But your office probably isn’t one of them or if you are one of the lucky few to be blessed with such a boss then maybe the guy in the next cubicle could use your support and advice in dealing with his ‘hellish nightmare of a supervisor’.
Source of Conflict
Identifying the source of this workplace conflict is a good place to start. Figure out if your boss is just in opposition of your ideas, decisions and actions or does his dislike run deeper? The last thing you want is a personality clash whereby seniors reject your work out of pure dislike. It is also important to figure out if this is part of his general behavior towards everyone else or if you are his only target. Moreover, does he influence others around him to think of you in the same manner? If so, you need to take immediate action. Read on!
Self Assessment
Evil bosses aside, the problem could actually be you! Evaluate your recent work performance, ask trusted colleagues to help you out. Enlist well-meaning and helpful HR personnel to assess your productivity in the past month or so (do choose wisely!). Could your supervisor’s reaction be triggered by your poor work performance or increased absenteeism? Are you prone to over reaction? Sorry, but we had to ask!
Don’ts of Dealing with Fiery Bosses!
1. Don’t be rude back! It will not help the situation. On the contrary, it will just assert that fact that you are disrespectful towards authoritative figures.
2. Don’t defy direct orders. No one can lead a successful mutiny, except for maybe Captain Jack Sparrow. Leave such thoughts at the door.
3. Don’t respond with silence. We have to admit it does sound tantalizing and it might even successfully irritate your boss but then you might be judged for being childish and unprofessional.
4. Don’t avoid interaction with the boss or abscond from work. It’s like handing him or her more ammunition against you.
5. Don’t quit! Fellow workers might be fooled into thinking that you were not a team player to begin with. And who do you think will issue this memo?
This topic will be continued in our next bi-weekly issue where we will let you in on how you too can build a better relationship with your boss. Meanwhile, do email us about your work-related problems on editorial@abudhaitempo.com
Time Management Tip # 8*
Learn to say ‘no’ when office colleagues drop-in to ask for those ‘little favours’ which suck all your energy and use-up most of your office hours. If you already have more than you can handle, politely refuse and mention your pending workload. Learning to say ‘no’ today will save you from a lot of grief, additional workload and stress later on in your career.
*Part 8 or a 12 issue series
