Does your boss leave alot to be desired?  Don’t let a bad manager steal your motivation to succeed.  It’s important to know when you should face challenges head-on so that you can learn from them and, conversely, when it’s time to move on.

The next time you feel on a the brink of a panic attack due to your manager’s ignorance, lack of emotional intelligence or support, take a step back and give yourself a moment to calm down before you break down – go to the gym, your car, an empty conference room, the restroom anywhere you can be alone – and just breathe and walk through the following:

Look at the Big Picture.  Your company, is a tiny microcosm in the industrial jungle.  It is so easy to get consumed by feelings of defeat and hopelessness when you are looking at one specific situation.  In truth, there is so much more in the world than where you are and who you are around right now.  While it’s true your business niche may be small, there are always new ways to apply your skills and companies that are in need of someone just like you.

Accept your situation and re-focus.  Accept that you have a shizity manager and move on.  Focus your energy on the aspects of your job that you love.  There has got to be something that made you want to apply in the first place, right? Aside from health insurance and a paycheck?  Is there a certain task you enjoy doing or a certain person you like working with?  See if you can add more of that into your daily work-life (e.g. working with that person and on the projects you enjoy the most).

Shift your perspective.  How do you think the world looks from your manager’s eyes?  What are their priorities?  It is possible he/she thinks they are doing you a favor, when in fact they are crushing your dreams.  I think my manager falls into this bucket – as he is not my advocate for opportunities but thinks he is helping me get to where I want to go.  I can only equate that to myself needing to better communicate my wants/needs and try to adjust my approach to (and judgement of) his leadership style and personality.  Which brings me to …

Enhance communication with your manager.  Do you have one-on-one meetings regularly?  If you are not sure what a 1:1 is, it is where you meet with your manager on purpose and discuss anything you want where you feel his/her input is valuable to you.  If you don’t have these regular interfaces, I recommend asking your manager to commit to meeting on a consistent basis.  They should oblige if they are invested in your future.  If they dismiss your request, that’s a definite red flag and perhaps a reality check that this individual is not supportive of you or willing to change their own behaviors.

Realize that no one is perfect.  That person who is giving you a hard time or making your work-life miserable is human.  He/she has challenges and difficulties on the professional front and likely on the personal end as well if they are especially abhorrent.  You never know how someone was raised or what experiences have shaped who they are today if you just judge them and dismiss them. They will also die eventually… sometimes that thought makes me feel better when all else fails.

“A bad manager can take a good staff and destroy it, causing the best employees to flee and the remainder to lose all motivation.” – Unknown

Don’t turn to excessive alcohol or drugs to cope with one environment because you feel it is all there is.  There is always something more, something better.  Remember, you are not “basic” or dispensable, you are a one of a kind, unique, talented and gifted individual and there is a place for you in this world, whether you see it right now or not.  You just need to be positive, hopeful and determined to find it.  If you feel like all is lost and you explode at your boss, do yourself and your loved ones a favor and take a break, find a new job, just move on and throw yourself into something new (and positive).  It will ultimately be the best favor you ever did for yourself.  Nothing and no one is worth forfeiting your power over your life or your happiness, ever.

 

Crappy Manager Stories:  Have one?  Share it in the comments below or email it here to remain anonymous.