I hate my supervisor..
I wish I could bash him up..
He treats me like an ass..
He will never understand me and my work..
If he’ll appreciate my work, hell will break lose..
These are just a few notions, whispered in the corridors of offices. And there is no prize for guessing, what we’re going to discuss today. Yep, today we’ll teach you, how to tackle nagging supervisor. Before we begin this journey, let me tell you, whatever points we mention here, don’t jump onto the conclusion, instead try to put yourself in the shoes of your supervisor. Reason being, he might be nagging because you lack somewhere or he expects something from you.
There is no doubt that pesky supervisors come in a variety of models and various levels as well. For instance, the Micromanager who carps about the font size in your e-mails, then comes the Royal Pain who treats you like a personal assistant, followed by the Office Politician who takes credit for all your hard work, and finally settling down to the Lead Grunt who was only promoted because of seniority and shoots down any attempt at change. Whatever may be the case or designation, it pays to know which model stands before you. Let’s make it clear, no matter what the specific flaws are, distressing supervisors have one thing in common: you can’t ignore them.
One of the online business magazines even said that nagging supervisors at times are boon in disguise, as they prepare you for the worse and even make you strong. Working with a nagging supervisor is tantamount to saying that these poor management techniques work on you, and guys it’s only a matter of time before this affects your health, work, and self-esteem.
While dealing with niggling supervisor, always keep your cool. Try to think, why he is so nagging and especially with you. If you are able to look into this, trust me your supervisor won’t be nagging. Folks, he is heading a company and having loads of other activities to look into, so he might be a little tied up but try to find the cause. No matter how frustrated you get while dealing with supervisor, it’s important to remain calm and composed.
Getting angry in front of your colleagues makes you look like the bad guy, and affect your professional reputation too. If your supervisor falls in the Royal Pain category, try casually repeating his irrational request as if to confirm it: “You’d like me to find your daughter a bull for her birthday before six o’clock tonight?” With this you aren’t rude but you are also conveying your point in an amicable way.
While working with a niggling supervisor, try to dress your issues as business concerns. Though your supervisor might be wrong at times, still don’t hesitate in expressing your misgivings. Don’t forget to treat the conversation like any other business meeting and keep the tone neutral and be solution-minded. Instead of pointing finger on what your supervisor’s is doing, focus more on discussing management changes that can improve the department as a whole.
Guys! Avoid bringing up personal issues, after all you are coming here to work rather than looking for a shoulder to cry upon. One of the biggest mistakes, we usually commit while dealing with bad supervisor is, we don’t communicate in writing. Keep everything in writing and transparent. When you have been ragged by a nagging supervisor, you'll be required to follow up any verbal agreement with an e-mail confirmation. Furthermore, also ensure that mail is CC to at least one other person in the company.
Reason being, written communication is always considered as official record and your supervisor will pay attention to your comments. On the same lines, you should keep a private journal to record the date of every conflict or incident and detail the respective actions you and your supervisor have taken.
One of the biggest mistakes rather blunders, we make is publicizing the matter. Grow up guys and keep the matter private. While locking your horns with a nagging supervisor, discretion is paramount. Avoid confronting your supervisor in public, as they will go out of their way to put you back in your place if they feel that you’re trying to challenge their authority in front of coworkers. If you feel like taking some guidance, online business magazines offer you free business tricks and tips to overcome this problem.
Once you are through with this, avoid venting to your colleagues, even if they agree with you. This is the last thing you want, when your supervisor finds out what you really think of him through office gossips. This will suddenly turn into a professional conflict. With the same breath, never censure your supervisor to his supervisor.
While you are dealing with nagging supervisor, don’t forget that he is also a human being and under more stress than you. He is running a company and wants to survive in this cut-throat competitive world. And also be thankful to him as you got the chance to work with him, with whatever notions you carry for him. In case you fail to adjust with your supervisor, the only alternative, you are left with is discussing the issue with human resources (HR).
But here’s catch 22, employees who keep coming back to HR are often branded as troublemakers. This doesn’t mean you should suffer in silence for the rest of your days. What people occasionally forget is that staying in a toxic environment too long can be as damaging to your career as quitting on a whim. There’s nothing wrong with fighting for a better work environment as long as you do it with tact and forethought. If you still fail to find a way out, online business magazines are there at your service.