Hell- a place of evil and suffering; and that’s definitely where terrible bosses come from because how else do they know how to suck the life right out of you? and I can say this because I’ve had firsthand experience.
Okay, maybe I’m exaggerating just a little bit, maybe they are not from hell but they do know how to make your work life harder than it should be. I had a boss whom I thought was the devil himself, and believe me when I say working for him was the toughest year of my life.
I’ll tell you a little bit about what happened, let’s call my old boss (AKA ‘the devil himself’) Jide.
Jide wasn’t the nicest of people, he was never pleased. He never complimented on a job well done; well he did, but only when a client was complimenting my work and then he would brag a little, well he would brag a lot actually.
He would suck the joy out of any room just by walking in, he never smiled unless he made a joke at your expense, he would make a huge deal about little mistakes, take credit for your idea or dismiss your idea and then implement it a week later. He would make you take the heat from a client after the very idea you warned against backfires.
You know what, I can go on and on about what a horrible boss he was, but I’ll just stop here. If you are unfortunate enough to have a ‘Jide’ as your boss, pay close attention to these tips. Here are some respectful ways to always come out on top, despite all the BS being thrown at you at the office.
Survival Tip 1 – Don’t let it affect your work:
This is the last thing you want to do; you want to try to be as efficient as possible. Make sure you’re on top of your tasks at all times, and meeting deliverables before deadlines. Don’t focus too much on whoever or whatever is trying to bully you, don’t give them the satisfaction. Instead, always try to focus on your responsibilities. When you prove yourself as an asset, they will tread carefully.
Survival Tip 2 – Find out what flips his/her switch:
Try to identify what makes them switch from regular boss to boss from hell. Once you’re able to identify these, then you’re less likely to make some mistakes.
Survival Tip 3 – Always double check:
Make sure you double check on tasks and instructions given to you. “I would just like to clarify if you said I should..”, this way, you’re always sure what your tasks and responsibilities are before leaving the office. If you’re like me, then you’re not very great at remembering information. I always have a notepad that I can refer to, and it helps me a lot.
Survival Tip 4 – Don’t dwell on the negative:
Although these god awful bosses are going to try to make you feel like you’re lazy, like you never get any work done, like you’re incompetent, make sure not to dwell on these things because that’s not who you are. Take all of that negative energy and channel it into creating spectacular results.
Survival Tip 5 – Don’t expect them to change:
They are not going to, once an a-hole always an a-hole. Things might improve slightly but they are not going to become a better person or a better boss. Well, unless they miraculously up and quit.
Survival Tip 5 – Run:
Yes, you read that right.. If you can’t handle the pressure, then please find another SANE job. Apply to a ton of openings and once you get something you’re comfortable with, hand in that resignation letter with joy. No, you’re not weak, there’s absolutely nothing to prove and who would you be proving it to, the boss from hell?
One of these tips are bound to make survival at the office a little easier. If you’ve also dealt with a boss from hell, let me know how you survived it.
