You have a boss who’s narcissistic, mean, incompetent, and just plain unlovable. But instead of letting your boss’s unpleasant behavior affect your productivity and happiness in the workplace, why not turn it to your advantage?
It is almost impossible that you will ever love your boss’s bad behavior, but then again, you can’t just let it get the best of you. There are things you can learn from his or her bad behavior, actually. Read on to find out how.
1. You can look smart
It is possible that your bad boss has too many fears deep inside, but he/she may not be aware of it, or just trying to run away from it. That’s where you can make yourself look smarter than your boss. All you have to do is find out what he/she is running from, and take advantage of it.
For instance, your boss is too laid back, who never gives employees anything – no guidance, no instructions, no direction, no support, etc. Your boss is clearly terrified of managing people.
This is an excellent opportunity for you to show your leadership skills. Come up with a checklist of tasks along with the needed resources, and have him sign them. Record all accomplished projects and achieved goals, and give your boss a detailed report of these. For sure, your boss will appreciate your effort, and this could even make you his or her favorite employee.
2. You develop critical skills
Just by observing your boss’s behavior, you are learning how and how not to behave in the workplace. You will surely hear your coworkers criticize your boss for his/her mistakes. By hearing all those things, you somehow get an idea of what can make a boss look bad from an employee’s point of view. You can use this as a tip on what skills you should develop if you are aiming for a leadership role someday.
3. You become more resilient
You are likely to receive a lot of negative feedback or comment from your bad boss, but this shouldn’t kill your confidence. Instead, use it as a motivation to prove your boss wrong. Remember that between you and your boss, you are the one who is more dedicated to your job and committed to the success of the company. There is no way your boss should make you give up or even consider leaving your job.
4. You can become a leader to your team
As mentioned earlier, an irresponsible boss is someone who won’t care how his or her employees are doing their jobs. This kind of boss will just wait for results, and will not bother giving credit to those who contributed to the success of a project. On the other hand, he or she will be quick to blame others when things go wrong.
This is a chance for you to step up. You should use this an opportunity to show your team members that you are someone they can count on. Ask about their concerns and volunteer to talk to your boss to discuss them. Don’t think of all your efforts as a waste of time, because in the end, this could be the turning point of your career planning.
Cecile Peterkin is a certified career and retirement coach, and a registered member of the Career Professionals of Canada and the International Coach Federation. She is also the Founder and Senior Career Strategist at Cosmic Coaching Centre, provider of career and life management services for middle managers and mid-career professionals across Canada, United States and Europe.