Boss’s Day: October 16—What’s to Celebrate if You Have a Bad Boss?

National Boss Day is October 16. It may be a great opportunity to show your appreciation to a good boss, but what if you have a bad boss? Use the day as a starting point to turn the tables on a bad boss to get what you want at work.

Most bad bosses are so worried about their own job security that they’re not spending a lot of time fretting about you or your career goals. Bad bosses only care about themselves.

There are numerous down sides to working for a bad boss. It can affect your health, family life and, of course, your career. While you are working for a bad boss, no one is helping you develop your skills and talents. No one is supporting your growth and development. If you don’t take the initiative, you’ll continue to be miserable at work and be stuck in a dead-end job.

The best way to change the worker-boss dynamic may seem counter intuitive. Find out what drives your bad boss, his secret fears and desires. Once you know what motivates his actions, you’ll understand how to respond effectively to your boss’s innermost desires. You engage in his success for your success. By doing so, you become valuable to your horrible boss, an ally--and now you have power.

Whether you have a boss that is egomaniacal, someone who is always blaming others or a boss who plays favorites, whatever type of bad boss, they all have underlying fears that make them act the way they do. When you figure out a way to work with your boss’s fears, rather than run away from or confront them, you become golden. You can ask for--and receive--the perks, promotions and bonuses that have eluded you thus far.