No man is fit to command another that cannot command himself. – William Penn

I recently read somewhere that 80% of an employee’s work experience is based solely on whether they get along with their boss or not. That’s a whole lot riding on another person’s behavior. We are spending increasingly more time at work and that time can be absolutely painful if forced to deal with a crappy manager. Here are the 7 most common types of managers and how to deal with them:

The Clueless Boss

This is the boss who insulates himself – never delving into details and usually just having you handle situations, even those that may be above your pay grade. His dirty little secret: he has no idea what he’s doing. If your manager is vague or provides little direction, it may be that he is lacking management skills and feels uncomfortable telling you what to do. Be clear with him about the direction you need to do your job. This can also be an excellent opportunity for you to step up, take more responsibility and get noticed. But make sure you’re not stepping on any toes. Talk to your boss and let him know that you’re excited about stepping up to the plate and taking on more responsibility. Outline with him what your new elevated responsibilities are. If there are tasks you do not feel comfortable with, be sure to let him know. And make sure to get your new plan in writing.

The Non-Confrontational Boss

These guys usually avoid risk or conflict at all cost and flip-flop between decisions. They are trying to please everyone so they may tell you something in one situation and then flip-flop depending on who else is in the room. It can also be hard to get a straight answer when it comes to review time and you are usually left with no constructive criticism whatsoever. Let them know that you appreciate their honest feedback and in fact, need it to grow in your position. Again, this is definitely a case where you should try and get as much direction in writing so that you have some back-up if they flip flop on you in the future.

The Idea Snatcher

This is a personal favorite of mine! This type of manager regularly steals your work and pawns it off as her own. She probably tells you that she is in a better position to float your idea up to senior management or that she represents the “team.” If you’re not getting credit for your hard work or ideas, then you need to speak up about it. Outline your concerns with her in a meeting. You can position it that you’d like to get more exposure presenting ideas and projects. If she continues with her bad behavior after you discuss it, involve her boss. But remember to always come from the perspective that you have a great idea and you’d like more opportunities to present them so you can grow.

The Micro-Manager

Ugh – the Micro-Manager. You know him; he won’t let you send out an email before he checks it first and talking in meetings? Fuhgetaboutit! This one may take a little bit of time. You have to prove to the micro-manager that you are capable of putting together great projects from start to finish. Make sure that you are always putting your best foot forward and then speak to them about giving you a little wiggle room. Again, position it as you feel that you’ve proven that you do excellent work – show him your evidence of this – and let him know that you’d love the opportunity to work a little more independently.

The Political Manager

This manager is all about numero uno. She’s a big time self-promoter and her only goal is to move up the corporate ladder. Will she throw you under the bus to do so? You betcha! Political Managers can be tricky but you can win them over by letting them think that you are there to make them look better. It will also be crucial for you to make sure that their boss is aware of how valuable you are. That way, you’ll be looked at as an ally and not a potential threat.

The Workaholic Manager

The workaholic eats, sleeps and dreams work. And he wants you to as well. Be up front with your manager about your need for work-life balance. Also let them know – and show them – how efficient you are by completing your tasks in your regular work hours. Basically, prove to them that you can do an incredible job and still get home before dawn.

The Bully Manager

This is the type of manager who gets pleasure out belittling you, embarrassing you or making you cry. There is no excuse for this type of behavior. You need to stand your ground and be firm, but respectful, in letting them know that you don’t work well with their mean-spirited tactics. If it continues, talk to HR about it.

No matter what type of manager you have, the best way to affect their behavior is to talk to them in an open and honest way. Always be sure to frame your discussion in a way that highlights your eagerness to grow and learn. Without your feedback, they’ll never know what they’re doing wrong. Also make sure you’re being honest with yourself. Are you a part of the problem? What could you be doing to aggravate the situation? Lastly, remember that your boss is human and so it is necessary to have some compassion for them.

Have you had a monster boss before? How did you deal with them? Am I missing any other types of bad managers?

Until Next Time,

Nailah



“When people go to work, they shouldn’t have to leave their hearts at home.”
– Betty Bender

There’s nothing worse than waking up every day and dragging yourself to a job you despise. But sometimes quitting isn’t an immediate option so we just have to suck it up and endure. Enjoying a crappy job (or any crappy situation for that matter) can be as easy as changing your perspective. Here are a few tips to learning to love (like? tolerate?) a not so fun job.

1. Change your perspective – It sounds cliché but having a negative attitude about something completely sets the tone for your entire experience. Set an intention to be happy every morning. It’ll be easier to let crummy situations roll off your back if you are in a genuine good mood.
2. Learn all that you can – I once worked for a corporation that was really poorly managed. Instead of letting it frustrate me I focused on what skill sets I could develop and what I could learn from that specific industry. Additionally, once it was time for me to launch my own business I knew exactly what not to do. Every situation has something to offer you, make sure you take advantage of all it has to offer.
3. Focus on what you do enjoy – There’s usually some task or aspect of a job that you truly do enjoy. Focus on that. Is there a way you can make that a bigger part of your responsibilities? Try and schedule the enjoyable aspect into every day. At least then when you are working on the boring tasks you can know that the fulfilling task is on its way.
4. Bring your passions to work – Sometimes you are able to bring an outside passion into you work life. Are you passionate about women in business? Maybe you can start a Women’s Leadership Group at work. Do you enjoy organizing events? Perhaps you can begin organizing the office birthday parties.
5. Be positive – Start focusing on what is good about your job instead of the bad. Again, reframing how you think about your work situation will do wonders in how you actually feel about it.

Now I’m in no way advocating you stay in a miserable situation forever but these tips can definitely make your job more bearable as you figure out where you’d like to transition

What do you think? How have you coped with a bad work situation in the past?

Until Next Time,

Nailah

Are you feeling stuck career-wise? Do you know you want to make a change but you’re not sure how or to what? Contact me [nblades@gmail.com] for information on my Career Coaching Packages.

“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”
– Confucius

One of the biggest challenges I see 20-somethings face is figuring out what they want to “be when they grow up.” A lot of us  enter the workforce expecting high-paying, glamorous jobs that will bring us lots of success and oodles of satisfaction only to be severely disappointed when reality strikes and we’re stuck in boring, unfulfilling jobs. And let’s face it, our careers consume such a large part of our lives so it is really discouraging when you’re unhappy with yours. I’m a big advocate for living your passion. I believe that everyone should feel utterly happy and passionate with their lives. Why? Because when we’re genuinely happy we possess the confidence and power to create our best lives. And this is precisely what the world needs. The world needs us to be operating at full throttle. The world needs us to be head over heels, over the moon happy. The greatest change happens because of people who are deeply passionate and satiated with their lives.

So I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking: “Nai” – and yes, you can call me Nai – “It’s easy for you to say to live your passion because you’ve found yours. How do I find my passion?” Well don’t you worry, below are my 9 steps to finding your passion:

1. What come naturally to you? Some people are always hosting fabulous dinner parties. Some people are always organizing or fixing things. We often take for granted the things that just flow naturally for us. We all have unique gifts and talents that come naturally. Think about your specific skills – are you analytical? A creative mind? A problem solver?
2. Which of your skills do you wish to use? It’s not enough that we’re good at something, we have to actually enjoy using that skill. For example, I’m actually pretty analytical, so for years I worked in jobs that required analytical thinking. I finally came to the realization that while analytical thinking may be a particular skill set of mine, it was in no way something I was passionate about.
3. What is your Essence? Our essence is our natural qualities. Think about which qualities ooze from your pores? Are you a naturally caring & compassionate person? Are you serious or funny? Be careful to think of what your true essence actually is and not what you’d like it to be. It’s important that you’re honest.
4. What would you do if you knew you could not fail? Assume that money, time and energy aren’t an obstacle – you would absolutely succeed in what you set out to do. What would it be? Also think about what you would do even if it paid very little. If you would work at something for free, you’re very likely passionate about it.
5. Who are the people you admire and why? Think about what types of people you admire? What makes them admirable? Chances are you would not be able to see or appreciate the admirable qualities in them if they were not already within you. You will probably begin to see trends in what types of people you admire.
6. What are your unresolved dreams and desires? We all have a seemingly “ridiculous” dream job that we’ve always wanted to do but our fears or self-doubt have held us back. Make sure to add all of your dream jobs to your list no matter how unrealistic they may seem. You also want to think about what you wanted to do when you were younger. When we were young, we were allowed to dream without someone telling us to grow up or be realistic.
7. What parts of past jobs or projects have you enjoyed? Was there a particular project that you thoroughly enjoyed? Or maybe you always enjoy the problem solving aspect of your jobs. Think hard about what aspects of your past jobs you have truly enjoyed. What made you excited?
8. What do you read about? Think about what books and magazines you enjoy reading. Which sections in the bookstore you are consistenly drawn towards? When I look through my Google Reader it’s full of blogs about Beauty or Personal Growth. It’s no coincidence that the two businesses I’ve started are centered around those two topics.
9. What do you spend your free time doing? Make a list of what you do in your spare time. Can any of these things be turned into your dream career?

Really think hard about all of these questions and make a list of what comes out of it. You now have a list of possibilities of what truly drives you. You’ve probably noticed some reoccurring themes or ideas on your list. Take the time to narrow your list down and start thinking about how you can turn your passions into a dream career. For example, maybe you identified you have a passion for hosting & entertaining friends. Can you turn this passion into a career in event planning?

This process won’t be easy but it will set you on your path to discovering your passion and living it. Wouldn’t it be awesome to jump out of bed on Monday mornings instead of frantically pushing the snooze button? Good luck & have fun!

Nailah

Need more help discovering your passion? Or have you figured it out but have no idea how to incorporate it into your daily life? Contact me [nblades@gmail.com] about my coaching packages designed to help you live the life you deserve!