My Horrible Boss

[Rentochops]

I don't post often but I look in and really could use some advice, as the title suggests I'm having trouble with my boss, she always been a pain but recently her boss has told her she needs to buck up, well the long and short of it she has taken me into her confidence and found a relatively small mistake I made and now is just being really awful.

I have been to the MD of the company and she has told me she is going to sort it out, but what do I do if my boss confronts me. I'm feeling rather scared at the moment, any advice appreciated :flower:

 

[donna255]

Everyone is human, one small mistake by you don't let it get you down. She is the one under pressure for under performing, don't let her put you down by pushing it onto you.

 

[Autumn]

Stay calm and carry on as usual , she will be hoping u make more mistakes and then use u as a scape goat , Make sure u keep record of anything she does say to you and report it. Hope things go ok for you :wave:

 

[May]

yes i agree ..keep calm and record everything on paper that you can for future reference...eep your chin up and if you are really unhappy and it is practical ...if nothing improves ...look for another job...life is too short

 

[iloveshopping]

Poor you, you have my sympathy as I've had problems in the past and it is very stressful. You haven't done anything wrong so carry on as usual and keep a record of things that you think are examples of inappropriate behaviour such as threatening or bullying towards you.

 

[pyjama princess]

Sorry to hear you're having such an awful time ROC. I know that employment opportunities are few and far between for you in Jersey in the type of work you do. Others have offered some good advice so I hope you find it helpful. It sounds as if your immediate boss is taking it out on you that her boss has told her to shape up. Watch out that she doesn't try and palm her mistakes/short falls onto you in order to look good with her boss. Keep a record of everything she gets you to do and email her with the details of how she's told you to do anything. That way if she's deliberately told you to do it incorrectly you'll have the email in your sent folder. Fingers crossed the MD doesn't take too long to get things sorted. Take care - hugs.

 

[sublime]

On top of the excellent advice you've had here, could you turn the situation around by doing something positive?

The next time you have a bright idea, do a great piece of work, or spot a way to save money, for example, take it straight to the MD. It shows that you have initiative and that you have the organisation's best interests at heart.
That way, any small mistake is likely to be quickly forgotten in favour of seeing you for what you are - a valued employee. It takes the sting out of anything your immediate boss can do or say as it'll just sound like sour grapes.

I've been in a similar situation and it's the helplessness you feel that's the killer - waiting for other people's actions or decisions to determine your fate undermines you and saps your self confidence - which is why I'd suggest being as proactive (sorry, hate that word!) as you can.

Good luck.

PS Asking to go on training courses is also a good idea, or offering training or mentoring to junior staff members to help them develop.

PPS if your immediate boss gets confrontational, you don't have to get drawn into it. Saying something along the lines of 'I'm sorry, I don't think it would be appropriate for me to comment' and saying it again and again would drive the message home that you're not going to play her power games.

 

[May]

the net has loads of sites with good advice ,....ive had to work with some shocking people in the past...whilst very young ...i let them walk all over me...if it was now ...id wipe the floor with them.....i actually bit basck at somebody once at a girls school when a lunchtime lady .....she was my boss and completely humilated me infront of other staff...my hubby said go back and tell her nobodyspeaks to you like that and gets away with it!....well i did ...and she started crying!....total maze balls!!! bullies are often cowards and i came out of my comfort zone and had a go back ....she treated me totally different after that.....there are some a@@* Hol*% out there and many are weak ....Rentachops good luck to youi....don't let thios person grind you down ....i went on an assertiveness course a few years ago and i twas invaluable......you dont finish the course and suddenly become this totally confidnt assertiver human ...but boy it gives you strength and helps you understand why sometimes we find it difficult to face authority and stand up for ourselves ....

 

[sheepdog]

Try the cynical passive aggressive approach. As above keep records of the behaviour but if you get an opportunity, recommend to the MD that said boss goes on a course to improve her people skills. Lets just say that its a pretty effective way of humiliating a manager's ego and might even make them move on