CHAPTER 6
WORKING WITH DIFFICULT SUPERIORS
“It is said that power corrupts, but it's actually more true that power attracts the corruptible. The sane are usually attracted by other things than power.”
—David Brin, science fiction writer
Working with difficult people at the same organizational level is tough enough. If the difficult person is at a higher organizational level, everything becomes that much tougher. If you yell at a subordinate, that's bad, but your job won't necessarily be on the line. If you yell back at an angry boss, on the other hand, you could find yourself in a lot of trouble.
We tend to see difficult-boss behavior through the lens of relative power. A certain amount of it is just a fact of corporate life. None among us is truly free of annoying and unpleasant behaviors. When the behavior becomes more than usually difficult and starts to affect your work life, your options to deal with it are constrained.
This applies in reverse, of course. You won't understand all the reactions of your subordinates if you don't look at yourself through their power-distorted lens. We'll look at that in more detail in Chapter 7, “Working with Difficult Subordinates.”
In Chapter 5, we recommended planning as the first step in dealing with a difficult person. Let's take this a step further: Planning is the first step in dealing with someone who might become difficult. Be preemptive; don't wait for trouble.
The skill of managing up is essential for success even if your boss is a wonderful human being. The best time to start is before the problem, but that's not always possible. Start as soon as it is practical.
TIPS FOR MANAGING YOUR SUPERIORS
For each tip, ask yourself, “Could I use this technique productively?” If the answer is yes, briefly write down what you will do and what steps you will take.
1. Be a good employee.
Work and play well with others. Produce good work in sufficient amounts. Understand the mission, vision, and values of the organization and be aligned with them.
Can I do this productively? Yes ______ No ______
How can I implement this? What action steps are necessary?
2. Pay attention to your boss.
Observe personal style, attitude toward administrative procedures, and degree of desired contact with staff (loner, people person). Figure out likes and dislikes, including favorite approaches (paper, e-mail, meeting, phone) and bad times of day. Learn your boss's goals and objectives and align your performance with them.
Can I do this productively? Yes ______ No ______
How can I implement this? What action steps are necessary?
3. Build your relationship network.
Join professional organizations. Learn to negotiate more effectively, give negative feedback well, build appropriate personal relationships, and give credit and praise generously.
Can I do this productively? Yes ______ No ______
How can I implement this? What action steps are necessary?
4. Improve yourself.
Learn to handle criticism. Get organized, sharpen your communication skills, and extract lessons learned.
Can I do this productively? Yes ______ No ______
How can I implement this? What action steps are necessary?
5. Advance your career.
Stand up for what you believe you need. Respect the chain of command. Consider your boss and other managers as your customers. Ask for a promotion. Take your job seriously—but yourself lightly.
Can I do this productively? Yes ______ No ______
How can I implement this? What action steps are necessary?