Five Survival Tips You Need to Know If You Work for a Difficult Boss

Most of us have worked for a difficult boss at some point in our lives. I know I have! While it was a difficult time in my life, I learned a lot about what to do and what not to do when you work for a difficult boss. These days, jobs are hard to come by so quitting is not an option for most of us. That is why you need to know what to do to diffuse the situation and get along as best as you can with a difficult boss. I will share my top five tips for making your workplace less stressful and less tense.

The first tip for dealing with a difficult boss is to not take what they say and do personally. I know this was hard for me to do so it probably won't be easy for you either. My difficult boss made me feel like I could not do anything right and I was a failure at my job until I realized that the problem was not me, it was her. Sure, there were times I made mistakes as we all do but she was never happy with anything I did. I finally learned to deal with this by doing my best and taking pride in my work even if my boss never seemed to see the things I did right. If you are doing a good job, your boss cannot take that way from you even if they don't recognize your hard work.

The second tip for dealing with a difficult boss is to resist the urge to complain about them to your coworkers. This is hard to do especially if your coworkers also find the boss difficult and get together to vent. There is always the chance that one of your coworkers is going back to the boss with what everyone says so you don't want to be involved. It is best to just walk away from these discussions and save your complaints for your spouse or your friends who do not know your boss personally.

The third tip for dealing with a difficult boss is to keep your eyes open for new job opportunities in your field but to do so without letting on to anyone at your office. If your boss is truly driving you crazy, you need to be on the lookout for other jobs so you can hopefully get out of the situation you are in. Most of us cannot afford to just quit our job so it is important to keep your job search quiet so you don't get fired before you have something else lined up. You need to be cautious about putting your information on online networking websites for this job search because your boss may be checking up on you. Also, be careful about contacting companies your office deals with because they could report back to your boss. The best way to look for a job while dealing with a difficult boss is to let your friends and family know that you are open to new opportunities and to do online searches to see what jobs are available.

The fourth tip for dealing with a difficult boss is to make sure you report any behaviors like sexual harassment, verbal abuse with offensive language or threats to human resources if they occur. You may have to put up with a lot of behavior from your boss that makes you mad and drives you crazy but there are some things you should not put up with. If these behaviors occur, first tell your boss directly that their behavior has crossed a line and that it is unacceptable. Then, go to their boss or to human resources and report their behavior. Don't be afraid to take action when your difficult boss crosses the line with their behavior.

The last and one of the most important tips for dealing with a difficult boss is to document everything! Every time there is a situation in which your boss reprimands you for something whether you are in the wrong or not, write down what happened. If your boss lashes out at you angrily, write it down. If your boss tries to put the blame on you for their mistakes, write it down. The documentation can help you if your boss tries to get you fired or take disciplinary action against you for something that is not your fault. When you can prove your boss has a history of blaming you for things and lashing out at you unjustly, you will be more likely to be believed.

We all have to deal with a difficult boss at some point but you don't have to let them drive you crazy. If you know how to react when a difficult boss starts to lash out at you and you take action to protect yourself in case things escalate, you will have the upper hand.