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Friday, December 12, 2014

Five ways to deal with a negative boss

By , ET Bureau

The workplace is never ideal; neither can our relationship with our bosses be. Handling 'negative' bosses comes with its own set of challenges. Many executives find this easy but others struggle to come to terms with the situation. Prachi Verma gets you some tips: 

See the boss as 'human' 

Get a more rounded perspective of your boss. Make the effort to understand his or her interests, values, motivations, style of working, etc. "The sooner you have an in depth understanding of your boss' core objectives on work and your role, the better positioned you are to deliver results. Do remember that your manager is here to guide and coach you to enhance the value zone you create in the professional community you work with," says Nitin Pande, senior vice president, HR (advisory and employee services lead) at HCL Technologies

Adapt to your boss' working style 

In some cases, problems could simply be related to an approach to work. For instance, chances are, your manager is fast-paced at work whereas you like to work at a relaxed pace. Also, your manager could expect you to be more methodical at work. "Supporting their strong facets, imbibing their best practices and working with their preferences is the most obvious way of managing your boss," adds Pande. 

Keep communication lines open 

Miscommunication can create havoc in a workplace. Discuss your problems upfront with your boss. The tone, however, has to be polite but firm. "When you approach your boss with respect and with a genuine desire to make things work better, you can open the door to whole new levels of trust, collaboration and outcomes which lead to higher performance," says Renu Bohradirector HR, Schenker India. 

Establish a rapport 

It is very important to strike a rapport both vertically and horizontally. In some cases, where problems get escalated, opinions are sought from all ends by the management. Hence, be a part of cross-functional projects and try to excel in these. These people will give good feedback about you and help in creating a good valuable perception about you in the organisation. 

Document your interactions 

If all else fails, report the matter to the HR head, for which you would need documentary evidence. However, when you approach HR, you need to be constructive in your criticism, cautions Bohra. But this will be your last resort. The objective is to resolve the issue and not to worsen it.

Source:-The Economic Times

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