Your relationship with your supervisor can make or break your experience at your job. It doesn’t matter how great an opportunity is if you don’t like your boss. Similarly, the best boss in the world can make a horrible job seem a little better. If you’re having trouble getting along with your boss, here are four tips you can use to improve the situation.
1. Focus on the good
The best way to make a bad situation worse is to fixate on exactly why it’s so bad. When you’re frustrated with your boss, sitting and thinking about their negative qualities all day will only strain your relationship more.
Instead of letting yourself fall to the dark side of thinking, remember what you like about them. Recognize their strengths and how well they do their job. This can snap you out of your funk and improve your relationship with your manager.
2. Ask for feedback
This is a good practice on several levels. First, it places your boss in the role of a mentor which many people will value. They’ll want to invest in you more. Second, you can learn more about their standards and make sure you’re adhering to them. Plus, you’ll improve as an employee and show your boss your efforts to continually get better.
3. Look for cues in their behavior
The longer you work with someone, the easier this is. If your boss is known to have a bit of a short temper or gets flustered easily, make sure you’re reading his or her mood before presenting new ideas or solutions. Not only will this help you be heard, but they’ll appreciate the space and understanding.
4. Let things go
If you hold onto to every disagreement and negative feeling you’ve had, it’s likely you will have a bad experience with your supervisor. Grudges don’t do a thing for you or them and can ultimately just make your performance worse.
The most important thing to remember is this person is your boss and not your friend. That doesn’t excuse someone who is cruel or incompetent, because those are different issues. You can have a functioning professional relationship without being pals, and that should be your goal.
Trust Workbox Staffing when it’s time for your next step
Sometimes issues with your boss are serious and you know it’s time for something new. When that happens, Workbox Staffing is the employment agency for you. We pair you with a personalized career coach who listens and understands your skills to make sure we’re aligning you with the perfect opportunity. Search our job board for your fresh start today!
