Do's and Don'ts of Dealing With a Bad Boss

How do you deal with a bad boss? Read our article, Dealing With a Bad Boss, and follow these general rules for coping with a bad or ineffective boss.

• Do act professionally in all situations.

• Don't reduce your productivity, feign illness, or otherwise compromise your job.

• Do find a mentor -- within or outside the organization.

• Don't confront your boss in an emotionally-charged rant.

• Do consider scheduling a meeting with your boss to discuss ways your boss could change his/her behavior.

• Don't go to the boss of your boss, except as a last resort.

• Do find an outlet to vent your frustrations and anger, but don't do it with co-workers.

• Don't expect your boss to change -- or at least change overnight.

• Do watch for opportunities to transfer to another department within the company.

• Don't simply try and block out all the bad behavior; doing so will impact your physical and mental health.

• Do use your network to keep abreast of better opportunities outside the company. And do have your resume up-to-date and ready to send out.

• Do evaluate your performance on the job and consider ways to improve your behavior, but don't blame yourself for a bad boss.

• Don't think you are alone in having a bad boss; several studies suggest that many of us have to deal with a bad boss at one time or another in our careers.

• Do consider keeping a journal that documents all the bad behavior of your boss.

• Don't sacrifice your health of self-esteem by staying in the job for the sake of a job. Do consider quitting your job -- even if you don't have a new job lined up -- if continuing to work for your bad boss is likely to permanently damage your career.

• Do continue to document all your accomplishments.

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by Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D.