How do you deal with a manager you hate?

It’s a tale as old as time, hating your manager. It’s not like they make things any easier, some managers are unprofessional and do let the authority get to their heads. Micromanagement, rude behavior, and just basic bad personality can be very hard to work within a professional environment. 

A manager isn’t, unfortunately, someone we can choose. You can’t avoid them, you may even have to pretend to get along. But, when they do things that rile you up, push you against the wall and make it all the more difficult for you to keep your sanity in check, it can get quite challenging. What’s worse, you may even have to try and impress them too.

It’s edgy ground, and certainly not easy to cope with. However, what you need to know is that it isn’t impossible, and no matter how hard your manager is to deal with, there are ways using which you can make this time a tad bit easier. 

First, no slip of the tongues

Communication is a tricky process. And within a professional workplace environment, what you say can be held against you. When you have a manager you really do not get along well with, you may want to control the words you use around them and ease yourself up just a little bit. 

This doesn’t mean you can’t be honest with them, this only means that you approach them with the utmost respect, even if it means you disagree with them. If you let things slip and offend your manager in any way, you may even get reprimanded and reminded of who the actual boss is. And you know what’s the worst part? It’s true, you are not the boss and there is a hierarchy to maintain, even if you don’t like it at all.

Don’t worry about getting your point across to your manager right away, you should try not to offend your manager. Even if your manager tells you or asks for your opinion, there are always things that you shouldn’t say and things that can be overlooked. Always remember, if you’ve got nothing nice to say then maybe you should keep things to yourself. 

Don’t burnout

Following through the previous bit of advice where you control what you say, especially when you really do have some things to let off, can be very exhausting. When you’re inching closer to burnout because of the frustration your manager is giving you, and how you aren’t in any way letting loose of the thoughts in your mind, you start to show visible signs.

For instance, it can be a quick roll of the eye, or clenching teeth at work, or even taking too many chai breaks. You may snap at your colleagues for no fault of their own, you might take this frustration out in several ways, which are not too healthy.

All that pent-up frustration needs to go somewhere, right? If you’re forcing yourself to keep your thoughts to yourself, try and figure out where you can release steam. Pick an exercise, go to the gym, meditate or go for a run. Any task that involves sweat and a workout helps a great deal to lay off steam!

Learn diplomacy

The first two methods can help if your manager isn’t always around you or if you don’t have to work too closely with them. However, there will come a time where your manager will have to personally sit with you or you may have to collaborate with them. Confronting them can be challenging, especially when you don’t get along.

You may disagree with them (and sometimes, even if you agree you may not be willing to admit it), and it can be hard to not sound rude when stating your disagreement. Therefore, the best skill that comes to play here is diplomacy. 

So, whenever your manager’s behavior or thoughts push you against the wall, remember, being a diplomat isn’t as hard as it sounds. When politicians and businessmen do it, so can you. Choose your words carefully, think of it as a survival game and the second you’re comfortable, you’ll realize it’s smooth sailing. 

You can’t not work with people, and this is a fact that you may have to get used to. However, there are so many tricks with communication that working with people can present itself as less of a challenge. 

Whenever you feel a bit frustrated or alone, remember you’re not alone and that there are many ways to get past the situation you’re stuck in. You may just need to think of it from a different angle.