If you can say that you have never dealt with a challenging manager, then consider yourself among the blessed few, because they are far more common than not. In fact, through research you may find that issues or challenges with senior management are among the top reasons people choose to leave your position.
According to the results of the State of Texas Job Exit Survey, leaving a position due to difficulties with others ranked fifth out of fifteen choices. But in times of financial and economic uncertainty like the current one, when despite low employment rates, there are still significant problems finding a good job that you can be happy with, is leaving the company just for the sake of it a viable alternative? your manager? What if you are really happy in your position in another way?
In this article, we explore the alternatives besides leaving your post. We start by defining what a difficult manager can bring to the work equation. Next, we examine the attitude at play in the workplace because of that challenging individual, and then look for ways he can readjust his mindset. We conclude by looking at some extreme examples of how you can deal with a pressing and overwhelming situation when it comes down to it.
Definition of difficult managers
A difficult manager comes in many shapes and sizes, and tends to run the gamut of challenges they can bring to the table. So, let’s look at some of the typical definitions of a difficult manager, and then we’ll see how to best handle them.
First, a difficult manager, for the most part, does not operate at the same level of emotional intelligence as one who might be considered a good manager. They tend to wear their emotions up their sleeves, so to speak, and allow their emotions to play a bigger role in their business decisions than any good manager should. For example, they tend to reward and penalize employees based on their personal feelings toward those people rather than their actual performance.
Such a manager also often does not know how to properly regulate the workload of the employees. I, for example, worked with someone who once had a manager who was hired in a department in which he had no previous work experience, let alone management. This manager was such a focus hog, with no idea of workloads and how long projects actually took to complete, that he was always over-committing his team, requiring them to work overtime to complete projects so he could take the lead. glory. This also leads to yet another attribute of a difficult manager: one who takes credit for the work of others…a big deal for those of you who have been in this position.
Now these of course are just a few very specific examples of difficult managers. Your difficult manager’s personal attitudes, personalities, and actions can range from callous, unfair, or just plain incompetent. We are not here to justify his reasoning in any direction, we only provide you with scenarios and solutions.
XYA: examine your attitude
First of all, you need to understand a very important point: wherever you go, even if you are dealing with the highest rated corporation within your industry for the way they treat their employees, you are likely to encounter difficult employees that you will have to deal with. . . Ask anyone and they will tell you that it is so, so to think that you are going to escape the problem by moving on is somewhat naive.
Now, if you have decided that you want to stay in your current position and handle this as best you can, you need to understand that your attitude has everything in the world to do with your situation. While many of your co-workers may feel exactly the same as you, continuing to complain about the situation without making a formal complaint or taking action is not doing you any good. Have you ever heard the saying, “You can’t complain about the president if you didn’t vote?” The same principle is at play here. If you keep complaining about the situation, but do little to improve it, then what exactly do you have to keep complaining about?
Also, by continuing to complain, you are actually setting the tone for what you will allow yourself to put up with, and not just that, what suppose what to put up with Therefore, pay attention to your attitude and try to take the lead in all situations. By this I mean that you should always think about trying your hardest, having the best attitude and performing to the best of your ability in every situation, regardless of the difficult and persistent thorn in your side. Believe it or not, and I’ve seen it happen a million times, a difficult or underachieving individual will be found out sooner or later. Focusing on you is the best and safest plan for your career.
Extreme measures
If taking one for the team isn’t working for you right now, but you still don’t want to leave your post, then you may want to take more extreme measures. Once the option is to inform the manager to his manager. However, be very careful when doing this. Many members of senior management require that they be allowed to approach their manager to verify complaints, which could result in retaliation. Check your organization’s policy regarding retaliation before making such a move. Another option, possibly even more viable, is to speak directly to the manager about the problem.
According to workplace coach William Treasurer, author of “Risk Right,” “While challenging the manager is risky business, it has real upside potential. When you give your manager valuable feedback, he or she will come to value you as a manager.” a reliable guide.”Again, check the policy on retaliation, take careful notes and it may not even be a bad idea to let your manager know that you are going to record the meeting for your personal benefit in case something goes wrong.
Other readings
If you’re really in a rut, don’t want to quit your job, but are looking for some serious relief, then I highly recommend reading “Working with you is killing me: breaking free from emotional traps at work.” This book by Katherine Crowley and Kathi Elster will help you deal with challenging people at any level, but there are two chapters specifically devoted to dealing with the difficult manager and managing up.