Let’s face it. Your boss might not be the most emotionally
evolved mammal on the planet. Chances
are you will have to deal with (or have already dealt with) a boss that is all
too like the chicanery you see from Dunder Mifflin’s leadership team.
No matter what you do, it’s never enough. Your results are never big enough or fast
enough. Even though the boss is never
there, when he/she does decide to show up they “second guesses” all your decisions
and keeps asking “what the hell is going on around here?”
All the while you are using all your big people skills to
not shout out the obvious answer — “You would know if you were here…” But you shut your mouth and pretend to take
notes on the clipboard you are holding.
Muttering to yourself if having a job is really all that worth it.
Not for bosses like that!
The extra stress and chaos does nothing but bring you years
closer to your death. It’s not only
stupid, it’s dangerous – to your mental and physical health.
So what can you do?
Do you just slam the door, throw your boss “the bird”, and collect
unemployment? Maybe.
But if you play your cards right, you can find yourself in a
better place (mentally, physically, and financially…) with just some good
old-fashioned planning. Here’s how to
handle the situation.
1. Do your job right
now.
That’s the kicker.
Don’t get sloppy. And don’t get
lazy. Even the biggest moron bosses can
spot a slouch from a mile away. You
don’t need a target on your chest while you are plotting your escape, so do
your job. And do it damn well. You don’t gain a thing from cutting corners
or trying to game the system in your favour.
Your boss owns your behind for the eight hours (or more) that they are paying you to be there. Moron or
not, they own you. That right. If you are taking their money then you owe them the effort. Don’t make things worse by
shirking your responsibilities.
2. Don’t pick sides
or get petty.
The only way that moron bosses can have friends
(temporarily…) is by pitting employees against each other. They will draw you into a discussion and try
to get you to complain or poke holes at another person that you are doing
business alongside. Then once you are
out of the room, they do the exact opposite to the other person — except this
time it is aimed at you. Don’t fall into
that trap.
Be polite but insist that you don’t have anything to say bad
about your peers — even if you do. What
you don’t know is that it’s not a level playing field. If you take the high road you’ll avoid the
traps. And by the way, you need your
peers to help you with your next steps, so don’t burn bridges. Be fair. Don’t be petty.
3. Plan your exit
expertly.
Find out what you want to do next and make it happen. Have a budget. Know exactly how much money
you need to keep your dream alive. Write
down the one thing you would do if money were not an option. Start doing that thing after hours (instead
of watching TV). Volunteer if you can’t
get paid to do what you love.
But most importantly, be an expert about your future. Money.
Time. Location. Know everything about
what and where you want to be. You don’t
want to make an uninformed decision and find yourself crawling back to a bad
boss — just because that’s the only thing you can get paid to do. Create a plan. Put the steps on a calendar. Start executing. You’ll be out of there in no time.
4. Don’t repeat your
past mistakes.
If there are personality types that annoy you, then avoid
them — at all costs. If you can’t work
for male bosses, then find a female leader to work for. This is where you need to be really clear
about what made your boss such a moron in the first place. Was he/she offensive? Crude?
Obnoxious? Unfairly
demanding? What are the 2 or 3 things
that make the situation unworkable from your perspective?
5. Get physical along
the way.
Frankly, this whole situation is rubbish. Big time.
Stress and panic and chaos are never good ingredients to add to your
lifestyle. The resulting product is sure
to look pretty worn out. You need to
plan extra “stress-relieving” into your schedule. And that doesn’t just mean more sex. It means physical exercise. You hitting something or running somewhere or
sweating.
There is something empowering about working through your
frustrations. It’s healing. And that’s what you need a lot of. To keep a level head and to execute the other
steps we talked about you need to be a warrior.
Focused. On message. Ready to spring into action at the right
moment. Get in shape. You’ll need it.
This is always tougher to do than to talk about.
You can only fix you. So focus on that.
Remember that. There
will always be idiots and morons. But
you don’t need to work for one.
You’re better than that.
Get out. But do it your way.
Don’t let frayed emotions and stressed decision-making force
your hand into doing something that is hard to recover from. Play it cool. Have a plan.
Find someone else who appreciates your talents.
The truth is that they are out there looking for someone
like you!
www.grantstanley.co.uk
by Grant Stanley 2015
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