New Book Challenges Prevailing Wisdom on How to Succeed Despite a Bad Boss

“Got a Bad Boss? Work that Boss to Get What You Want at Work” Offers Unique Approach; Tailors Advice Based on Individual Employee

and Bad Boss Personality Types

September 25, 2013—Los Angeles, CA--Dr. Noelle Nelson, noted psychologist and author of 12 books, today released Got a Bad Boss? Work that Boss to Get What You Want at Work (eBook, $7.99.) Got a Bad Boss? offers innovative techniques for discovering a bad boss’s fears and desires, thereby allowing employees to “work” the boss to get what they want in their jobs and careers.

According to Gallup, the main factor in workplace discontent isn’t wages, benefits, or hours; it’s the boss. In addition, 75% of working adults say the most stressful aspect of their job is their immediate boss. Bad bosses are nothing new; what is new is how employees can engage with bad bosses to be successful in the workplace.

“Once employees shift  their mindset from thinking that their only option is to keep their head down and just do their job to figuring out how to answer their bad bosses’ secret fears and desires, they’ll discover how rewarding it is to finally be able to work for their own benefit and success,” says Nelson.

In her 25 years as trial consultant, Nelson has seen first-hand the nasty emotional and collateral business damage of lawsuits involving a bad boss. That, combined with her relationship expertise--from wonderful to abusive--infuses Got a Bad Boss? with practical, hands-on advice for the legions of unhappy employees who have an abusive boss, but who aren’t in a position to quit.

Nelson challenges the conventional advice to employees that says they should attempt to have a meaningful conversation about their unhappiness with their boss. “Any boss who can engage in meaningful discussion is by definition, not a bad boss,” says Nelson. “A bad boss only cares about his or her own success. The way to get through is to build trust and become an ally to your boss. When you do, the power shifts in the relationship. Got a Bad Boss? provides specific tools that enable employees to regain control of their work life and career.”

Got a Bad Boss? details how to work each bad boss type--seven in all, including the Finger Pointer Boss, Incompetent Boss and Egomaniacal Boss – using an employee’s particular work strengths, such as those of an Ambitious Employee, Hyper Sensitive Employee or Pleaser Employee. “Readers can easily match their own employee type to a specific bad boss type to find strategies they can immediately put into action,” explains Nelson.

Bad Boss Won’t Celebrate You? No Problem. Celebrate Yourself!

Bad Bosses hate celebrating anyone other than themselves. Ever. For any reason.

As Hua over at Start Up Lessons says: “Often times your employees work towards a goal or deadline. As the team heads into the finish line, they work longer hours, work harder, and sacrifice outings with their significant other. However, once you deliver on said deadline, instead of celebrating and applauding each other’s efforts, you are told to gear up and run to another milestone. Bad bosses hate celebrations and taking time to pat people on the back for a job well done.”

Uh-huh. Which means that you must celebrate yourself! I kid you not--reward yourself in any way that pleases you for your extra mile, your accomplishment, your hitting that deadline. Those kudos are what help you stay steady on course, ever aiming toward your personal career goals.

Celebrate your co-workers! Anyone who’s supported you or worked with you on that goal or deadline, let them know how much you appreciate their efforts.

A sincere, specific “thank you” is always a terrific gift.

No matter how many times you give it.

Develop Resilience to Overcome the Career-Deadening Impact of Your Bad Boss!

Overlooked and knocked down by your Bad Boss? Develop what John Baldoni calls a key trait for success: resilience.

Baldoni talks about the outstanding trait so many executives he’s worked with, who excel and reach the top of their profession have, is their “…bedrock belief in themselves. They have been overlooked as well as knocked down but they get up again and as a result, they develop a strong sense of self-confidence that is rooted in a key trait for success: resilience.”

He goes on to say, “For example, a resilient person will respond to a defeat by saying, ‘Others may not believe in me, but I believe in myself and let me show you want I can do.’ A non-resilient individual just gives up.”

Don’t be a giver-upper just because you’re under the heel of a Bad Boss! On the contrary, develop your self-confidence, and plow forward with the best of who you are.

It’s how you’ll get past, over or through your Bad Boss.

Give Yourself a Break from Your Bad Boss--With a One-Minute Stress Reliever!

The continual stress of a Bad Boss is bad for your health; mental, emotional and physical.

Take a break from that stress with a one-minute meditation. No, this isn’t heavy duty naval-gazing, it’s just an effective way of stepping back from the yamma-yamma in your head, so you can start fresh in a better mental, emotional and physical place.

Here are meditation guru Martin Boroson’s excellent tips on how to do that: (my comments are in parentheses).

1. Find a place of solitude. (a bathroom stall works great)
2. Sit down.
3. Place your legs in a relaxed but fixed position.
4. Sit up.
5. Set your alarm for exactly one minute. (Yes, your smart phone has an alarm function)
6. Place your hands in a relaxed but fixed position.
7. Close your eyes.
8. Focus all your attention on your breathing.
9. When the alarm sounds, stop.

Feel better? Good! Do this a few times each work day and you’ll be considerably less impacted adversely by your Bad Boss.