Is your office life miserable? Is working with your manager a nightmare? Manipulative bosses are kind of bullies; working for him is just equivalent to abuse. At such times the chances of finding the peace of mind in the office are almost none. So what should you do? Bail on him and quit the job? Is it worth it?
Figure Out If Your Boss Really Dislikes You
First things first you really need to find out if your boss really has taken a disliking on you. If it is so, Why?
This is important because only if you know the basic problem then you can take measure to fix the problem. If your boss really hates then you can see it in all his actions and interactions when it comes to you. Say him/her giving you a low-profile assignment, not giving you as much appreciation you deserve, not giving you the same amount of opportunities and coaching for development are all the signs that possibly your boss hates you or dislikes you. It is important to take a notice of this because this might effect on your growth, your compensation and on your career on the whole.
If you and your boss are just not clicking, use these strategies to solve the issue:
It Might Not Be You
Maybe you are just misinterpreting everything. Maybe your boss is like that by nature. He just doesn’t favor anyone and is standoffish and maintains a clear distance with everyone. Some people are like that, they are just too moody and they do not care about what others feel, like literally. You just have to take a few deep breaths and give your mind some peace. Getting anxious over these things might affect your work, which is even bad in your case. You need to think this through and analyze his behavior with your peers and colleagues in your presence and absence both.
Or…Is It Just You?
So now you found out that it’s not your boss, now what you should be asking yourself is – Is it me? Are others doing well with your boss? If yes, then why not try to take some pointers from them.
Ask yourself as to why you are finding it so difficult to be on the good side of your boss? Are your expectations too high? Are you over thinking the things? If there is something in which you are lacking then it is for you to try and mend your behavior, expectations or skill, whichever is necessary.
Mimic Your Boss’s Vibe
You are not clicking with your boss, have you ever thought that the possible reason for this might be that you and your boss have different personalities. Your boss likes to micromanage everyone while you might not like people dictating over your actions. But that doesn’t change the fact that he still is your boss. You have to look through this and determine what you can do to increase your compatibility. Can you flex to his style? If your boss is too chatty, make sure you drop by your boss’s office time to time and not go without communication for too long. If your boss likes to micromanage then try to complete your work before deadlines and give regular briefings about the project. This way you might change your boss’s perspective about you.
Stay Strong And Focus On Your Work
So what if your boss doesn’t favor you? You still have a job to do. You have to focus on making a good impression in the office. You have an absolute control over how you handle your job. Maybe if you improve your effectiveness your boss might change his behavior towards you.
If facing your boss early in the morning and going through it the whole day has already created havoc in your mind then try doing something that might change your day plans like setting up a lunch date with people who inspire you or with your mentor in that case.
Sit And Have A Heart To Heart Talk
Still getting those glares from your boss?
It might be the time for you to finally have the talk with your boss. Pucker up and set a meeting with your boss. But don’t go all ballistic once the meeting commences. Calm your nerves and start it smoothly and in a non-accusatory way by asking questions like: ‘I felt that you are not okay with my project findings or maybe just you were frustrated. I want to know if it was directed towards me.’ Have an open mind and listen to whatever your boss says. Let him be the talker. Be open to feedback both positive and negative. Ask him what you can do to make it better and do it.
Bear With Him And Consider Your Exit Strategy
Even after all of this if you’re boss is still a boss from hell then you should still give it a chance and try working in the same company. Even after working for two or more months and trying to improve the situation, if all your attempts are going futile then its high time you start packing your stuff and cleaning your table. DO not just be up and give a resignation letter. Plan it up, search for a different manager who can agree to be your reference for your resume.
Go Over His Head
If nothing seems to be working out for you and you’ve finally decided that you no longer want to work under the same boss. Then next thing you should be thinking is whether you are okay with working in the same company or you want to call quits on the company as well?
If you don’t have any problem with the company then you can meet up with your boss’s boss and request for transfer or call it a quits and plan your next career move. Because a boss who doesn’t give you much scope in work environment or any growth opportunities that it isn’t great for your career.
It has been found in a study that clashing with the supervisor is one of the main reasons why people quit jobs. It does not come as surprise at all because our supervisor/boss is the one we work for atleast6 to 8 hours a day, the one who has the control on our leaves, pays and promotion. You need to be on a constant and consistent watch about your impression in his eyes. Once your boss has formed an opinion – good or bad about you, it is very difficult to change it. But you can still do it if you put the efforts. After all, you’ve worked hard for this job and leaving it without trying is no justice for your hard work.
