Horrible Bosses – And How To Deal With Them!

Imagine landing your dream job: you’re doing something that inspires you, you’re working alongside likeminded people who you now consider friends and the location is perfect!

There’s only one slight problem…your boss is never around. When they are, they have nasty things to say, and impossible tasks for you to complete. They’re short-fused or even mean. You wonder if it’s just you, so you ask around — and it turns out everyone has something to say about them, but no one has the power to do anything about it.

Ranting to friends and family is easy, but it doesn’t solve your problem. The bigger challenge is this: how do you deal with a terrible boss in a constructive way? Here’s a guide to some types of bad bosses you might encounter at work, and how to make the best of this unfortunate situation!

The Hard-to-read boss

This boss can’t decide between happy or angry. If one moment they’re chatting happily with you over the water cooler, the next they’re giving you a devilish stare across the meeting table. You can’t guess what they’ll do next. You’re left to deal with the burden, and they’ll gladly continue to dish it out.

It may seem as though this boss would like you to question their motives, but the best thing to do here is to take a passive approach. You need to signal that you’re un-phased by the shenanigans, and that you’re not willing to play a game you can’t win. Focus on perfecting your work.

The stressy boss

Some bosses just can’t deal with their own stress. They take their frustrations out on those around them, including their employees, whether they’re responsible or not. To be fair, most of these types are under pressure from seniors and management, which they relieve by targeting those junior to them.

It’s important to remember that their anxiety probably isn’t down to your performance. All the eye-rolls, the furrowed brows, the red faces – these are symptoms of badly managed stress.

First, make sure you’re reaching your own targets. Focus on your tasks and complete them to the best of your ability. Then, if it’s appropriate, try offering your boss further help. The best way to disarm angry managers is by remaining polite, professional, and calm.

The absent boss

You rarely actually see this boss in the office. They’ll do their best to avoid being contacted, and will not respond to emails, even though they assure you they’re on top of it all.

They often want more than they give – they ask to be copied into every email you send, but won’t bother to reply to any. There’s a chance you’ll catch them at important events like annual reviews, but besides that, you’re unlikely to see them around.

How do you deal with someone who you never even see? The answer: be more direct. Don’t rely on emails — ask your boss directly when they’ll next be in, and when best to schedule a catch-up.

Persistence is key

No matter which boss you’re up against – persistence is key. If you can stick to your morals when faced with uncertainty, there’s no reason you can’t deal with most situations that come your way.

A bad boss is really an opportunity for growth. Consider it a test of your professionalism. An important part of being a professional is dealing well with people we may not see eye-to-eye with.

And if you’re really in a rut, why not have a word with your HR team? Good luck!

Mostafa is a writer based in London. You can find more of his work here.

Inspiring Interns is a graduate recruitment agency which specialises in sourcing candidates for internships and giving out graduate careers advice. To hire graduates or browse graduate jobs, visit their website.