How to cope with a difficult boss

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: Bosses, they say, are seen in two species. The good ones and the bad ones. The good ones are those who have qualities that cannot be described in words, but are seen through their actions. The bad ones, however, have a non-exhaustive list of qualities that fit into the right frame of words that describe them best. They are said to belong to hell. They never have anything good to say about their subordinates. They constantly criticise the work of others around. Nothing is ever their mistake. They yell unreasonably at the slight mistake made by their subordinates, and the list can just get endless.

Also, what makes it worse is when there are just the two of them. The boss and the subordinate. The subordinate, who has no one to share his miseries with, is constantly worried about what his boss will say and/or do to make his life more miserable.

How does one handle situations like these?

It’s interesting how much we put up with from our supervisors. It has been noticed that people who would leave an abusive spouse easily tolerate the same behaviour from their supervisor. We have this feeling that it’s okay to be treated poorly because we’re getting money in return. It surely takes a great deal to realise and accept the fact that this shouldn’t be the case.

Unfortunately, being aware of an unreasonable boss doesn’t make your workday any easier. Since you can’t expect to change your boss’ behaviours overnight, the best way to work through this situation is to concentrate on the stress it’s causing you. Try these tactics:

• Remember that unjust criticism is often a disguised compliment. When I was young and would get angry that another child made fun of me, my grandmother often said, “Oh, he’s just jealous.” It’s true. Sometimes people are so insecure in their own success that they criticise others to make their own mistakes seem smaller. If your boss is unjustly criticising you, the people he’s talking to will eventually figure it out.

• Do the very best you can. You can’t control your boss’ attitude or what he says about you. But you can control how well you perform your job. People in the office will notice your performance.