You’d be surprised by how many bosses have no idea that the people they are managing are feeling overlooked, angry, frustrated, or like they’re getting mixed signals. When you voice your concerns with your boss, then he or she will be grateful that you said something. If you never say anything to your boss about it, then there are almost no chances that your work relationship or your work environment will improve. Saying something is unpleasant, but it’ll be worth it in the long run. You should carefully plan what you’ll say, ask your boss to set a time to talk, and come prepared with evidence and examples of times when you were frustrated with your situation.
Sure, the last thing you may want to do is to work with someone you don’t really respect all that much. But this is far better than constantly being at odds with someone you work with.
One, if you and your boss discuss your problematic relationship and your boss acts like he or she doesn’t know what you’re talking about, then you have something to point to as proof. If your boss just hears that you’re getting mixed messages, it’s less effective than showing him or her two emails with completely different messages. If your boss is the type to bring false charges against you, then documenting all of your interactions, or even having your communication in front of others, can help you set the record straight.
You should especially avoid saying anything negative about your boss to your superiors. This won’t help your reputation. Remember that you want to look like the agreeable person who gets along with everyone, not like the crank who is always complaining about everyone in the office.
If you know that a coworker is going to introduce a major problem in the office at a meeting, you can talk to your boss about the problem in advance so he or she feels prepared. If you know that your boss is in a foul mood whenever it’s raining and he is stuck in traffic, be prepared for some good news when he or she walks in the door.
If you help your boss get things in order, then your relationship will have to improve. Your boss may even be grateful for it.
Your boss will be impressed at your attempt to make him or her feel more positive about his or her managing style and everything will run more smoothly.
Of course, maybe your boss really is completely unreasonable and there’s nothing you can do to improve how he or she treats you. But it’s better to have your bases covered, just in case.
Of course, if your boss is downright offensive, discriminatory, or acting ridiculously out of line, then there’s nothing funny about it. But learning to laugh off some of the run-of-the-mill everyday annoyances can help you improve your attitude about your relationship.
If you act unprofessionally, that will reflect poorly on you and your future prospects at your company. You don’t want the other people you work with to think you’re childish just because your boss is driving you crazy.
If you feel yourself getting so angry that you might say something that you regret, excuse yourself and come back when you feel ready to talk again.
Looking at the problem at work instead of the potentially frustrating behavior of your boss will make your actions to improve your situation more productive. If you focus more on just how your boss is acting, you are liable to make things personal.
Focus on productivity, not emotions. Don’t complain about how your boss is mean or rude, but focus on work-related aspects of the job, such as the fact that your lack of communication makes it difficult to get work done. Don’t bad mouth your boss to your supervisor. Be as kind as possible while voicing your concerns. Don’t say that your boss is crazy or completely insane; instead, talk about how your boss has been a bit inflexible or has been changing objectives a lot. You don’t want to end up saying something that makes you look like it’s hard for you to keep your cool or to get along with others.
If you and the person are friendly and cooperative, then perhaps he or she can shed some light on strategies for best working with your boss. You don’t have to bad mouth your boss to get some insight into how to approach your relationship with him. The person can offer some valuable insight about this, especially if he or she has been at the company longer than you.
If you have worked well with others in the past and have simply found it impossible to work with this particular boss, then it won’t reflect poorly on you. In fact, you’ll be much better off for taking the initiative to improve your situation.
If the conflict arises from a fraud to obtain money from the government, whistle blowers may need to follow special procedures to protect their rights. The False Claims Act requires that whistle blowers with original knowledge of such fraud be the first to file their claim, and refrain from public disclosure of certain information about their claim.
Of course, you can do what many people do when they are unhappy at work: start applying for other jobs while you’re still at your current job. This will make you a more desirable candidate because you’re already employed, and it’ll give you a sense of what the market out there is like. However, if your situation at work is truly intolerable, then you can’t make any excuses about the job market to force yourself to stay. You’ll know where your breaking point is.
When you accept a new job offer, you should do so with having any bad feelings in your gut about your future boss. Once you make this choice, you’ll be on your way to having a productive and healthy working life.
