Good day. How are you doing? Today, we'll continue with the series "Building Effective Business/Career Relationships".
We've talked about identifying and nurturing key business/career relationships. We've started talking about NURTURING WORK RELATIONSHIPS. We paused to address the question raised about reacting violently to external stimuli and managing the aftermath. Please share how these tips have helped you thus far.
Today, we'll focus on dealing with difficult bosses/customers. In a perfect world, all bosses and customers will be fantastic people who value your work and want to see you succeed. However, we all agree that this isn't always the case. I have shared tips below on how to manage difficult bosses/customers.
1. Try to understand WHY your boss is acting so difficult. Is he/she threatened by you? Does he/she have a hard time trusting your decisions? If so, why? Are the reasons genuine or are they taking out their past terrible experiences on you? You need to pray that God opens your eyes to what the real issue is and that He shows you how to best manage the situation.
While I was an undergraduate, it occurred to me that some of my lecturers may be acting all mean because of challenges in the home. It drove me to start praying for my lecturers and that softened my heart towards them. I'll definitely be picking that habit up again for all vital relationships.
While I was an undergraduate, it occurred to me that some of my lecturers may be acting all mean because of challenges in the home. It drove me to start praying for my lecturers and that softened my heart towards them. I'll definitely be picking that habit up again for all vital relationships.
2. Don't let your boss'/customer's attitude affect the quality of your job
I agree it's hard to work with a difficult boss but you have to realise that YOU are ultimately responsible for how you feel and how YOU react to stimuli.
I have a bucket full of tales of difficult managers and customers who have attempted to make my work life difficult. Initially, I used to lose my cool and give off negative vibes. I thought it made me look tough and be viewed as a no-nonsense person. As I'm growing older and wiser, I realise that it is more sensible to factor in other people's (mis)behaviours while delivering on your job/business than to expect everyone to conform to your expectations, even if your expectations are right.
I agree it's hard to work with a difficult boss but you have to realise that YOU are ultimately responsible for how you feel and how YOU react to stimuli.
I have a bucket full of tales of difficult managers and customers who have attempted to make my work life difficult. Initially, I used to lose my cool and give off negative vibes. I thought it made me look tough and be viewed as a no-nonsense person. As I'm growing older and wiser, I realise that it is more sensible to factor in other people's (mis)behaviours while delivering on your job/business than to expect everyone to conform to your expectations, even if your expectations are right.
3. Anticipate your boss/customer's needs and try to get things to them before they ask. That shows you are able to work/think independently and it helps you gain trust, particularly if your boss/customer is a micro-manager.
4. Document everything. If your boss/customer makes a request, particularly if they are asking you to do something unusual. If you can, formalize with an email or whatever is the agreed means of formal communication. This tip has helped me on countless occasions. Also, devise a means of archiving such documentation; it may be what will save your job/business.
5. If you're dealing with a boss who is uncomfortable with your achievements, you need to be careful about undermining his/her authority. When presenting your facts, be careful to give him/her an opportunity to save face. It does more harm than good to try to prove that you are more competent than your boss, even if you really are.
For example, if an email comes in that is addressed to both you and your boss and you know the answer to the questions posed, a wise way to deal with this is to send an email to your boss with your answers to the questions and ask him/her to confirm that the response is good to be sent. You can then ask him/her if you can send the response or if he/she wants to respond.
Some customers come to you because of your skill then try to prove that they know more than you do. You can adapt this tip with customers, if applicable.
For example, if an email comes in that is addressed to both you and your boss and you know the answer to the questions posed, a wise way to deal with this is to send an email to your boss with your answers to the questions and ask him/her to confirm that the response is good to be sent. You can then ask him/her if you can send the response or if he/she wants to respond.
Some customers come to you because of your skill then try to prove that they know more than you do. You can adapt this tip with customers, if applicable.
6. If in spite of your best efforts at dealing with your boss/customer you are still constantly at loggerheads, prayerfully and wisely escalate to the next level of management with documented evidence. If you're a business owner and in spite of your best efforts at dealing with a customer, he/she is still proving difficult, prayerfully and wisely use all legal avenues to end the contract and recover all debts. You need to be careful while ending your contract and recovering your debt so that your reputation is not damaged. Reputational damage is hard to quantify and difficult to reverse. That's the reason why some people leave bad bosses/customers to God for judgment.
Please share your views and experiences.
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