What Do You Do When You Love Your Job But Hate Your Boss

No matter how great your job is, a horrible boss can make you want to quit. In fact, many people do put in their notice because of an unbearable supervisor.

In a recent Gallup study, 50 percent of employees in the United States said they have quit a job in the past to get away from a bad boss. The same study found a direct connection between an employee’s level of engagement and their relationship with their direct supervisor.

There is no magic-bullet solution to dealing with a bad boss; there are only ways to cope with the situation. Consider the follow tips if you currently find yourself dealing with a boss you don’t like.

Be empathetic

Before you even think about going over your boss’s head, charging into their supervisor’s office guns a-blazin’ – consider the possibility that your boss is a decent person trying to do a good job. Maybe they’re not getting the support they need to do a decent job, or, maybe they’re going through a very difficult personal situation.

Research has shown that being empathetic toward your boss can have significant positive changes on the relationship. Simply put, if you show your boss some empathy, you’ll likely get some in return.

Is it you?

You should also consider if the bad dynamic between you and your boss is your fault. If you’ve been grousing around the office and acting disgruntled, chances are your boss has either dealt with your attitude directly or heard talk about it. Or, the bad relationship could be a basic personality clash. For instance, maybe you’re a perfectionist and your boss is more laid-back.

If you realize that you are fanning the flames of a personality conflict, address the situation one-on-one with your boss and try to move forward with a greater understanding of your relationship.

Talk with co-workers (and possibly take action)

If you can’t make things better by adjusting your behavior or talking with your supervisor, find out if your co-workers feel the same way as you do. If so, you ought to think about alerting the boss’s superiors.

Before you take this route, you must build a considerable case against your supervisor. Specifically, you need to gather a lot of documented proof of the boss’s damaging behavior. Evidence might be witness statements and documented actions that clearly breach company policies or laws. The more people willing to voice their opinion, the more difficult it will be for upper management to deny the problem.

Without persuasive information, management probably won’t side with you and your co-workers. This can result in a toxic situation, and therefore ought to be a last resort.

At Career Concepts, we help regularly professionals stuck in a bad employment situation. If you are looking to move on in your career, please contact us today.