Friday, May 16, 2014

What to Do When the Workplace Bully is Your Boss



Bullying doesn’t stop after high school graduation. Bullies are everywhere in the workplace. What happens when the bully is your boss? Solutions that may work when the bully is a co-worker won’t work with a boss.

You cannot ignore your boss, pretending he’s not there. That will only lead to more bullying. So what do you do to keep your sanity if you have a bully boss? Bully bosses love to blame, intimidate, scream and act irrationally, believing it’s their right as boss. When the boss goes into one of his bullying fits, remember, it’s not about you. Bullying is how bad bosses react when they need to feed their ego or try hid their own shortcomings. They are so fearful that someone will call them out about their incompetence that they blame others to deflect the hard truth.

The secret to working with a bully boss? As distasteful as it sounds, be your bully boss’ problem-solver. Be the one who makes sure he looks like a success by fixing--one way or another—whatever problems arise.

When the bullying begins, Nelson says your best bet is to stay calm, don’t get defensive or look like a deer in the headlights. Figure out what’s really bugging your boss, and listen for clues on how the situation may be resolved. Offer your help and then do everything you can to remedy the problem. Your bully boss will increasingly rely on you. The bullying will decrease, and more importantly, you now have a greater ability to get the raises, perks, promotions and bonuses you want. You have power you didn’t have before.