Dealing With a Rotten Boss

There are good bosses, bad bosses, and downright Rotten Bosses.  Below we offer some suggestions as to how to deal with a Rotten Boss.

Ways You Can Deal With a Rotten Boss

• Throw your Rotten Boss “under the bus”.
• Hug it out with your Rotten Boss
• Give your Rotten Boss  the “It’s not you, it’s me” speech.
• Leave your Rotten Boss behind.

Throw Your Rotten Boss “Under the Bus”.

You have to think very carefully before you attempt to take down your Rotten Boss.  There are some significant risks:

• Be prepared for nothing to change.  You expose yourself to some professional risk, and nothing may change.  Unless you boss has done something illegal or against policy, there may be little the organization can do.
• Be prepared for it to get worse.  If you undermine your boss, it is very possible s/he will discover from whom the complaint originated, in which case, it may be even less comfortable for you.

If you have considered the risk, and still want to complain about your boss, you can do some things to increase your chances of success:

• Strength in numbers:  If you can find a number of others to come forward, you avoid the “he said, she said” situation, and the organization may have to act.
• Documentation.  Much like a problem employee, you should begin a paper trail.  Write down incidents and occurrences with you boss including who was involved, as well as the date and time.

Hug it Out With Your Rotten Boss

A less risky strategy is for you to attempt to resolve your situation with your boss without involving the larger organization:

• Sit down with your boss and discuss exactly how you are feeling.  It is possible your boss does not understand how you feel.  It is also possible you have misunderstood or misinterpreted some events.  Leave your mind open to this possibility.
• You may also want to invite your boss to share his or her work preferences with you.  By better defining expectations about what work s/he wants done, and how it should be conducted, you may be able to resolve your Rotten Boss issues.

Give Your Rotten Boss the “It’s not you, it’s me” Speech.

If you take on more than your fair share of the “blame” for a dysfunctional relationship, it could be viewed as a display of humility that may begin to heal the situation:

• Ask yourself honestly how you are contributing to the relationship with your boss.  You could very well be doing things that contribute to the dysfunction.
• Remember that you only control you own behavior, so once you begin to act differently, your Rotten Boss may respond differently.
• Learn what your boss wants and doesn’t want, likes and doesn’t like, and how to do the kind of job your boss is looking for.

Leave Your Rotten Boss Behind

In some cases, all your efforts to repair your relationship with your boss will fail.  If this is the case, you cannot count on your boss leaving anytime soon, so you should make the decision to look for alternatives:

• Look for an internal transfer
• Ask for a lateral move
• Leave the organization.

Only in the Movies

Many victims of a Rotten Boss may fantasize about completely inappropriate things they might do to solve the problem.  The list below is purely for entertainment value, and should not be attempted:

• Take him out for a drink after work, then call the cops and report a drunk driver when he leaves.
• When he leaves his desk, send offensive emails from his computer in his name.  Suggestions include pornographic pictures and videos, sexual and racist jokes, and complaints about senior management.
• Log on to his computer and visit numerous sites of illegal activity, then tip off IT.
• Write anonymous letters to your local paper, your CEO, websites, and anyone else you can think of, outlining all of the offenses committed by your Rotten Boss.

Three Things to Remember About Dealing With a Rotten Boss:

1. Proceed with caution.  Don’t underestimate the risk to your career.
2. Once you start, be prepared to leave.  If the organization doesn’t do away with your boss, they may choose to do away with you.
3. Make sure your own backyard is squeaky clean.  If you make accusations, you should ensure that you cannot be targeted for any inappropriate behavior.

Watch the ‘3-Minute Crash Course’ about Dealing With a Rotten Boss (CLICK THE ARROW TO START THE VIDEO):

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