|
| |
HOW TO MANAGE A BAD BOSS
What can employees do to manage bad
bosses? Stanley Bing, a real, but disguised Fortune 500 executive suggests the
following- in order:
-
Cordially
discuss the situation.
-
Take a reality
check and determine how upset the boss may be and whether he can listen
to reason.
-
Appeal to his
humanity and suggest that the criticisms forthcoming remain
constructive.
-
Talk to the
powers that be. Find someone who cares about your work and ask him to
constructively intervene.
-
Say nothing and
see if that works, refuse to participate in confrontation.
-
Issue a stern
warning by standing up to the boss and letting him know your limits. If
all else fails, Bing suggests ..
-
Choke him, Dude!
- from
Fortune, January 12, 1998
Now while choking may be rewarding at
the moment, it could be a career stopper. The victor in an interpersonal
conflict is not the one who yells the loudest, but the one who stays the
coolest. So, here are some other more functional suggestions for managing a
"dinosaur brain" boss.
-
Ask for time to stop
and think, it may have a calming effect on the other person and gives you
time to cool down and think.
-
Listen to your
heart, literally. If your heart rate is up, the more aroused you are and the
harder it will be to stay calm and diffuse a situation. Ask for time, take a
deep breath and try to relax.
-
Hold your immediate
response. Let someone else jump to conclusions. Don't let the boss know how
upset you are until you can think things through.
-
Ask yourself "What
do I want to happen?" Thinks things through before action. Actions should be
based on goals, not anger.
-
Don't engage with
people when they are yelling. The goal is to defuse, not escalate the
situation. Also, things said in anger during yelling matches can never be
taken back.
-
Don't try and
explain yourself while your boss is on a rampage, unless you are certain
that it would help solve the problem- instead of defending you.
-
Let your boss know
that you have heard what he said, restate it so you can demonstrate
understanding.
-
Ask the boss what
he'd like you to do, state what you want to achieve and what you will need
to do so.
-
Get verbal
acknowledgement for what has been agreed upon.
-
Perhaps the most
difficult—let the boss have the last word. Last words are aggressive acts.
If you try and have it, the situation may re-escalate. (Dinosaur Brains,
1989, Wiley & Sons).
If all else fails, you can decide to get
a new job.
- from Dinosaur Brains, 1989, Wiley & Sons
| |
New Posts
Ads
Freelance award-winning
Filipino 3D animator and graphics artist
|
