How to Deal with Different Types of Bosses?

Most people consider their bosses as only their direct line managers in the classical hierarchy system, but here is a secret that you might’ve not known about…

Newsflash; they’re not the real & only boss!!! They don’t pay your salary; they just channel it towards you!

The real boss is the Customer!

It’s a paradigm shift to treat your customer as your boss because without them, there is simply no businesses! Without a happy & satisfied customer, there won’t be awarded projects; hence no payments & no salaries!

Here is a list of difference bosses that you’ll encounter in life & how to handle them:

The Narcissistic Boss

It’s all about them! Their work, their schedule, and how they look to leadership & don’t you dare outshine them!

How to Handle:

• Do your work well because if they get promoted, you’ll follow them
• Find where your interests overlap
• Park your ego at home,be patient, and exhibit emotional intelligence

The Friendly Boss

They worry about being liked more than getting results!

How to Handle:

• Voice your concerns about their priorities
• Explain that you want to be held accountable for your results
• Bring facts to their attention to guide their actions towards measurable results; especially if it involves the risk of them being disliked by others

The Buzzword Boss

These managers love using big words that are cliches & don’t always make practical sense using terms like; synergy, shareholder value, low-hanging fruite, win-win situations, and many other similar corny vocabularies.

How to Handle:

• Come to meetings well prepared with written questions to get specific answers
• Always ask for clarification & specificity
• Never leave meetings without commitment on deliverables & setting of expectations

The Cost-Conscious Boss

These bosses see nothing but numbers & everything to them is about conserving expenses & overbearing clench on expenses.

How to Handle:

• Play by their rules & relate everything you bring to the table in financial terms
• Find ways to save money; they will fall in love with you!
• Read a book or attend a short course on “Finance & Accounting for Non-Finance & Accounting Majors”

The Uncaring Boss

This boss doesn’t seem to care about employee’s lives & treats them like machines who’re expected to work through the weekend. They seem distant & cannot relate to pressure from outside of work.

How to Handle:

• Be extremely transparent & challenge them by asking them to put themselves in your shoes
• Kill them with kindness by exhibiting the impact of your non-work related pressure on your performance at work (they will back-off)
• Show them that you care about their lives

The Visionary Boss

Visionaries see plans for the future, but don’t necessarily know how to ge there! They need the team to understand the goal & find the means & path of getting there.

How to Handle:

• Show enthusiasm & make suggestions on how to get there without being too specific
• Listen carefully to their ideas & write them down
• Brainstorm possible options with your team that would help achieve the goals

The Coach Boss

Coaches motivate their employees to achieve their full potential through challenging conversations & goal setting.

How to Handle:

• Be honest & honest about your issues, challenges, and needs because they will listen
• Set realistic & specific goals that you know you can achieve because they will catch you if your bluffing
• Take responsibility for your mistakes & don’t succeed & learn from your mistake because they would appreciate your growth & development

The Affiliative Boss

Affiliative bosses strives to make connections & harmony within the company. They focus on their team’s emotional needs to help them go through stressful situations.

How to Handle:

• Keep your emotions in check & don’t be a drama queen.
• Build strong relationships with your colleagues as your boss will notice
• Provide & accept honest feedback

The Diplomatic Boss

Diplomatic bosses want input from every member of the team to ensure that the best path forward is based on the collective wisdom of the team.

How to Handle:

• Give your honest opinion in meetings by telling your team what you know, what you don’t know, and what you think
• Listen carefully to your colleagues
• Don’t commit to decisions your unclear about, and ask probing questions so that you & the team would have a better understanding

The Commander Boss

The commander boss gives clear direction. & expects full compliance; weather you agree or disagree with the plan.

How to Handle:

• Listen carefully to instructions & do what your told to do
• Focus on getting measurable results & not simply completing tasks
• Present a range of solutions especially if you’re unsure about what’s required

The Pacesetter Boss

The pacesetter sets challenges for their team to go through & expects the best outcome. They’re not afraid to work hard to rescue a situation themselves.

How to Handle:

• Give it the best you can offer by working hard to be the very best you can be because they’re setting your performance baseline
• Ask for clarification on what you need to do
• Share clear & periodic progress updates

Nobody is one-type of boss all the time because different situations might call for different style of Managment, but each manager/boss has a dominant style of Managment that they exhibit, which you need to be aware of & know how to handle.

By identifying what your boss is looking for, you can figure-out how to succeed at work!

The Maverick (Hashim AlZain)

www.dartec.com.sa

Hashim@dartec.com.sa