My boss pushes the panic button for every damn thing....

• At the slightest of a mistake or an escalation all hell breaks out
• My boss screams at top of his/her lungs for everything !
• OMG ! There is an escalation! Will I lose my job ?
• I didn’t reach my target, have a review! I can’t face my boss, should I quit?

These would be some of the expressions when we have a boss, who pushes panic button at even slightest of things going wrong.

What do you do?

• Escalate the issue?
• Quit job?
• Ask for team change?

Well, it is quite possible “panic boss” situation ingrained into your company culture or your superior puts the same kind of pressure on your boss.  Escalating, quitting, team change might not be the answers for this! First, come to terms with the fact that you should resolve this issue and gain confidence of your boss!

How the hell do I resolve the issue?

1.Well first try and figure out all the pain points, keep them under check and do whatever you can to ensure you don’t repeat the mistakes you did in the past. You can also figure out pain points from your peer

2.How to deal with escalation:

• “Hell breaks loose with slightest of issue”. First resolve the issue.
• If there is issue at the client’s/customer’s place, speak to the client immediately and buy extra time. Do whatever you can to resolve the issue
• Ensure that you are the sole point of contact for your customer and he reaches out to you first

  3.I resolved the escalation, how do I communicate to my boss?

This is a clincher ! You don’t approach your boss when he/she is not in a good mood unless you are called/summoned. Resolve the issue, approach him/her before you are called. If you are not in the same office then you better call up someone else and check your boss’s mood. Inform how you resolved the issue/ provide atleast two plans on resolving it

4.Maintain excellent relationship with your client/customer

One critical take away from point 2, is that you need to have excellent relationship skills with the client/customer when you have a “panic button” boss! It has to be your endeavour that the customer never escalates or you better figure out a mechanism how information reaches you first before your boss gets to know. Else you lose the game

5.Always have multiple options to resolve an issue.He/she should understand you are always in control of the situation. Starts trusting you and voila “ No more panic “

Don’t see yourself as a victim! Be careful, diplomatic, sense the timing, have alternate plans always. Gain the trust of your boss. Once you gain trust, put your views forward affirmatively at the cost of being slightly intimidating. But you should be well aware of where to draw the line.And if you are in a team, get others to buy into your thought process and support you. This will come to your rescue in certain circumstances.Trust me, things will fall into place !!