Developing the Correct Mindset
for Working with a Difficult Supervisor
by Adrian McMaster
Almost everyone who is employed encounters a difficult supervisor sometime in their lives. "Difficult supervisors" can be a real problem because of the friction created in the workplace and the stress that can be the result of working with someone who makes life difficult. Working with a difficult supervisor can also be necessary if you want to keep your job and continue earning your salary. Developing a positive mindset can help you to work with a difficult supervisor more effectively and take the stress out of your job situation.
Before you can deal effectively with your supervisor, you will need to realize that he or she has a problem that you cannot control. The problem can be a lack of leadership skills, a problem managing anger, the inability to communicate effectively, and an inability to delegate projects to associates. If any of these are the case, you are not the problem and you should separate yourself from the problem as much as possible. If you realize that you cannot control your supervisor’s behavior, you’ll be able to more effectively control how you respond to your supervisor.
Once you realize that you can’t control your supervisor’s behavior, you can work on controlling your responses to his or her actions. Because you can control the way you respond and behave, you are actually giving yourself the upper hand in a difficult situation. Come up with a plan of what to do when your supervisor creates these situations. You’ll need to have this plan so that you can remain calm and professional and address the issues at hand instead of reverting to pure emotions. Your plan can include short relaxation exercises you can do to prepare for a confrontation. You can also write down specific phrases that will help you to communicate your point of view to your supervisor. Once you’ve developed a plan, you will be prepared for unexpected times of confrontation.
Unfortunately, you’re not always going to be able to plan when a confrontation will occur. Your supervisor can change moods quickly, going from nice to nasty in just a few minutes. They key is to use your new mindset to understand why your supervisor’s mood has changed. If it is a personal issue, it is best that you don’t bring it up. You’ll be seen as prying instead of truly caring. If it’s a work issue, make an effort to help in any way you can so you can diffuse the situation calmly. If a project has gone south, offer to step in and take over as project manager. If your supervisor is upset because he or she is unable to find something or understand something, offer to help them find what they are looking for or explain what they need to know in a kind manner. If the confrontation becomes tense, do not raise your voice or make aggressive gestures. Instead, use your new mindset to work on deep breathing to keep yourself calm. If you want to release your frustration in some way, you can do so once your supervisor has left. Keeping a lid on your anger will help you to maintain your credibility and will also prevent a bad situation from becoming worse.
Dealing with a difficult supervisor is something you’ll probably have to do at some point in your life. While it may be unpleasant, it doesn’t have to be something that you are unprepared for. By planning and maintaining a positive mindset, you’ll be able to communicate effectively and keep your professional reputation untarnished.Keywords: difficult boss, dealing with a difficult boss, coping with a difficult boss
Adrian and Brenda can show you that anything is possible if you get your mind set balanced. They came together after some very life changing experiences.Their site, www.lead-a-powerful-life.com is for you.to get the proper mindset to take your life wherever you would like it to go.
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Copyright 2006 Adrian McMaster