We all encounter a difficult boss at least once in our lives. Some of these managers can be nice one moment and upset the next. Bosses like these tear you down, manipulate situations, threaten you, take credit for your work, control everything and blame you for their mistakes. Sometimes a supervisor dislikes you from the first time you meet. As a teenager, it may be especially hard to manage your interactions with someone who is unkind or abusive on the job because of your lack of experience and undeveloped self-confidence. Here are a few suggestions to manage your superior. |
Be polite. This goes without saying, and you probably are already. However, try to change your tone. Don’t be too defensive, don’t be too submissive and don’t question the boss. Don’t try to be “right”. You will not win. Answer questions without adding information that wasn’t asked for.
Instill Confidence. Do your job well, and eventually your supervisor will trust you and relax. Even if he doesn’t, you know that your performance is good and it will speak for itself in front of others. If your boss is just a micro manager, deal with it. He needs to be in control. Do not take it personally. Try to notice what matters most to your boss and comply. Observe the way that the people who do get along with him interact with him.
Don’t try to make friends with your tyrant. It is likely that his or her personality is not going to suddenly change. Keep things as professional as you can.
Try to have a calm talk with the problem leader. Explain that you do not feel that you can be productive in the current environment. Ask for suggestions on how you can work better together.
If all of your efforts have not resulted in a better situation, you might have to go to your Human Resource Department. They can either mediate or ask you to file a complaint. Keep a record of incidents with the dates, times, and people present. Also keep a record of your successes on the job. List times when others complimented you on your work. You will definitely need this to defend yourself. You might be able to transfer to a different part of the company. Some companies will pay compensation if you have to leave under these circumstances.
You should never stay in a situation where you are verbally abused. Your health is paramount. Do not let a job ruin your well-being. Stress can make you very sick. If you cannot sleep at night and if you are dreading going to your job, it might be time to look for a new placement. Don’t consider your time at the job a failure. Take anything you learned there as a positive and forget about the things that you could not control. After you are away from the situation for a while, you will see that leaving was for the best.
Instill Confidence. Do your job well, and eventually your supervisor will trust you and relax. Even if he doesn’t, you know that your performance is good and it will speak for itself in front of others. If your boss is just a micro manager, deal with it. He needs to be in control. Do not take it personally. Try to notice what matters most to your boss and comply. Observe the way that the people who do get along with him interact with him.
Don’t try to make friends with your tyrant. It is likely that his or her personality is not going to suddenly change. Keep things as professional as you can.
Try to have a calm talk with the problem leader. Explain that you do not feel that you can be productive in the current environment. Ask for suggestions on how you can work better together.
If all of your efforts have not resulted in a better situation, you might have to go to your Human Resource Department. They can either mediate or ask you to file a complaint. Keep a record of incidents with the dates, times, and people present. Also keep a record of your successes on the job. List times when others complimented you on your work. You will definitely need this to defend yourself. You might be able to transfer to a different part of the company. Some companies will pay compensation if you have to leave under these circumstances.
You should never stay in a situation where you are verbally abused. Your health is paramount. Do not let a job ruin your well-being. Stress can make you very sick. If you cannot sleep at night and if you are dreading going to your job, it might be time to look for a new placement. Don’t consider your time at the job a failure. Take anything you learned there as a positive and forget about the things that you could not control. After you are away from the situation for a while, you will see that leaving was for the best.