des hague: to change the world, change your mind
TRANSCRIPT
To change the world, change yourmind. Although a bit less profound,
the same philosophy can be applied todealing with a less than personable
boss. Sometimes nosey, sometimes fartoo intrusive, sometimes downrightrude, bosses have the power to make
the workplace difficult, to say theabsolute least. Yet, even having aterrible boss can be a good thing.
When working under someone withquestionable behavior, you should
keep your head up, your eyes forward,and the following in mind:
At times, poorly behaved bosses will fail toshow grace while giving what is supposed to beconstructive criticism. When witnessing such
displays of borderline verbal abuse andinsulting remarks towards subordinates, you
should remember that such inclinations ofmaliciousness are exactly what you do not
want to display when you work your own way tothe top. Regardless of how intelligent or
efficient you are, all management positionsrequire an advanced degree of refined
emotional intelligence.
CommunicationCommunication between management and their
subordinates is supposed to be a mutual exchange.One is supposed, talk and then listen, and then
absorb the information to make the best possibledecision. Yet, far too often, management will
become absorbed in their hierarchical stratificationand will fail to listen. They will only talk and
neglect their employees potentially innovativeideas in favor of hearing the sound of their own
voice. This destructive tendency tarnishessuperiors’ reputations because it forces employeesto find another medium of expression where they
are allowed to voice their ideas, their opinions, andperhaps most importantly, their feelings.
The Boss is the boss
Although it is important tolisten to your workers, that isnot to say the boss does not
have the final word.Communication should
certainly be open, but the bosscan by no means allow
themselves to be bullied intoa decision. Of course, every
opinion should be heard, butthat does not mean it has to
be acted upon.
Pay Well and Equally
It is of the utmost significance thatemployees who do a similar job are paida similar salary. If the boss fails to payhis or her workers the same salary, and
word gets out, then he or she is bound toinspire resentment amongst the staff. A
paycheck is clear indication of value, andto marginalize someone over another
when they are each doing the same job isat the very best misguided, and at the
very worst worthy of legal action.
Even when dealingwith the worst of theworst, we can learn
something, grow, andapply those lessons tofuture situations. Justbecause you may not
get along with aparticularly difficult
boss, that is in no wayan excuse to shut
down. Instead,embrace the scenarioand better yourself forit. That which doesn’tkill us only makes us
stronger.