I have been with my current organization for more than 11 years. I worked with my previous boss for over eight of those years, until he retired, and I’ve had my current boss for more than two years. During this time, I have grown to hate my new boss, to the point that it is beginning to impact my health. How can I fire my boss?

No rule states that you have to get along with, much less personally like your immediate supervisor. And most people could find things that they could do better than their boss does. However, it can certainly increase the chances that you will enjoy your work if you do appreciate the personal and professional characteristics of your boss.

Would you want to manage you?

Are you doing everything you can as an employee? Can you objectively say that you are the type of employee you’d want to manage? When we get to the point of stating that we actually “hate” someone, it can have a dramatic effect on our thoughts, words, and actions. In an attempt to find a balance, we can naturally try to make things difficult for those people who are causing us pain. While this can be appealing for some, it is ultimately self-defeating. Try to “manage up” by doing more than what is expected of you: following up, keeping your manager informed of events, and anticipating important issues. Try to find out what it takes to make him or her happy, and adjust your work style to meet those expectations.

Bosses are people too

Even if you don’t have the Boss From Hell, there are times when we can all get frustrated with the lack of direction, miscommunication, or other leadership shortcomings. Bosses are people too, with all the same insecurities, self-doubts, worries, and concerns that we all have. But that doesn’t mean you must simply accept things as they are. The principle of managing up, in which you come up with suggested solutions to problems you currently face, can help to not only make your boss’s life easier, but also to give you more control over your job. It is a fine balance, however, so just be careful not to come across too strong.

Communication is key

Getting along with your boss is about more than the ability to be socially comfortable together – in fact, it’s a lot like a marriage. Ideally, you should both have similar ideals, work ethics, moral principles, organizational/divisional/departmental visions, etc. That, alone, can definitely make things work a lot more smoothly. Don’t expect managers to know everything it takes to have an efficient and effective working relationship; it takes two to tango, after all. Try to establish mutual parameters with which you can both agree to work. Regular status reports or priority meetings can go a long way to establishing a dialogue that ultimately leads to the development of mutual trust.

Evaluate what’s important to you

In these types of situations, it is critical to evaluate what is truly important to you. Obviously, if the behaviour of your boss is impacting your health, you need to give serious consideration to whether it is worth staying in this negative environment. Weigh all aspects of your job, and if the techniques above don’t help the situation, you should consider moving to a better working environment.

Remember that nothing lasts forever, and the day will come when you will not be reporting to this individual.

Michael Mayne, M.B.A., CMA, is Managing Partner and a Certified Professional Career Counsellor at Catalyst Careers, a Career Transition, Counselling, and Outplacement firm. Michael has been involved in the not-for-profit sector for many years, and is currently President of ALS Canada. To contact Michael, visit: www.catalystcareers.com.

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