10 ways you can use to make even the meanest boss like you more

Last Updated on 2016-05-20 , 9:52 am

Often, a major reason why good employees resign from their jobs is due to mean bosses compared to any other factor. If you have a mean boss, you will dread coming to work everyday and nobody wants to work in such conditions. Before you start job hunting, give these tips a try and maybe you can improve you and your boss’s relationship.

Adapt to their preferences
Listen, learn and observe about your boss’s behavioural patterns. Perhaps she likes to make quick, snap decisions and always expects you to be on your feet. Or maybe he communicates only through emails instead of phone calls. Try to cooperate with their style and match it as best as you can. 

Help them in areas they are weak
You’re probably thinking that you do not want to lift a finger to help your boss unless necessary to do so. But by helping them, you are putting yourself in their good books, allowing them to rely on you. Maybe this might foster a better relationship but if it doesn’t it still makes for a great addition to your resume.

Understand their motivations
Figure out what makes him tick, what drives him to achieve his success and what he genuinely cares about so that you can understand him better. Once you can grasp these, you can try to speak in a language he understands and hopefully things will work out.

Know their priorities
Schedule a meeting with your boss and ask them about their expectations in the office. Listen well, take comprehensive notes and work out an action plan on how to achieve those goals. Show it to your boss and in most cases, they will be happy that you took the initiative to do so.

Keep your boss updated
They might not come in everyday but they always like to be kept abreast of the current events in the company. Give them updates and follow-ups on issues that they are most concerned about first, but make sure the timing and procedure is right. This helps keep your boss off your back.

Anticipate tasks before they come
Get tasks done before they hit your desk, if you are sure that this is what your boss expects you to do. Let them know once you have completed them and soon enough they will realize you are responsible and can be trusted.

Make sure your work quality stays the same
Don’t let another bad day affect how you work, you don’t want your boss to grasp any opportunity to find any fault against you. By doing so you are also keeping your reputation in the company intact, thereby keeping your job.

Get everything in black and white
It is important for you to document the communication with your boss, especially if they like to do it verbally. Send an email after the discussion to confirm the important points. That way, you have proof if your boss suddenly decides to contradict themselves.

Take some time to cool off
Your boss and you have gone head to head again with certain issues. Take a deep breath, step back and let it go for the moment. Think of the next proper course of action before reacting. Maybe it is a particularly busy period in the month so it is wiser to bring up the issue with your boss after things are settled.

Confront positively
If you are still not looking for a job change yet, then try to sit down with your boss and have a positive confrontation. Know how to pick your battles, and try to understand your boss point of view as well. This may be able to help both of you understand each other better.

Top Image: Pavel Ilyukhin / Shutterstock.com