We have all dealt with a tyrannical boss. That said, as terrifying as it is, it’s up to you to put your superior in perspective and humanize. Here are 5 tips to tame your manager’s fear and make your hierarchical relationship much less burdensome.
1. Realize that it’s not just about you
Being afraid of your boss, asking yourself if such or such a comment is likely to have offended your superior, are legitimate and human professional concerns. Everyone reacts in this way, from the secretary to the CEO: everyone reports to a superior. So turn the problem upside down: do the mistakes of the new intern you hired prevent you from sleeping? No. Well, know that your boss also has other cats to whip than to focus on your course errors;).
2. Be candid with yourself
Be honest: are you really scared of your current boss, or is it something deeper from your past experiences? Sometimes you get to ask the right questions and one of the best ways to deal with your biggest concerns is writing. List your fears and their respective origins, you will probably succeed in eliminating some of them. For others, keep in mind that past experiences are not intended to be repeated forever: your former superior may have been horrible, but that does not mean that the next will also be.
3. Stop demonizing your boss
Ask yourself if your superior’s behavior towards you is proven or if it is only the result of your imagination. Observe and you will surely realize that this is just his temperament and that everyone is at the same school. That said, if even after conducting your investigation you notice that your boss seems to have some after you, take your courage in both hands and ask to be interviewed. It is certainly frightening but the results are often conclusive !
4. Be essential
One of the best ways to overcome your fear of your boss is to build a strong relationship with your boss. That said, don’t bother talking too much or having lunch together: encourage action over words. This does not mean that you have to stay late at the office and be zealous. You just need to identify the priorities of your boss in terms of the file and offer your help. You can also target the areas in which your supervisor has certain weaknesses and provide solutions. You will not work more and logically you will quickly become appreciated and irreplaceable.
5. Build a professional identity
Each of us has forged our own social identity over the years. However, it becomes advisable to develop a second identity for your professional life: dissociating the person you are in your private life from the person you are in your work will allow you to divide your fears. Define who you want to be in your daily business life. Once your choice is made, assess the aspects of your life that must be modified accordingly: if your professional identity does not allow you to be late, buy an alarm clock and set it so that you arrive early.
Read here: The fear of authority figures in the workplace is not just social anxiety
