The boss-employee relationship is often a satisfying and useful one, but what happens when you become unsatisfied with how your boss is handling things in the workplace?
Recognizing areas of concern and knowing how to approach your boss about them, in a professional and courteous manner is quite important.
Listed here are five articles that detail how to handle such situations without souring your working relationship with your superiors.
“Seven Sign Your Boss is a Weak Manager” – FORBES
This article is dedicated to helping you determine whether your boss is a weak manager by looking for seven distinct signs.
Weak managers:
- Already know the answer.
- Tell you what you’re doing wrong instead of what you’re doing right.
- Bluster and badger people.
- Don’t want to hear what you think.
- Don’t want to change anything.
- Threaten people who speak up.
- Are afraid.
If any of these signs sound familiar to your situation, this article is worth checking out. Always remember that your boss is not infallible, and you should not have to put up with unprofessional conduct.
“How to Tell Someone (Like Your Boss) That They are Wrong – Without Getting Fired” - LINKEDIN
Situations like this are tough, you know your superior is wrong and harming the workflow, but you are afraid approaching them about it will just cause you workplace grief.
While there is risk behind approaching a superior about work performance, in a proper workplace environment it will be appreciated if done correctly.
This article provides seven useful tips for approaching these situations: pick your battles, choose your time carefully, back up your statements with data, offer a solution, don’t assign blame, and don’t be afraid to admit when you made a mistake.
By following these guidelines, you should be able to take on this difficult task with clear goals and intentions. If you want to learn more about the specifics about each of these tips, make sure to read the article.
“What to do if Your Boss is a Bully” – THE GUARDIAN
Intending to provide support for those who are victims of overbearing and unfair bosses, this Guardian article provides four specific tasks that will help to alleviate the situation.
- Firstly, you should always speak with a mentor or impartial third party. This can help you identify if the situation you are in is unfair and can also help when strategizing about how to approach your boss.
- Next you should approach your boss directly about the unfair treatment. While this may be uncomfortable, it will undoubtedly help your approach to speak with them first, before contacting higher workplace authorities. If this approach does not work, or if your relationship with your boss is particularly volatile, you should speak to HR. They are in place to handle these exact situations and should have no issue handling them for you.
- Finally, it is important that you do not allow yourself to lose self-confidence after this trying situation.
For more specific info about how to handle a bully of a boss, head over to The Guardian.
“When You’re More Qualified than the Boss” - FORBES
In some situations, you may enter a workplace where you are actually more qualified than your superior.
This can be particularly worrisome for entry-level employees. When dealing with this situation always make sure to not take it personal, and approach it with a professional attitude.
Forbes knows business, and their article will take you through 13 steps that will help you in this situation.
By examining your specific situation in accordance to what the article presents, Forbes aims to help you determine your course of action; in extreme situations you may even want to look for another job.
Check out the content-heavy article to find the right approach for you.
“How to Know if You are a Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Boss” - TLNT
Taking a different approach, this TLNT article aims to help bosses self-evaluate and determine if they are a “terrible, horrible, no good, very bad boss.”
Among the telling signs included are bosses who always take credit, keep team members from developing trust, and don’t explain why when asked.
However, the news isn’t all bad; TLNT also provides tips on how to become a better boss if you feel you have room for improvement.
Whether you are wondering about your effectiveness as a boss or are in the market for some improvement tips, this TLNT article is sure to provide helpful content.