Dealing with a Demanding Boss

Whether you encounter short deadlines, angry customers or a complex logistical problem, each day that you clock in you’ll face problems that need solutions. Your education and your career training will have provided you with a solid foundation for how to efficiently manage the many aspects of your career. However, most career training fails to give you the tools you need to calmly deal with a demanding boss.

At first glance, a demanding boss is something to dread. But with a positive turn of attitude and some keen observations, a demanding boss can be one of the best things to happen to your professional career. By incorporating several techniques, you will learn how to anticipate the needs of your boss without losing your cool or your convictions.

Once you realize that your career is in the hands of a demanding boss, you may be tempted to start searching for a new position or to simply hide in your cubicle until the clock strikes five and then hit the nearest happy hour. It’s scary to think that your career may falter if you make a mistake with the person in charge of your advancement and paycheck. However, don’t let the fear paralyze you and learn these effective ways of staying calm when dealing with your demanding boss.

Once you commit to embracing a positive mental attitude and work with your boss’ demands, it won’t be long before those same techniques help you overcome any number of challenges that come across your desk.

Effective Techniques to Help You Succeed

1. Understand your boss’ priorities and internalize them. Is your boss a stickler for punctuality? Be on time, no excuses. Whether you share the same need for order or not, by paying close attention to what sets your boss off, you’ll be better able to avoid pressing his or her buttons unnecessarily.

2. Understand how your boss likes to communicate and keep in touch. Does your boss like to receive hourly updates via email or do they mind if you just drop in their office with a great idea on your way to the break room? By knowing how your boss prefers to communicate, you can get in touch and start your conversations out right.

3. Be a step ahead of your boss and anticipate their needs. This will help you keep from having to scramble to act at the last minute. Additionally, if you notice that your boss is always changing things right before a deadline, have a plan in place that is ready for action.

4. Find time throughout your day for a quiet minute of meditation to restock your energy. Dealing with a demanding boss on a daily basis can be simply exhausting and you need to conserve your energy to get ahead. Whether you take a walk on your lunch break, take the stairs to the meeting or just take a few deep breaths while sitting alone in the third stall, it is imperative to your well-being that you take a few minutes to escape the demands of your day in order to recharge.

After a first read, you may think these tips are simply ways to get in your boss’ good graces. However, these techniques will help you focus your energy on your career so that you will get recognized as the valuable employee that you are.