3 Tips For Dealing With a Difficult Supervisor

Gina Deveney
Posted by


A difficult supervisor in the workplace makes the work environment more stressful for everyone. Bad bosses can create a toxic work situation, decrease workplace efficiency and destroy employee morale. Learn how to deal with a tough supervisor to maintain sanity and peace in the work atmosphere.

Reach Out and Communicate

Getting into an argument at the office with a difficult supervisor can be embarrassing and uncomfortable. Many employees would rather avoid a bad supervisor than argue, but doing so is not always helpful or possible. If you want to improve your work relationship with your boss, reach out warmly and learn to communicate effectively with him or her. It's possible that you and your manager misunderstand each other, so using effective communication practices can restore the lines of communication. Pay attention to verbal and nonverbal cues to determine the best time to engage in conversation with your manager, and avoid triggers that kindle your boss’s rage. Keep in mind that difficult supervisors may be deeply affected by stress overload and personal troubles, and they may be unaware of how their behavior affects others around them. If you feel that a manager is trying to bully you, be proactive and speak up for yourself if you want the behavior to end.

Maintain Good Performance

If you don't want to attract the attention of a bad boss, focus on performing your best at work . Keep records of the assignments you complete, and use a time log in case you are confronted by a difficult supervisor regarding your daily activities and work performance. Review work expectations with your boss to stay aware of what to do each day to excel. Aiming to finish assignments as soon as possible can impress your boss and help you avoid being micromanaged.

Get Help From Human Resources

If you find it impossible to communicate with a difficult supervisor yourself, you can enlist the help of your company's human resources department. A human resources representative can provide guidance in resolving workplace issues with difficult supervisors. Many businesses use conflict resolution resources to resolve toxic work situations between managers and employees. Filing a formal complaint against a boss who is especially aggressive or unethical may be necessary to end the madness and restore peace in the workplace. Keep any memos, incriminating emails and other documentation to use as evidence to support a case.

A difficult supervisor can have a negative effect on employees, fellow managers and even clients. When interacting with a hostile manager, it is more productive to maintain your composure at all times, so commit to staying positive and professional to minimize conflict. By making genuine efforts to restore balance at work, you can relieve the stress of working with a difficult supervisor and promote workplace harmony.

 

Photo courtesy of imagerymajestic at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

 

Comment

Become a member to take advantage of more features, like commenting and voting.

Jobs to Watch