You Have the Power to Fix Your Bad Boss - The Muse

You Have the Power to Fix Your Bad Boss - The MuseYou Have the Power to Fix Your Bad Boss When it comes to liking your job, the way you feel about your manager could be the deciding factor. In fact, according to a recent employee engagement survey, 50% of people who quit identify their boss as the reason they left.This rings true for me. Ive experienced both good and mediocre supervisors, as well as a few who made me want to rip my hair out. One created such misery that I was constantly devising my exit strategy. But before you turn yours into a scapegoat for all that goes wrong in your life, hear this Blaming everything on her may be more comfortable, but the real problem could actually be you. Yes- you. Youre Assuming She Can Read Your MindTwo years ago, my companys senior vice president and I were discussing a rough korrektur fr programmfehler my kollektiv was going through. Because we had a good rapport (most likely because he supplied our office with the very best snacks), he ha d no problem being straightforward. Look, he said, I cant read your mind. I have no idea what youre thinking. If you want something, you need to just say it.Ive repeated this advice to myself and others many times since then because its so spot on.Not only is your boss not a psychic (most likely), but she also isnt sitting around all day attempting to decode your every move. Yes, part of her role is managing you, but she has other responsibilities, too. If you need help, ask. If youre feeling overwhelmed, tell her. (This article lays out how to have that conversation.) If youre disappointed she didnt give you a promotion, discuss what you need to do to get one. Dont wait for her to come to you about everything. Youll just end up feeling frustrated and disgruntled. And nobody wants that.Youre Not Keeping herbei in the LoopShortly after starting a new position, my supervisor and I had an uncomfortable conversation. Another departments director wasnt thrilled with the quality of my wor k, and my manager wasnt very happy.After sharing my side of the story, her understanding and support were a relief. But, of course, my initial thought when she called was Wow, I cant believe shes coming at me like this.But shed felt blindsided. In our most recent one-on-one, Id indicated that everything was oh fine, just fine, and then she heard something different. If youre a team leader, its not fun when it appears as if your team isnt up to snuff. Imagine if, instead, Id said, Im struggling with this, or, I just wanted to give you a heads up about insert issue. She wouldve felt much more prepared to field complaints, and we probably couldve avoided our awkward phone call.If youre ever hesitant about bringing a potential (or definite) issue to light, just do it. It may not end up mattering, but if it does, its best to have it out in the open as early as possible. Your Performance Isnt Up to ParThis shouldnt come as too much of a surprise, but if youre dropping the ball, your boss probably wont react very favorably. She may lose confidence in you and not assign you to new projects. Or put you on a wertzuwachs improvement plan. She may never give you a raise or a promotion. And hey, she may even demote you. (Womp womp.)None of these scenarios is preferable. Or joyful. And any of them may make you want to endlessly grumble about how utterly horrible she is. But if youre missing deadlines, half-assing your assignments, or goofing off all day, it isnt her fault. Its yours. Try to view yourself (as an employee) objectively. Is there anything you could be doing better? Are there any areas requiring more effort or fine-tuning? If you improve what you can control, she may start to react more positively. And, alas, you may realize you dont hate her so much after all. Youre Letting Your Personal Feelings Get in the WayThe truth is, you just arent a big fan of her. Her laugh is too high-pitched, she always heats up fish in the microwave, and her communication styles a l ittle too blunt for you.And because shes not your cup of tea, every single thing she does is wrong. Even if it really isnt. That email she sent to your colleague wasnt actually a waste of time, you just thought it was because she sent it. Basically, youre letting your personal feelings about her taint your opinions about her work. You need to separate your feelings about her personality and mannerisms from the job at hand. Because while you may not want to hang out with her on the weekend or invite her to your birthday happy hour, that doesnt mean shes a bad manager. And until you remove that judgmental lens youre viewing her through, youre just sabotaging yourself.The boss-employee relationship can be tough, and it seems practically innate to moan and groan about the person you report to every day. But when there are factors in your control, you should try to change them instead of playing the victim. Before you label her your archenemy, make sure youre not guilty of any of the abo ve.