Dealing With The Angry Boss

Have you ever had (or do you now have) a boss who rarely smiles, always looks at the bottom line, and the only emotion shown is anger? If you have, I have help for you!

Your boss is very likely the second child in the family of birth. The older sibling is of the same gender. The result has been that your boss is in a lifelong competition with his or her older sibling that is still being carried out in her or his behavior as your boss. It''s pretty unpleasant for you to have to live with, but that''s the facts.
How do you deal with this person? If you''re like most people you''ve gotten angry, made demands, gave ultimatums, or simply walked off the job. None of these reactions actually changed anything. Your boss is still the same as before. You very likely lost some respect with your boss as a result of your behavior. That''s not where you want to be.

In dealing with your boss, you need to be in charge of your behavior. You can''t control your boss or your boss''s behavior. You can only choose YOUR behavior. Here''s what I recommend to you. When your boss gets angry with red face as well as loud voice, do NOT get angry in response. Instead, raise your voice to the same volume as his or hers, respond to what she or he has said, then wait. You''ll find that your boss stops yelling, calms down, and walks away. You will have gained some respect at the same time that you stalled the temper tantrum.

Another tactic in dealing with the angry boss is to talk about needs. "We need to do this" or "We shouldn''t need to do that". Your boss''s only priority in evaluating everything is needs. If he or she doesn''t see any need for it, it isn''t going to happen. If she or he sees something as a need, there''s nothing that''s going to stop him or her from doing/getting it.

A third tactic is to cease to argue. That''s right, don''t argue. State your case calmly, clearly, and with as many details as you can muster up. Don''t argue or debate it, just present it. You''ll find that your boss listens intently to everything you say. The result will be that your ideas are taken seriously.

These are behaviors that have been learned from practical experience. They work, but only if you are able to manage your own behavior well enough to follow through with these suggestions. In other words, do something else if you''re angry. Only deal with your boss when you are in a calm or relaxed frame of mind. Your anger will put a halt to anything you try to accomplish with your boss.