With a Horrible Boss, Your Attitude is Everything

The release of "Horrible Bosses 2" on November 26 is a reminder that horrible bosses are still pervasive in the workplace and that nothing workers can do or say will make their bad bosses change their lousy attitude or behavior. In the real work world, it is our attitude that counts the most when it comes to keeping our sanity and being successful at work.

If you hope that your horrible boss is going to suddenly change his attitude and start treating everyone fairly and appropriately, you’ll be constantly disappointed and frustrated. Instead, it’s your own attitude that needs to change. Only when you look at your boss and your circumstances differently can you get past all the negativity and on to advancing your career.

Here are attitude adjustment suggestions to help turn things around.

 --Drop the “poor me” attitude and step up to the plate. Be there for your co-workers, help and support all of them, including the boss’s “favorites.”

--Look for solutions rather than whining about problems.

--Believe in yourself, in your abilities, in your skills and talents no matter what your bad boss says. Have faith that you can do what the job requires.

--Take the initiative. When you see an opportunity to act or contribute, do so. Offer ideas and suggestions for how to do things better.

--Always do your work well. Apply yourself to the task at hand and get it done properly.

--Do a good job because it’s satisfying to you. You won’t get an acknowledgement of good work from you bad boss so it has to come from within.

Now use this new attitude to get what you want from your bad boss. One of a bad boss’s greatest fears is that people will find out that he’s terrible at what he does. Make him look competent. Your problem-solving attitude will bail him out of mess after mess. He’ll take all the credit for your good work, which is frustrating, but he’ll also lean on you more because you’ve become valuable to him. You can ask for—and get—resources, bonuses and the support your co-workers only dream of. Not only that, but you’ll be building on your experiences and successes for the time when your boss eventually leaves or there is an opportunity to move to a better position within the company or another job opens up elsewhere.

For tips on working with specific bad boss types, go to http://www.noellenelson.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GotABadBoss or at https://twitter.com/GotABadBoss.

Succeed Despite Your Bad Boss--Be the Co-Worker-of-Choice for Fellow Employees

Your work world extends beyond your Bad Boss. He or she isn’t the be-all and end-all of your workplace, even though it may feel like it at times.

You have co-workers, colleagues, vendors and others you work with, who can help you on your career path even when you’re saddled with a Bad Boss. But they’re not going to do it if you aren’t someone they want to support.

“No one wants to work with someone who is unpleasant or unreliable or self-serving,” Michael Watkins assures us. “So position yourself to be the colleague-of-choice. Bring a positive attitude to everything you do. Keep the commitments you make. Help others advance their (legitimate) agendas. If you do, others will want to work with you and help you to succeed.”

Don’t let your Bad Boss keep you down! Be the person your co-workers want to see succeed, and they’ll help you get around, through or over your Bad Boss.