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.
