I get it!
I have had too many bosses in my life who I just couldn’t stand!
There was the boss that just couldn’t acknowledge anything good that anyone was doing.
Then there was the boss that did not care about anyone and made you come in even if you were super sick!
How about the supervisor who made a mistake and blamed it on the employees?
And then there was the one who was just plain mean!
I must say, none of these bosses ever should have had a supervisory role!
But they did.
And they were my boss!
They made me dread going into work every single day!
But I had a choice to make.
Leave the job (which I didn’t want to do because I loved the work that I did).
Continue to hate my life simply because of one person in it.
Or learn to love my boss.
Think it is impossible to do?
Nah!
Here are some ways to actually love the boss you hate!
1. Learn from Your Boss’s Idiocy
The very first thing that drove me to love my hated bosses was to learn from their mistakes.
And my supervisors made a lot of them!
Some of those mistakes were highly unethical!
They also tried to get the staff involved.
There was no way that I was going to participate in unethical behavior!
So, I often refused – which made me bump heads with the big guys.
But you know what?
Going against the grain taught me good lessons.
I learned to stand up for the children and families I was working with.
I learned to exercise the standards of the field that I was in.
And I learned how to talk to upper management in a way that would get some of them back on board with ethical practices.
When my supervisors made a mistake, I would say to myself:
I will never ever do what they are doing!
And guess what?
Their idiocy made me a better supervisor down the line!
Because I could look back at what they did and remind myself not to do that in my supervisory role!
So, if you can take your supervisor’s stupid moves and turn them into smart moves for yourself, then that’s just one good reason to love your boss!
2. Wanna Grab a Coffee?
Another way to love your boss is to get to know your boss!
The big guy/lady may seem like a beast in the office but may be a little softer outside.
Managers seem intimidating sometimes, but that’s because they have to set a precedence.
In all reality, they are just human.
Just like you and me.
They have dreams, troubles, sadness and interests, too!
It may not seem like it.
They may just seem like a bunch of jerks!
But if you can at least get to know your boss a bit more outside of the office, you may have a different perspective of them.
If you have the guts, you can ask your boss to grab a coffee during break or lunch.
“Hey, I thought about trying a coffee at that new place down the street. Wanna join me?”
Then you can try to get to know the more human side to your supervisor.
You don’t want to drill your manager with a bunch of personal questions, but just making general conversation can shed some light on who they really are.
I couldn’t stand one of my bosses at all until I found out that her and her husband were having a hard time conceiving and that she loved Harry Potter!
After that, I actually felt bad that she was having fertility issues and she actually shared my love of Harry Potter, as well!
She still did things that I found were unethical and stupid, but I found that I could appreciate her as a human being just a little bit more.
3. Big Boss Criticism
Ok.
So, your boss just told you that you did a crappy job on that report.
Or maybe you were too slow to unload the goods off of the truck.
Perhaps you came into work late one too many times.
Before you get all huffy, take a step back and ask yourself:
Well, did I?
If you can honestly look at yourself and admit that you did mess up, then don’t take it to heart.
Just like a parent, a supervisor is there to make certain that the family of the company stays in check.
Take that information and try to do better.
I didn’t realize how often I was late to work until my supervisor pointed it out to me.
Instead of getting huffy about it and making excuses for myself, I took a step back and looked harder.
I realized that I was getting to work late and needed make a change.
It wasn’t fair that everyone else showed up on time and I was trotting in later than expected.
So, guess what?
I vowed to do better.
And I did.
In fact, I started getting to work a whole ten minutes earlier which left me feeling less stressed first thing.
But What about the Bully Bosses?
However, if you are being targeted even though you can honestly say that you are truly doing a great job?
Don’t let your supervisor get to ya!
Start keeping log of the good work that you are doing!
Grab a pen and notebook!
Write down every time that your boss harasses you or makes you feel less than.
A good boss needs to keep things in line but shouldn’t be a total a**hole!
You have power and control, too!
If you continue to be a target and you have everything written down, you can take that to the next higher up in the company.
And you can keep going with your documentation to the next higher up until someone listens!
When you have things documented, there is nothing more powerful than the written word!
If the harassment you experience goes above and beyond and no one is listening, you can go to the federal government with your case.
Alot of people don’t know that!
By knowing your power and the tools that you have to go against your supervisor if they are truly making you miserable, you can get through the experience better.
Don’t put up with being bullied in the workplace!
Get help!
If you are truly a good employee and doing your fair share, but the big boss is still on your tail, then knowing that you can stand up for yourself may make being around your boss more bearable!
Lovin’ the Big Guy!
After following these few steps, you may actually find that you may love your boss!
Maybe.
Even if you can get to “like” status, it will help to make your time at work easier.
Remember, make sure that you are doing your part before hatin’ your supervisor!
Try to get to know him/her better.
Supervisors are human, too!
Learn from them.
Their stupidity can actually be a good asset for you in the long run!
Take a good hard look at any criticism from them.
Be open to changing what you need to in order to meet the job requirements, but don’t put up with being belittled, harassed or bullied!
No one deserves that!
Be prepared for that and act accordingly!
Make sure you get help and push to the top until someone pays attention!
Most of all, be true to yourself!
If things are just so unbearable that you are sinking deeper into a depression or start to hate everyone around you because you are so miserable, try to find a different job.
You don’t deserve to be treated horribly.
Sometimes, learning to love our bosses means letting them go and moving on.
Mama Morgan is a single parent by day and a writer by night! She is raising two, young children with special needs during a global pandemic. She aims to give other parents confidence, hope, and a practical, down-to-earth reading adventure through her own experiences. While Morgan is heavily focused on caring for her little ones, she is also dedicated to helping others and making the world a better place. Mama’s Grilled Cheese is just her delicacy!