How to Handle an Overbearing Boss

Don't Back Down

You open the door to your office building, and as usual, your boss is in a terrible mood. He’s walking from desk to desk, criticizing the work of his employees, and yelling at everyone in his path. You feel yourself cringe inwardly and you want nothing more than to turn around and head back to your car, never to return here again.

Sounds familiar? Even if your current working situation doesn’t resemble this one, you have probably experienced something like it in the past. Most people run across an overbearing boss or two, and the question remains: put up with it or get out?

Authority can be a tricky situation because people who have it don’t realize what its like for people who don’t. There is nothing worse than a mid-level manager on a power trip, but unfortunately, there’s one in every office. He might have started in a management position, and doesn’t realize what its like to be on the bottom rung, or maybe he's worked hard to get where he is, and now he feels that others owe him something. Of course, he might just be suffering from a bad personality!

Whatever the reason, you shouldn’t have to tolerate negativity and belittlement every day of your working life. You work hard just like everyone else, and you deserve praise when it is due. It isn’t just a matter of personal pride, but of humanity. Employees whose work environments are negative and stressful produce less output, and eventually quit, because no one has the capacity to put up with such torment each and every day of their lives.

If you dislike your job entirely, then you might as well look for another one. I wouldn’t tolerate an ungrateful boss even if I loved my work, but if I hated it, I’d have the classified section of the paper in my hand as soon as it hit my doorstep. You will feel much better about getting up in the morning and commuting to the office if you are assured of a relaxed, peaceful atmosphere, rather than yelling and screaming in your ear.