How to work under a bullying boss?
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How to work under a bullying boss? A bullying boss in the workplace is a horrifying experience for any gender of the employee.ways and means to overcome a bullying boss.
Is your boss bullies you constantly? The easiest way to answer this query is to check in on how you feel. Do you feel frustrated, scared, and dread going into the job as you get belittled, humiliated, neglected and cut down. Then, you are in a hostile work environment.
Typically, bosses who bully thrive on power and manipulate others. Unfortunately, the toxic boss may gain success from inducing fear in their staffs. But they will prove to have a shorter shelf-life when it comes to long term success.
Just know that you are not alone. The number one reason people swift their job is that they don’t like their boss. A toxic boss exists in almost every work environment. How will you handle it? Dive into the blog to know further.
How to deal with a bullying boss?
- Slip your focus from your boss to your work.
A bully is unlikely to change their behaviour, so your first option is to work to change yours. Instead of focusing on your intimidating boss, focus only on the details and tasks of your role. You have direct control over your performance. So, ensure you are focused on the right thing, which is your work, not your boss.
The more emotional strength you give your toxic boss, the more your boss will focus on you as his target. A bully boss is more engrossed in reading your vibe than examining your work performance. If your employer never gets your eye contact, he never gets the invitation to come into your emotional space. When you focus only on your job, you stop giving off the vibe of anxiety and fear over gaining approval from your boss.
- Understand the bully.
The bully boss, at his core, is an insecure, manipulative person who throws tantrums. They are immature and selfish. Most of you would not tolerate this type of treatment from your employer. The problem is your boss has a notable amount of control over your position. Due to this reason, you cannot meet fire with fire.
Tedious employers manipulate their demand-arsenal so quickly as it makes it difficult to meet their expectations or follow their direction correctly. It is a good thing to take detailed notes with dates and times, and details of conversations you have had with your boss. It helps you stay on task. You will have proof of what was said and requested, when and on what date it happened when your boss makes a move to gaslight you on what you think you are supposed to be doing. Keeping this log available with you helps you stay grounded in the facts and out of the fire of emotional drama.
It also keeps your boss in check with the fear that you may report him to human resources. Taking notes let you to stay organised and to call your toxic employer out on your terms.
- Set silent limits
Your body language is a great way to silently but efficiently deal with a bully boss. Turn your body away from him every chance you get. Give him the side of your body or the back of your body at all times. When you have to be face-to-face with him, focus on lifting your chest and your chin. This posture gently but firmly communicates that you are open to talk and not intimidated.
Bullies love to see people cringe. When your corrupt boss aggressively comes after you, it is natural to cringe. This posture will take over abruptly when under siege of emotions like humiliation or shame. When you focus solely on your body language, you covertly give yourself the upper hand. Your wicked boss will pick up on you having a stronger vibe. Then he will naturally respond less aggressively. Body language is a powerful communicator than words. Because the bully can turn your words around and use against you, but body language cannot.
- Set verbal limits.
Analyse how your employer treats you from an objective place. Make a list of the facts. You will speak less and get more accomplished when you approach him with facts and a strong physical posture. The more nervous you are, the more you tend to speak. When you have facts with you, you will set better limits. Then, you can stick to the facts without trying to convince him of anything or squeeze any empathy or understanding from him.
Knowledge is the power and facts are the knowledge you need. You must let your toxic boss know you will no longer tolerate the negative facts on your list in terms of how you are being treated. If your employer argues or starts acting out, leave the conversation and escalate to the person above him. Tell him that since he is unable to communicate rationally, you will be addressing your concerns to the top management.
- Build a network.
It is crucial to keep in communication with other employees who are also targets of your employer’s poor treatment. Encourage your colleagues to document dates, times and conversations they have with the boss. The more people associated with documenting the facts, the stronger the case will be when you approach human resources. It let them seek further train or terminate your corrupt boss. The more evidence you brought into human resources from multiple people, the clearer the pattern of abuse is to diagnose and treat.
- Tell top management and HR about the bully’s behaviour.
Let your superiors and HR know, through your documentation and meetings with your colleagues and boss, that you have done everything you can do on your own to cope with and abate your boss’s flagrantly abusive behaviour. Explain the impact the bullying boss has had on your physical, emotional and mental health along with how it has negatively affected your work performance. File a formal complaint and let human resources to instigate an investigation. Meanwhile, you may need to take paid leave to avoid even more abuse. Once your employer is made aware that he is being investigated, continue to work as you always have. It gives your boss the chance to show some change.
