How To Manage the Boss From Hell

It's a fact that, at some point in time, you will encounter "the boss from hell".

Evan Thompson writing for the Huffington Post says:

It's like a bee sting. Or, food poisoning. No matter how you try to avoid them, it seems that sooner or later, one or both of these unfortunate events will get you. 

That's the way it is for millions of people who live in fear that one day they will work for a boss from hell. But millions of others awake daily to that nightmare which has become a reality. 

The "boss from hell" crushes your work ethic on a daily basis and makes going to work something that you would much rather not do.

Typical features of the "boss from hell" include: they micromanage you, they take all of the credit for your work, and they belittle you in front of others. And these traits of the "boss from hell" are not exhaustive.

The fact is that many leaders or managers who are "bosses from hell" are unaware that their behaviour has such a negative impact on you. It's also a fact that the boss from hell is often a product of a lack of leadership or management development.

Assuming that your boss is unaware of the impact of his or her behaviour on you and others in your team - how can you change that level of awareness?

You need to talk with your boss.

 One useful source provides this following advice on giving feedback to your boss:

"Giving feedback to the superior who is behaving badly should be one of the first things employees should do, especially if the manager is unaware of his behaviour. It is important to clearly and objectively inform him how his actions and words affect you and your performance. If his behaviour affects everyone in the team, arrange for everyone to meet the boss together on the matter.

What should be discussed is how each party can work together to contribute to the team’s goals and objectives. Most unwitting bad managers are open to discussion and compromise. However, if the discussion ends in an impasse, appealing to the bad boss’s superior or to your HR manager may be necessary."

While many employees might think that giving feedback to "the boss from hell" is a risky way to deal with the situation, there are a number of things that can be done to mitigate that risk.

I came across a very useful article which provides some guidance on mitigating the risk. A summary of the strategies contained in the article is featured below.

"Give feedback gently 1 on 1.  The most important thing to remember is to give your supervisor feedback 1 on 1. We all know how it feels to be confronted or “called out” in front of other people. 

Remove your personal feelings. You definitely don’t want to have a difficult conversation when you’re angry. If something has recently happened, you may want to wait 2 – 3 days until you can be rational and have a professional conversation. 

Have specific examples. OK, because you and your team are the ones being affected, you probably can rattle off a number of wrongdoings by your supervisor for the last 6 months. But, remember your supervisor may honestly have no idea so you must have specific, recent examples that illustrate the less than desirable behavior.

Have solutions. When you mention these specific examples, be sure to have solutions. If not, you will just seem like you are whining and/or complaining. The whole point is to alter the behavior. 

Listen as Much as You Talk.  After you have mentioned all the points you wanted to speak on, be sure to listen. Conversations are a 2-way street and should never be one-sided. 

Don't Spill The Beans. That’s a fancy way of saying don’t gossip about the situation. If your co-workers want to know the outcome of your conversation, just simply say that you made him aware of the issues and there should be some changes."

And finally some good advice from Forbes in relation to giving feedback to your boss:

"Keep it classy, professional, and kind. When dealing with your bosses, it can be easy to forget they’re human, too, and assume their skin is impervious to criticism—but trust me, it’s not.

Remember, this is not a free pass to unload on your boss, rather, it’s an opportunity for you to show how you handle a particular situation or how specifically you can both work better together. After all, that’s what you’re trying to achieve."

It is important to reiterate that "giving feedback" to "the boss from hell" is only going to be a viable solution if he or she is unaware of his or her behaviours, and you believe that your boss is most likely to want to take your feedback "on board" - that's often very difficult to determine.