How to Deal with a Bad Boss

In the workplace, employees are faced with a number of issues that do not only irritate but may also take their toll on one's personal life. One of the most troublesome issues is the problem of dealing with a bad boss. Almost every organization has bad bosses. And bad bosses come in different forms - jerks, control freaks, micromanagers, ogres and bumbling fools among others. Though the pop culture may love making fun of bad bosses, it is no laughing matter when it comes to dealing with one yourself. You can really have a tough time when you are faced with a bad boss at the workplace. You may hate dealing with a boss with bad behavior. However, this is also conversely true that bad bossing is just a part of the organization's corporate culture.

In a study done recently, it came to light that about 80% of employees surveyed identified their bosses as lousy managers. Therefore, you can come across bad bosses in just any organizations. What's important is that you should know how to deal with a bad boss and handle such situations to the best of your efforts.

Given below are some important tips and useful advice to help employees deal with bad bosses. These tools can really help you deal with bad bossing. However, at times, the only solution to the problem is getting a transfer to some other department of the company or switching to a different employer.

Make Sure Your Are Doing Everything Right
First and foremost, you need to find out whether you are doing everything right. Make an analysis of all your actions and how you behave. It is no wonder that you may be worried with a bad boss and it's affecting your work performance. But you should be ready not to be distracted by how your boss behaves and concentrate on your work. So, it is very important how you handle yourself on the job.

Compile a List of Bad Boss Behaviors
There can be a number of things done by your boss driving you nuts. Prepare a list of all the bad behavior that you note in your boss. After you have compiled the list, leave it for a few days. Have a look at the list after a couple of days and review it. Pick two or three from the list which seem to be the most offensive. Try to come out with some useful suggestions or how differently (positively) your boss could act. If you are sure that your suggestions are really useful, schedule a meeting with your boss over tea or lunch. Give your suggestions in a way that does not offend your boss. Also be prepared that your boss could react emotionally.

Keep a Journal of Incidents
Another solution is to keep a journal and note down each of your boss' bad behavior. Just try to note how those bad behaviors affected your work performance. Keeping such a journal of your bad boss' behavior can provide you some relief while you are dealing with a bad boss. Later on, when you leave the company, you can take the journal to the human resource department of the company.

Find a Mentor with the Company
One effective solution to the problem of dealing with a bad boss is to develop a relationship with another supervisor or boss in some other department of the same company. Having a mentor in the company is a good idea to obtain advice in many ways and feel relieved. And if you have a list of bad boss behaviors, you can also take it to your mentor and seek their advice to handle the troubling workplace situation.

Report Your Bad Boss
If you are ready to take the risk of having numbered days in the company, you can also head to the human resource department with the list of complaints about your boss. Oftentimes, it is seen that one who complains about his/ her boss is taken as a complainer or a whiner and may have their days numbered in the company. Logically, a company would never want to keep a boss who is affecting the employees' productivity and work performance. Heading to your boss' supervisor is, however, the last resort.

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