projects your boss doesn't care about? Your job is to make your boss love you so he helps you get the skills you need to grow in your career.

If you have stuff on your plate that doesn't matter, do it fast, and don't worry about being judged on the quality of this work because your boss doesn't care. Focus on the stuff that matters to your boss, because that's what will make your boss love you.

4. Look at your boss's weaknesses as opportunities.

If your boss is great at project management, then surely she doesn't need you to do that. Be great at the stuff your boss is terrible at -- like people management, maybe -- and help your boss rally her troops. If she's great at sales but hates the detailed reporting, get great at the reporting and offer to do all the stuff she hates to do.

If your boss is terrible at managing meetings, instead of complaining about it, volunteer to do the brunt of the organizing for him. He'll appreciate that way more than you helping with stuff he doesn't worry about.

5. Focus on your own needs by focusing on your boss's needs.

You and your boss are a team. You make your boss look great in the organization and in the world, and your boss will help you grow and meet your own goals.

To do this, you need to focus more on helping your boss and less on doing work you love. The first act begets the second: A boss who feels indebted to you will give you what you want.

6. See the good in people.

Don't tell me your boss doesn't care about you, or that he's only concerned with the bottom line. It's not humanly possible for your boss to not care about you if you understand him, are there for him, support him, and genuinely care.

You have to be authentic with your boss to develop a real relationship. Figure out how to care about him deeply -- as a person whom you can help. If you can't do this for your boss, how can you expect it from him?

7. Get a list of your boss's priorities.

When you have too much work, this allows you to tell your boss that you can't do x, y, and z because they're not high enough priorities to him. In other words, you can say, "I could do x, but you said a, b, and c are very important to you, and I don't want to compromise those."

This is a great way of saying "no" to work in a way that makes your boss feel very respected, understood, and taken care of.

8. Prioritize your own work in terms of what matters to your boss.

Fit your high-priority items into a reasonable schedule, and don't do low-priority items until the important stuff is done. This allows you to always deliver on what matters to your boss.

Keeping your boss happy means being a high performer. People don't care if you perform well on stuff that doesn't matter to them, so don't.

9. Give weekly updates.

It doesn't matter if your boss asks for them or not. This is a team report, for you and your boss; you're the team, working on your boss's priorities.

This is when you tell your boss how much you've accomplished that will help her. Tell her things you see that might be roadblocks for her, and how you can help her fix them in the next week. Also tell her what you're planning to do that's extremely important to her so she's sure not to ask you to do unimportant work over the next week.

10. Don't get stuck on personality types.

We each have preferences for the people we hang out with. But the most successful people can get along with anyone. If you can't get along with the type of person your boss is, it's your shortcoming, not his.

Read some psychology books about social monitors, and how we can teach ourselves to authentically connect with anyone by practicing empathy. And then do it. After all, why is it your boss's job to adjust to you? You're the one with the problem.

The Choice Is Yours

The bottom line: Take responsibility for yourself. No one forces you to have the job you have. You could leave anytime

If you're not going to leave, then you're choosing the boss you have. And since you chose your boss, start making her into a good one. Otherwise, why did you choose her?

sitilina

what i did was : report to the higher bosses.

ifanonline

Bosses are human being also...not robots...

herbivor

Originally posted by ifanonline at 9-2-2007 03:52 PM
Bosses are human being also...not robots...

hehehe ... true. they are also human. but it is their characteristics n +++ that separates them from 'humans'

sitilina

Originally posted by herbivor at 10-2-2007 11:54 AM


hehehe ... true. they are also human. but it is their characteristics n +++ that separates them from 'humans'

boss aku sgt baik. dia ckp "i xbole nk mara2 u skang, sbb dlm industry ni mcm2 bole jd. who knows 5-6 thn lg u plak jd boss i"

azerlma

i resigned... already.. now hunting for another job...

herbivor

Originally posted by azerlma at 20-2-2007 11:10 PM
i resigned... already.. now hunting for another job...

woo ... wouldnt it be better if you'd found a new job before resigning?

azerlma

i have no choice oso.. resigned 24 hours... sometime is not good oso if you being too honest to the bad guy..

sedey2 nak carik keje nie....

JustWant2Know

be as bad as they are....follow them...kalau tak boleh jugak, cari kerja lain..

alpha_dansei

saya kat kilang dulu memang kaki gaduh ngan boss jepon.. hehe

herbivor

Originally posted by alpha_dansei at 22-2-2007 11:43 AM
saya kat kilang dulu memang kaki gaduh ngan boss jepon.. hehe

samalah! herb dulu pong selalu gaduh ngan boss... but she's korean n it's a language institute hehehe

alpha_dansei

Originally posted by herbivor at 22-2-2007 01:25 PM

samalah! herb dulu pong selalu gaduh ngan boss... but she's korean n it's a language institute hehehe

ekeke, bagus2 ada geng..

Ahihuh

It is mainly your own decision, try to besmarter than the boss especially for any intention of sexualharassment.How? You are now the boss.

forfavor

dealing with difficult people,(might be our boss)in the office takes a lot of important elements into account..such as managing our relationship with people effectively by identifying their cultural background and worldview...somehow bile kite berborak ngan sumer org,kekdg kalo ikut setengah budaya...the thing might be wrong,but according to our own perspective,bende tu betul..tu sbb we have to be able to adjust ourself while communicating with people from various cultural background...for example,if our boss is British or American we do really have to value the differences,about time somehow...if we are not punctual or efficient in managing our time,so learn our best to be punctual and efficient in managing ourtime...the do's and don'ts in the office play a very important role to ensure that every single business would be run smoothly...
one more thing,kalo ade boss yg suke ngorat2 pompuan kt ofis ke..or something like that,tell them that it violates the ethical code of professional worker and it could lead to severe penalties..

generasi2

profil bos (head of department jer dia nih):nama manja:Kit. chinese lady-umur 40-an-widow off course (twice)卻ifat diri: bodoh sombong卍an jenis yg makan manusia nih!!!..diskriminasi x yah ckp ahh!!!....mmg pig skin!

aku simpulkan cm nih,bg yg tgh carik keje,klu bleh elak, dun even xcept offer frm 1 company which is subsidiaries of 1 of the foreign bank(well-known)..bos mcm cipan..!!!mula2 masuk, org duk ckp2 bos cm 2, aku buat x tau!!sbb aku optimis..offer pun ok even basic is very low tp can earn komisen ..kira ok lah!!blh lah aku buat byr cr card, kete n rmh aku!!tp, skrg, aku dh tkene..bos aku cuba nk jatuhkan aku sejatuh2nyer...n sbnrnyer try to force me 2 blah!!..ku btahan sbb aku nk tgk aper lg dia nk buat kat aku!!!...n @ d same time of course aku try cari keje lah cuma keje2 yg aku dpt x menepati kritiria yg aku nk!!!.

Inilah liku2 kehidupan aku!!...mmg sakit hati tahap meringkok lah!!..tp aku bykkan bsabar.

mmm...I ade bbrp experience.  Skali keje dgn architectural firm, verbally janji nak confirm. tunggu2 surat confirmation tak juga diberi.  Ty pun, jwp nanti2.  Tak larat nak tggu, I consult labor office.  Then, I htr dia org surat 2 gv me their show cause lttr within 24 or 48 hrs (tak ingat dah sbb dah lama)  as to why they havent confirm me. Marah sakan they all n dlm masa yg sama dia org tak dpt beri jwpnya.  Selalunya majikan yg minta pekerja showcause lttr, ini terbalik, pekerja pula minta.  Kalau dah awal2 lagi dah problem, baik I cha ya alif but.  Lebih teruk lagi epf pun tak dicarumkan.

Satu lagi, isu diskriminasi.  Sepatutnya pekerja baru dihtr utk kursus orientasi, di kompani yg ternama ini. Tapi boss I slalu beri alasan utk tgghkan orientasi I. I ni terlalu sibuk byk kerja tak boleh tggl office.  Mmg sibuk gila pun (tapi aktiviti2 lain dibenarkan pulak). I sorang sj kat office tu yg malay. Yg sorang tu kat office kaki bodek boss.   I ckp kt boss, I terlalu byk kerja.  Balik pun kdg sampai 1-2 pagi.  Dia akui dah serah 1 kerja kpd minah tu utk incharge & I disuruh train dia.  Punya le bengap nak mampus.  Lps boss I resign, ganti boss baru, pun bangsa dia juga. Dan i dpt tahu dia ni nak masukkan sama, asst dia dari tpt kerja lama kat office tu. Dia suruh bdk peremp tu dtg time I cuti alt. saturday.  I rasa something is not right somewhere.  Masa appraisal (time tu boss baru tu baru je keje 2minggu), dia ckp tak puas hati dgn keje I. Yg I bengang tu, mana mungkin dlm masa 2 minggu dia boleh evaluate keja I - itu tak adil namanya. I dah rasa dat he'll do something to kick me out from there.  Then, wat I guest was right.  I dpt notis pemberhentian kerja dlm tmpoh 2minggu, di saat2 akhir nak sambut hari raya.  Bayangkan!  Sakitnya hati.   Dgn nasihat & semangat yg diberi oleh teman dari dept lain, I berundur dgn cara hormat.  Tapi lps tu I tdk hy berdiam diri, tapi I fail kes kat labour office.  Akhirnya mrk byr pampasan 3 bulan gaji tak silap I.  Tak lama lps tu, boss busuk hati I tu pun berenti keje, dgr dia ada problem dgn mgt.  Yg best part tu, dia all hold gaji I, adik I pegi serang accountant kat situ. Tercengang-cengang dia tak tau perkara sebnrnya, immdiately instruct the staff utk issue cek masa tu jugak.  Yg I cukup sakit hati, dah le buang kita nak ganti dgn bangsa dia, my boss suruh pulak I train bdk baru tu dan dia pulak sempat ckp kat I, sorry, to cause problem to me.  Computer program consultant & mbr I kat dept lain ckp, u tak payah nak ajar dia lebih2, jgn bg tau dia semua, biarkan dia org rasa bila u tak ada nanti.  But God is Great! Hari yg sama I dibuang keja, hari tu juga I dpt offer keja sementara dpt keja lain yg lebih dkt.

Satu pengalaman lagi, boss I ni actually baik laki bini.  Tapi cara kerjanya yg tak baik.  I tak suka, I cakap dgn dia terang2 yg I ni jenis tak suka buat business tipu org, sbb I yg cari customer, deal dgn they from A-Z, and try to build rapport with them utk long term business.  Mana tak penat asyik duk cari customer baru and try to get more business dari customer yg sedia ada, tup2 my boss buat cara dia sendiri.  Apa2 komplen mrk direct contact I, I juga yg kena jwb & dpt malu.  Nama baik I nanti busuk, org dah takkan percaya I smpai bila2, walaupun I dah tukar kompeni.  Betul tak? Dan I tak nak rezeki yg tak halal bagi I dgn buat business cara gitu.  So, I bagitau dia I nak berhenti. Dia ty knp, I cuma ckp dpt better offer. Lalu dia terus offer salary increment RM700.00 beza dr gaji I masa tu dan dinaikkan komisen dari 4 - 20%, komisen biasa 3 bulan sekali, dia ckp sanggup bg setiap bulan.  I malas nak ckp byk dgn dia.  I tau dia buat gitu sbb nak utg lebih & keja senang. I quit coz the way my boss did business was very bad!

ponet

kalau you all dapat boss from hell tu resign je le..cari kerja lain..

sayang_papa

boss from hell? pernah.... 2 boss dah ku tahan perangainya.

makcik tak kira, tak nak posting tempat lain, tak nak tukar kerja ,
nak duduk kerja ni jugak... jadi ...

makcik tahan aje la perangai boss ni... buat bodoh je...
lantak...

kawan i dah 4 org tukar tempat kerja, tak tahan bengon* from hell tu...
i? never...
sekarang , boss i dah kena tukar kat lain... best nya,,,,
i buat pulut kuning u, jgn mare

for me, i need to stay here. tak kira apa jadi. tapi, kalau offer naik
pangkat, maybe fikir banyak kali jugak.

herbivor

Originally posted by fezra at 24-2-2007 04:29 PM
mmm...I ade bbrp experience.  Skali keje dgn architectural firm, verbally janji nak confirm. tunggu2 surat confirmation tak juga diberi.  Ty pun, jwp nanti2.  Tak larat nak tggu, I consult labor  ...

herb pong kena ...


1. no socso. i remember having to come to work the next day after a bike accident happened.

2. no epf. employer owes me 3.5 years of epf. still fighting for it.

3. company has no legitimate license to run a certain business.

generasi2

klu dpt keje lain yg perfect senang mcm mkn goreng pisang, dh lame blah!!...aku dpt keje tp x penuhi kriteria aku nk,cth nyer gaji,lokasi,contract sthn,shift..kang hidup x menentu, krete,rmh semua kene byr!!