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.

Turn the Stress of Your Bad Boss to Your Advantage!

The stress of your Bad Boss is killing you! It leaves you depressed, angry, anxious and who knows what else.

But what if you could turn that Bad-Boss-stress to your benefit? You can!

According to Heidi Grant Halvorson, “New studies show that your mindset is the most important predictor of how stress affects you. If you believe it's bad for you, it will be. But you'll be happier, healthier, and more effective if you see the difficulties and challenges you face as opportunities to learn and grow, rather than as your ‘daily grind.’"

Start right now seeing your Bad Boss in a different light--as part of your upward and onward path--and thrive!

Advantages of a Bad Boss--Really?!

Yes, Bad Bosses do have some advantages . . . strange as it may seem.

Here’s what Steve Pogorzelski, the CEO of online-marketing metrics powerhouse ClickFuel has to say about it:

"I've worked for some horrible managers and some great ones." Not only that, Mr. Pogorzelski says he's grateful to the worst of them, "for showing me what to avoid."

So next time you’re up against Bad Boss behavior, make a mental note as to what not to do once you’re in that corner office.