Reevaluating your Feelings for a Boss you Hate
It's easy to become judgmental and critical of another persons actions, especially when that person has some measure of authority over you. As nauseating as the reality of life is, everyone has a boss in some capacity. Your feelings for a boss you hate may have their roots in fact, perceptions, or a combination of both, but one way or another they need resolved. Reevaluating your feelings for a boss you hate will either make for a better working environment or validate your original assessment. Either way, you most likely will learn something about yourself in the process.
Comprise a mental list of the things you dislike about your boss, and rate them on a scale from a minor annoyance to prompting a reaction of full blown rage on your part. Are they just nuances of the personality of the boss that are unintentional, or are they being a jerk on purpose? Think a while on that question before answering, maybe you just don't like their mannerisms. If they are being difficult on purpose, did you ever consider that perhaps they just have poor management skills? Many times individuals are promoted to higher positions based on factors like work ethic and longevity with the company, and they have no formal training in personal interactions from a management perspective.
Take a look beyond your boss, up the corporate ladder a few rungs at upper management. Many companies have a philosophy that stress flows downhill, and you immediate boss may be under more pressure than you could ever imagine. Look at the personality type of your boss, are they the type that identifies their position with their value as a human being? If so, between the pressure the company puts upon them and the pressure they put on themselves, their life stinks. Could you be Mr. Wonderful going home every night to eat antacids and to toss and turn in your sleep?
Finally, switch places with your boss in your mind. Look at your performance and personality through their eyes, walk a mile in their shoes so to speak. Do you show up to do a minimum of work just to draw a paycheck, or are you truly a contributor to the overall success of the organization? Maybe the reason you hate your boss is because he or she holds you accountable for your own mistakes. If they do, your boss is doing their job. Look up the word "empathy" in the dictionary and copy the meaning 10 times then reevaluate your feeling for the boss you hate.
