Is your boss giving you the blues? Here is how to push forward (even if you don’t like them)
*originally posted on Mogul Millennial*
Some bosses are heaven sent and some are demons. No matter how long you’ve been on your career journey, you’ve probably ran across a boss you didn’t like (if you haven’t, just know you’re lucky).
Often times when you have a boss you don’t like, it’s probably because they’re a micro-manager, they’re overly critical, or maybe it’s their poor skillset and knowledge (you know the managers that try to criticize your work but couldn’t do your job to save their own life – smh).
No matter what their deal is, and whether you hate them or love them, you still have to work with your boss and you cannot let them control your career trajectory. You are still the master of your own fate.
So how do you professionally work with someone that you don’t like, all while trying to reach your goals?
Here are 5 quick tips on how to do just that.
1. Leave your emotions at the door
Let’s be real, because you don’t like your boss, it doesn’t matter what he or she says, their presence alone will make you cringe.
Nonetheless, be more intentional and leave those negative emotions and vibes at the door. Instead of letting your boss get you out of character and in the wrong energy (because this could affect your work performance), just focus on the task at hand and on delivering your best work.
2. Stop, breathe, and count to three
This saying isn’t just some corny rhyme you learned when you were a kid. It’s something that should literally be implemented daily – especially when you’re dealing with a bish you don’t like.
You know how it goes, your boss says something that rubs you the wrong way and your first instinct is to snap right back at them. #whogoncheckmeboo?
However, by stooping to their level and giving them attitude will not help your relationship or your career trajectory. Like my first lady Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama once said, “When they go low, we go high”.
3. Stay on your A-game
When you don’t like the person you are working for, it’s so easy to just do the bare minimum because after all, it’s easier to go above and beyond for people you like, right?
Wrong. This is absolutely wrong.
When it comes down to your work, go the extra mile. Go above and beyond. Do your best work. Be overly prepared for meetings, know your numbers, be clear and concise, and over deliver.
Quite honestly, these are all things you should be doing on a regular basis, but I know it’s hard to keep up when you are on a team with someone you despise. Nonetheless, don’t let anyone steal your joy or cause you to lose your bomb work ethic.
If you are doing amazing work, it won’t matter if your boss likes you or not (or if you like them) – your boss won’t be able to deny your talent and work ethic, and they will respect you for it.
4. Focus on the company
Sadly too often when people quit, they quit because of their boss, and not because of the company. My advice, don’t let your boss affect your view of the company and cost you your growth within the company.
Always remember, you decided to work with the company because you were attracted to it and saw its potential in your professional development. #dassit
Everything and everyone else is secondary.
5. Find the good
In every situation, you should intentionally try to find the good in it and a lesson to learn. Trust me, everything that you experience has a lesson to it – it’s up to you to find it, appreciate it, and apply it to your life.
For every good or bad manager that you have, there is something you can always learn. For the manager that you don’t like, maybe the thing that you will learn is how to not be that type of manager that you despise and that’s stunting your growth. Instead, you’ll learn valuable lessons in management and it’ll prepare you for when you’re given the opportunity to lead a team one day.
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