• Food
  • Family
  • Beauty & Health
  • Style
  • Great Women
  • Events/Win
  • Food
    • Eating Out
    • Cooking Tips
    • Festive Food
    • Asian Recipes
    • Food
    • Celebrity Recipes
    • Dessert Recipes
    • Healthy Recipes
    • Quick & Easy Recipes
    • Western Recipes
  • Family
    • Family
    • Save Money
    • Parenting
    • Sex & Marriage
    • Travel
  • Beauty & Health
    • Beauty & Health
    • Skincare
    • Makeup
    • Hair
    • Awards
    • Diet & Nutrition
    • Fitness
    • Wellness
  • Spa Awards 2022
  • Style
  • Great Women
    • Career
    • Great Women of Our Time
    • Real Life
  • Entertainment
  • EVENTS/WIN
  • #SchoolForLife
  • Hair Awards
  • Great Escape
  • Explore Singapore
  • Also available at:
Privacy Menu
SPH Media

Copyright © 2022 SPH Media Limited. Co. Regn. No. 202120748H. All rights reserved.

  • Food
  • Family
  • Beauty & Health
  • Style
  • Great Women
  • Events/Win

Career

How To Overcome Different Types Of Difficult Bosses

Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
Career

How To Overcome Different Types Of Difficult Bosses

Horrible bosses can be well, terrible to deal with. But all is not lost. Singaporean office ladies tell us how to low-key navigate this tricky work situation depending on the kind of person you’re facing.

June 4, 2018

Horrible bosses can be well, terrible to deal with. But all is not lost. Singaporean office ladies tell us how to low-key navigate this tricky work situation depending on the kind of person you’re facing.

READ MORE:
Body Language Tips That Will Get You That Job You Want
How To Deal With Office Drama Like A Pro With These Tips
How To Say No Without Offending People

https://www.womensweekly.com.sg/gallery/great-women/how-to-overcome-different-types-of-difficult-bosses/
How To Overcome Different Types Of Difficult Bosses
The Hulk
image

Explodes suddenly and often, but the anger dissipates quickly.

The Fix: Offer an olive branch
“The good thing about my boss is that he’s willing to be appeased once his temper quells,” says Chen Zhenhui, 33, a lawyer. “I tell him that I understand why he was upset and show him what I’m doing to fix things.” Most importantly, never talk back.

Adopt the in-one-ear-andout- the-other mantra, keep calm and carry on. In a worst case scenario? “I schedule a last-minute ‘client meeting’ so my eardrums don’t burst,” shares Yuan Suyin, 25, a banker. “Then, I bring breakfast for my colleagues the next day for taking one for the team.”

The Ice Queen
image

Cold and frustratingly inscrutable, even when furious.

The Fix: Take the lead to thaw the ice
“I take the initiative and check in with my boss often, especially when I suspect that he’s angry,” says Lynn Chang, 26, a marketing executive. Remember that you may never penetrate that heart of ice fully, so pick your battles.

Lynn adds that she has stopped bothering with small talk after realising that her boss wasn’t interested in being friends. “I just stick to work updates, and try to always have something positive to report.”

The Insecure One
image

Feels threatened by younger upstarts (re: you), consequently resenting them and giving them a hard time for no good reason.

The Fix: Don’t fan the flames
Nothing irks this breed more than seeing staff gossiping and giggling quietly in a corner – she will assume you’re talking about her. So keep idle chit-chat to a minimum and stay professional.

“My new boss felt the need to assert her authority at every turn. I made sure I behaved beyond reproach, and tried to make her feel important by asking for her opinion on work matters. That helped, but ultimately, this was an internal issue she had to fix. I jumped ship the instant I found a better opportunity,” says Cheryl Teo, 30, a digital analyst.

The Passive-Aggressive Monster
image

Usually exhibits sarcastic behavior and employs low-blow insult tactics when riled up.

The Fix: Take the high road
Don’t get sucked into the vortex of sarcasm, and never let this type bait you. “I force myself to think of the great dinner I’m going to have afterwards and refuse to let my boss ruin my day,” says Stella Chang, 34, a gallery director.

The Control Freak
image

Micromanages and gets unnaturally bothered by the tiniest, insignificant details.

The Fix: Fight fire with fire
Unlike other bosses who just want you to leave them alone, this one doesn’t mind you constantly harassing him with updates. Do so. “I take project updates to a whole new level. I present my boss with so many details that he’s overwhelmed and has no choice but to just let me get on with my work,” says Genette Koh, 35, a trainer.

The bright side: some bosses micromanage because they don’t trust their subordinates to get work done, so by presenting yours with an onslaught of reports, you’re bound to go some way in assuaging those fears.

The Dictator
image

Rules with fear and an iron fist.

The Fix: Strength in numbers
“If I know my boss is in a bad mood, I never meet one-to-one with him. I always make sure that a co-worker is around as a buffer and to mediate things at the first signs of an escalation,” says S. Wong, a 33-year-old researcher.

“I also make sure that I cover my bases and have all the answers to possible questions before I meet him.”

Text: Herworld

  • TAGS:
  • careers
  • Inspire
  • life
  • real life
  • work
  • working
SHARE THIS ON

What’s Hot

Career

She Made Nipple Pasties User-Friendly An...

Career

5 Easy Ways To Be Your Own Career Coach ...

Career

7 Coworking Spaces That Will Fit Your Needs

Career

This National Bowler Felt The Clock Tick...

Career

What Does Job Satisfaction Mean To You? ...

Career

This Animal Lover Turned Down Better-Pay...

Career

This Dance Instructor's Dance School Foc...

Don’t Miss These
  • Family Planning A Stay-Home Party This NDP? Score Up To 50 Per C...
  • Awards Feeling Stressed And Bloated? This Lymphatic Drainage Tre...
  • Eating Out How This Self-Made Food Entrepreneur Is Encouraging Singa...
Editor’s Picks
  • Entertainment Fiona Xie Is Still A Romantic, But She Is Spreading Her Wings Like Never Before
  • Career She Made Nipple Pasties User-Friendly And Broke Even In Just 4 Months
  • Great Women How Can Stay-At-Home Mums Cope With Returning To The Workforce?
  • Career 5 Easy Ways To Be Your Own Career Coach In A Post-Covid Workplace
  • Career 7 Coworking Spaces That Will Fit Your Needs
  • Career This National Bowler Felt The Clock Ticking When Covid-19 Hit The World
Don't Miss Out Ever Again!
Tips & tricks to stay sane + win invites to our events!

By signing up, you indicate that you have read and agreed with our Privacy Statement
Footer Menu
  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Conditions of Access
  • PDPA
  • Privacy Policy
?>">
SPH Magazine

Copyright © 2022 SPH Media Limited. Co. Regn. No. 202120748H. All rights reserved.