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Have you ever worked for a boss who is so difficult that it was like a nightmare working with him (or her) and you got to the point where you were worried that you might just lose your job?

Now here’s something.

The odds are that you will always at least have one bad boss in the course of your career. The conditions of the bad boss may vary and that can be a very difficult and challenging to face such a situation.

But there are things you can do to make your life at work more positive. Or to at least try to buy yourself some time until you can find a better job.

Prefer Reading? Here’s the transcript

The first thing that I would always tell you is to keep an open mind and to maintain your composure.

That’s a sign of Emotional Intelligence as well as Executive Presence and you come across with more power even if you’re feeling helpless in a situation. Because staying calm might just be the most important thing that you can do.

If you’ve already got a boss who is a nightmare to work for but is also volatile as well, then please read this blog post for more help. The links will be given and just stay calm.

Most of us have a tendency to try to just avoid the conflict or ignore it but the reason I am saying to keep calm is because somebody has to hold a stable position. Secondly, this beautiful quote from Renee Evensen is very true.

Because ignoring conflict will only aggravate the problem often to the point where even a minor problem becomes unmanageable.

So, when you come from a place of calm and composure, you’re in a better position to be more proactive and to resolve or diffuse the situation.

Keep Your Cool

So, back again, keep your cool. And the reason why I’m saying that again and again is because it’s an excellent opportunity to show others that you’re reasonable and professional.

And maybe your boss’s boss may also be one of those to notice. Because our first instinct is to respond like to like but that is a very big mistake. You want to show yourself in a good light.

As well as the fact that it will also reduce your boss’s tendency to bully you in case the boss is a bully. Because bullies tend to stop if they see their tactics aren’t getting a response.

If you have a toxic boss, then I have other resources that can help you to handle that. But no matter what, keep your cool, do not get aggravated or agitated.

Consider Your Own Contribution

Next, is to also consider your own contribution. You know, it is so easy to blame others for things. But when you look at a situation when the boss may have been nasty, are you sure that you’re not at fault or at least part at fault?

Perhaps it’s just that you do need to make an effort to up your game and not upset the boss so much. After all, bosses are human too.

Get Some Clarity

And then, get some clarity. Find out exactly what your boss wants. In fact, ask the boss and if you can get a list of specific performance measures, preferably in writing, so that you can protect yourself.

That is your annual performance review kdps come into play because those are actually solid markers. If you do hit those performance numbers, it gives your boss less flexibility to make a business case to fire you.

Especially in those organizations where they use bell curves and anybody at a 2 or 1 is out.

2 Things You Need to Do for Your Own Mental Health and Confidence

Now the 2 things you need to do for your own mental health and confidence is keep a sense of humor. Try to laugh about it to yourself. Do not let it upset you too much and also don’t obsess on it much.

Secondly, keep a track of your successes. Now this is something that I keep bringing up in various posts of mine.

And that is always keep your own record of your successes because if you’ve done something which is worthwhile for the company, just write it down.

And keep a record so that if you do lose your job, it’s going to give you a lot of leverage when it comes to negotiating an exit package or a potential settlement.

In other words, keep your own records.

3 Ways to Support Yourself

Now there are 3 ways that you can support yourself in such a situation.

One is to touch base with human resource

Talk to them. Of course, be very aware that sometimes there are political games going on but nevertheless tell human resources what is going on. Put your case in front of them and maybe they can solve things for you. Especially if it’s a big organization where you can be transferred to another department.

Also, consider talking to your boss’s boss

But here be very careful. Do not complain about that boss to your, to his boss but instead, focus on the behavior not the person. Don’t make it personal.

Network both within and outside the company

And thirdly, this is something you should always be doing whether you have a nightmare boss, or you have a wonderful boss and that is to network, both within and outside the company.

It’s very important for you to maintain your network of people because in case you do need to get out of that job, you’ll be sure to find out about any potential job opportunities.

And staying sociable is actually very good for your mental health. It also gives you back some sense of control on your situation if you do have, if you’re finding it difficult to deal with that boss.

Consider Finding Another Job

And then lastly, consider finding another job. Now I’m sure you didn’t expect me to say this to you but sometimes, you know, leaving is the best idea. So, consider your circumstances. Can you do it? Is it possible?

Especially so if your boss is firmly entrenched and if he’s not going anywhere soon, then maybe it’s in your best interest to find an alternate employment. And that is where, you know, networking is going to come into play.

Final Words of Wisdom

So, to sum it all up, final words of wisdom are, dealing with a bad boss is something that we all have to do at some point.

And there is no set formula for getting through the challenge successfully, since circumstances can vary. Which is why some of the tips that I’ve given you are quite broad-based, and you will have to adjust it to your situation.

Also take a careful look at what’s actually going on and decide on a course of action. And hold on tight until you can find another job. Do the best that you can to create an environment that supports the life that you desire.

Because you’re working for yourself and for your family and it’s your well-being and mental and emotional health is most important.

Karmic Ally Coaching’s Emotional Intelligence Checklist

Now I had earlier mentioned to you about keeping calm, composure and how it is a sign of good emotional intelligence as well as executive presence.

And to help you with further develop that I’ve got a free resource which is the 10 Traits (that) Emotionally Intelligent people use for Success.  You can download it for free.

The ebook is accompanied by a series of emails to further help you to further develop your emotional intelligence. This will also help you in dealing with not just a bad boss but with your co-workers and anyone else.

So, and it’s free. Did I mention it’s free? And with that, it’s a wrap. I’m Vatsala Shukla from Karmic Ally Coaching wishing you a very successful career. Bye for now.