11 ways to deal with a bad boss

Every day you wake up and look forward to getting to work. You love your patients and adore your co-workers. They’re better than your own family. The commute is reasonable too. However, there’s one glaring irritant that you just can’t stand. That problem is your boss. When she walks into the room, you feel your blood pressure rise. Everything would be just perfect if she wasn’t there. How can you tackle this problem?

When you arrive at work, you laugh and joke with your colleagues until you see her. Why does she get under your skin so deeply? Does she remind you of your mom? Is there someone in your life who makes you feel the same way? Have you really looked closely at what exactly bothers you about her?

Let’s look at the superficial issues that bubble to the top:

• She’s nitpicky about everything. (Some call it being a perfectionist, but you think it’s some deep pathological problem that she has.)

• She never laughs or smiles at me. (Does the fact that I breathe the same air offend her or something?)

• She’s condescending and talks down to me. (How come this side of her personality was masked during my interview process? Once hired, her authentic self came out, and it isn’t pretty.)

• She has favorites, and I’m not one of them. (This is déjà vu feeling like I’m back in high school when the popular kids didn’t want to hang out with me.)

The list can go on and on, but what are you going to do about it? You must do something, but she has all the power, right? No, she doesn’t. You have choices as to how to handle an obnoxious boss.

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Here are some strategies to consider:

• Address the issue with her. (The best way to resolve a problem is to acknowledge it.)

• Ignore the problem. (Not so effective since problems don’t go away on their own.)

• Talk to someone you trust and brainstorm how to resolve it. (Don’t gossip about her or badmouth her at work. It will come back to haunt you.)

• Find ways to engage her in conversation and develop a relationship. (Not easy, but it can be done.)

• See if there are things you can do to make her job easier. (People who offer help get brownie points.)

• Demonstrate how you’re both a professional and good team player. (Be you. Don’t let nerves or stress impact your work.)

• Practice how to talk to her about the problem. (Role playing with someone you trust can help you plan how to communicate better with her.)

• Don’t give up and become passive aggressive. (Keep your eyes on the prize. What’s your goal?)

• Watch how she interacts with your colleagues to see if this is an isolated issue or if this is a pattern of behavior with others. (You can learn a lot by listening and being aware of what’s going on around you.)

• Write down all the incidents that arise so that you can point out specific issues that have happened as well as to protect yourself. (A paper trail may be something you’ll need at some point. Make sure you keep this at home and NOT at work.)

• Last resort…find another job. (Sometimes, your sanity is more important than the job. Do what you need to do to take care of yourself.)

This list can go on endlessly. When there are problems, work on them. They won’t go away on their own. Be open to the fact that bosses can change. It may take a lot of work, but don’t give up hope.

If you have a boss you can’t stand, email me using your personal email at diana2@discussdirectives.com. I look forward to hearing about your experiences-the good and the bad.