The boss from hell

Anyone who has seen the Hollywood movie ‘The Devil wears Prada’ would be forgiven for laughing at the antics of the personal assistant who had to keep up with her “devilish” boss. But for some others who really have to deal with such temperamental superiors at work, with or without the expensive designer clothes, they know it is absolutely no fun.

It is only natural that a superior officer who is left in charge should take charge and ensure that all goes well within the working environment, but some misuse this responsibility, leaving workers under their care feeling less human at the end of each working day. However, with outsourcing, downsizing, and all such activities, caused mostly by the global economic meltdown and the comatose labour policies in Nigeria, finding a job is tough and, therefore, workers are forced to “manage” their present work life with the bossy boss. The good news is that if properly handled, such a situation might turn out favourably with the boss having a change in attitude.

“Crazy” tyrannical bosses can be found in all organisations – the sexist, the control freak, the ogre, or the plain ol’ bumbling fool – and you are bound to encounter one or the other at some point in your working life.

Rumours and assumptions

As hard as it may be to accept that some bad bosses will never change, the fact remains that a tyrannical boss will not necessarily be an incompetent one. When your boss appears to delight in making life miserable for you, then it’s time to sit down and talk things out. A lack of communication is the biggest problem with any relationship and this extends beyond the personal life into the working life. When employees avoid speaking with their superiors because they fear them so much, a breakdown of the communication line occurs. Rumours and assumptions are no way to build a healthy workplace as these will ultimately affect productivity.

Questions to ask yourself

You should try to view the situation objectively: are you really putting in your best? Or do you simply resent your boss because of a factor like his or her gender or ethnicity? Might your boss simply be pushing you to realise your potential?

Make sure you are putting your best into your job, and even going the extra mile. Although, if you are weary, unhappy and frustrated you are sure to be de-motivated. Nevertheless, if you love your job, just make an effort at ignoring the distractions of a bad boss and simply do your job to the best of your ability.

The ‘annoyance’ list

Make a list of what annoys you most about your bad boss. Review this list, rank it in order of the most annoying to the least annoying trait, pick the worst of these annoying habits (those that leave you murmuring through clenched teeth), edit to remove all sarcasm or misplaced anger, show a mature friend with no vested interests in the situation, leave the list on your desk for a few days, go back to it, re-edit it objectively and then talk to your boss.

The all-important talk

Tell him/her what you need in terms of support, direction and feedback. Do this politely and focus on your needs, then ask the boss how you can help him reach his goals. There is no guarantee this will produce positive results; it could end badly, but realise that this talk is very important. You shouldn’t allow your emotions to overwhelm you, if possible schedule a lunch meeting outside the office, but be prepared for your boss to have an emotional reaction to the news that he/she is not providing the atmosphere for you to do your best work.

Hopeless cases

The truth is that some bosses are tyrannical and may never change. If you have an unrepentant bad boss on your hands and you can’t find a way to resolve issues then you have to face the facts and seek for a working solution. The worst thing you can do is simply to do nothing, hoping that the problems will get resolved. This course of action will do your sanity, self-esteem and health no good.

It is advised that if nothing changes and you find yourself experiencing health issues due to the damaging actions of a bad boss, then resignation might be the only option left as no job is worth your health and happiness in the long run.