How to Deal With Difficult Bosses

You're weary. You're frustrated. You're unhappy. You're demotivated. Your interaction with your boss leaves you cold. He's a bully, intrusive, controlling, picky and petty. He takes credit for your work, never provides positive feedback and misses each meeting he schedules with you.

He's a bad boss, bad to the bone. Dealing with less than effective managers, or just plain bad managers and bad bosses, is a challenge too many employees face. These ideas will help you deal with your bad boss.

Is you bad boss more difficult than the average bad boss who is just not very good with recognition and clear direction? Your bad boss, in contrast, is a nasty, demeaning, motivation-destroying, screaming bully. This is the type of bad boss you may want to invest the time to fire.

But, you need to proceed carefully and in an informed manner so that you don't take yourself and your career down in the process. Find out how.

Nothing sparks more commentary than asking about what makes managers bad bosses. With the lengthy comments I've received from readers, I found some common themes in site visitor responses about bosses.

Want to avoid becoming a bad boss? Afraid that you may already be considered a bad boss? Just want to commiserate with other people who have bad bosses? Here are the pertinent themes about bad bosses.

How many times have you witnessed an employee working in a supervisory position who doesn't have the knowledge or skills needed to do the job? Have you asked why some bosses get the management roles that they do? Because these issues exist in the workplace, I predict that at least once in your work life, you will do your job at the mercy of a bad boss. These ideas will help you deal with your bad bosses.

Face it. There are probably things that you do that drive your manager up a wall. And, as a result, you think of her as a bad boss. You need to identify the actions you take and the things that you do that drive her crazy. Until you do, you won't get along with your boss.

If you want to get back at your boss and destroy your own career possibilities in the process (because even a bad boss is still your boss), try doing these ten things and see how fast you can make your boss angry.

Face it, whether you want to admit it or not, you're the person who is in charge of your relationship with your boss. No one will ever be as concerned and involved as you–including your boss–that the quality of your relationship helps you achieve your career goals.

Your boss shares a critical interdependence with you since he has information that you need to succeed. But, he also can't do his job or accomplish his goals without your help. See how to get along.

Most micro-managing bosses are not bad people–although it may feel that way as they peer over your shoulder and question you at length about everything that you're working on. If you're a smart employee, you'll recognize that it's not usually you who has the problem.

As crazy as it makes you feel, you can manage your micro-managing boss. Here are five tips about how to do this.

We all expect that boss positions are assigned because the employee has years of experience, supervisory and management skills, and the capability to lead other employees. If you believe this, think again. You may one day find yourself working for a boss who is much younger than you and who lacks the expected skills and experience. 

How do you handle working for a boss who is not only much younger than you but may also have a lot less experience on the job? Here are six tips for working for a younger manager.