When bad bosses happen to good employees: 8 ways to handle a bad boss

Photo: Rachel Crews

Among all of the difficult people found in the workplace, bad bosses can make our lives the most miserable. Some don’t give employees any feedback all year, but then give them bad performance reviews. Some simply don’t listen to their colleagues. Some have a dictatorial personality that makes it impossible to work for them. Some are threatened by employees that they feel are gunning for their jobs—whether or not there is evidence to support that fear. And some, although they may be brilliant in their field, just do not have the communication skills to lead a department.

No matter what causes a boss to be a bad boss, employees still have to find ways to deal with them and keep their sanity. These strategies are helpful ways, short of quitting a job, to handle a bad boss.

1. Ask for clear instruction. Bad bosses will give assignments and never tell you exactly what they want. When your crystal ball is having an off day, they’ll then berate you for not being able to read their minds. It’s best to have conversations with the boss up front to figure out what they expect from you when working on a project.

2. Ask for feedback. Just as bad bosses won’t give you clear instruction, they also won’t give you feedback. It won’t be until you have a performance review that you find out that you haven’t been working up to their expectations. In order to preserve your sanity, it’s better to speak to your bad boss regularly about your performance so that there are no surprises.

Of course, this is not always easy, notes Saul Macias, Director of Human Resources at the Stupski Foundation.

“Bad managers will always surprise you at the end of the month, quarter, or year with really bad news about your performance. So, the most proactive thing employees can do is just be very clear about what they’re expected to do,” he said. “But it’s very difficult because when you have a bad manager, the last thing you want to do is spend more time with that manager. The natural tendency is to hide under your desk and hope that when you surface with your work product, it’s what the manager wanted.”

3. Give your bad boss feedback. When your boss is not adequately managing you, try turning the tables and manage them. If your boss is doing something that you want them to continue, give a little positive reinforcement. Likewise, if your bad boss does something that makes your job difficult, try your best to have a conversation about it.

4. Be direct when you discuss your concerns. Although you may be afraid to address your concerns with your bad boss, you can try to frame the conversation in such a way that will not push their buttons and make the workday even worse.

“Look for nonconfrontational ways to get your point across,” said Nancy Nelson of HRProse, LLC. “For instance, if you don’t have a lot of clarity around your expectations, come up with some questions and ask them in terms of what you can do to be the most helpful to the boss and how you can help that person accomplish their goals.”

By doing this, Nelson said, you make the conversation about business goals, rather than making it a personal issue between you and your bad boss.

Part Two: When bad bosses happen to good employees: 8 ways to handle a bad boss (continued)

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