For the sake of this article, let’s spend our time talking about managing a difficult boss because, quite frankly, it’s not very hard to manage an effective boss. They communicate clearly, they manage fairly, and there is a clear understanding that the more successful you become, the more successful they become. That might sound like a fairly simple statement, but the fact is, that simple concept of management is usually the litmus test for a good manager. Some ‘get it’ and some ‘don’t get it’. If you are going to have to learn how to manage the boss, you are going to have to learn how to manage those that ‘don’t get it’.
It’s kind of sad when I hear the hurt in a young person’s voice when they say, “I don’t understand what I might have done wrong. My boss just doesn’t like me.” It’s a little like seeing the hurt in someone’s reaction to the news that there may not really be a Santa Claus. Learning that your boss is not effective can be a fairly depressing realization. So, how do you manage your ineffective boss? The easiest way to do this is to pick apart the litmus test I provided you, and take on these management principles yourself.
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