At the beginning of my career, I was faced with a difficult situation. I was working for an irrational idiot who happened to be my boss.
I was young, and my first response was to “get even” and eventually to quit in not such friendly terms. The thing I learned through talking with others is that working with a difficult boss who was an irrational idiot was not uncommon. In fact, irrational bosses are everywhere. If we love our job, we must learn to identify them, manage them and step up before we run for the hills.
The other thing you must be on alert for is that you aren’t the one being the irrational idiot.
Below are six signs that indicate you are working for a difficult and irrational boss:
1. Bosses who are irrational idiots are not clear about what they want until they get what they don’t want. The main problem is that these idiots don’t even know what they need.
2. Irrational idiots don’t trust anybody. Their distrust often turns into obsessive paranoia manifested as micromanaging and fear. The worst part? This is contagious to other members of the team and creates a culture of conspiracy theories and imaginary danger.
3. They only manage vertically (within the same department) and portray other areas negatively. For these idiots, the rest of the company is incompetent and out to sabotage them.
4. Irrational idiots expect you to team-up with them to destroy others. Their objective is not to do a good job but to look better than others, and their hobby is backstabbing anyone that might be perceived as the enemy.
5. Bosses who are irrational idiots believe in making false promises to get others to do a good job such as fake promotions or imaginary bonuses. They don’t recognize this creates an environment of false expectations and disappointment.
6. These idiots are the ones that will hoard their most talented employees because they fear that they may be promoted in other departments. These are the blockers.
If you suspect you are working for a difficult boss who is irrational, treat it as a great learning opportunity to hone your leadership skills with grace.
Here are 6 Ways to Handle and Irrational Manager:
1. Make it your goal to double-check and clarify expectations regularly. Always follow-up conversations with a recap email stating everything that was agreed upon.
2. Don’t fall for the “Don’t get mad, get even” technique. If you think you can “get even” by doing less, forget about it. That will only give your boss ammunition against you. Don’t do it.
3. Let your boss know what are you working on. Better yet, let them know what you will work on next before you do it.
4. When having one-on-one conversations, repeat what you heard and ask for confirmation before the conversation ends. Then follow recommendation No. 1.
5. If what your irrational boss is asking for doesn’t make sense, offer alternatives without being a jerk. You can present options by saying: “Have you thought of this or that…?” or “What if we try this other thing instead?”
6. Do not engage in gossip. Instead, provide constructive suggestions to help the team and their relationship to the boss. Gossip will not improve the situation and will eventually exhaust you.
I know it sucks to have to deal with irrational idiots. I have had them myself, and I encourage you before looking for another job to always bring out your best and accept the challenge. Why not? In the end, you will learn valuable lessons while also fostering the skills to deal with difficult people.
If you and your team need guidance to work through working with challenging personalities, consider investing in a coach or find a mentor who can give you strategies that work. If you are curious about working with me, let’s have a conversation. Contact us to schedule a complimentary consultation at http://maricarmenpizarro.com/contact-mari-carmen/
