Manage a disruptive boss

Between distractions, troublesome co-workers and all the red tape at work, it’s a wonder you get your job done at all. We often tell you to deal with those issues directly, with the people responsible for your troubles.

However, what measures can you take when your boss is the one keeping you from doing your job? Maybe your supervisor is indecisive or disorganized. Or perhaps he changes his mind too often or she micromanages your every move. If your supervisor is holding you back, take this approach:

• Practice what you are going to say. You need to appear confident, but you also need evidence of your supervisor’s behavior to back your claims. Once you can express your feelings succinctly and clearly, set the meeting.
• Don’t make accusations or demands. They’ll get you nowhere, and you’ll end up looking whiny, uncooperative or even insubordinate.
• Express your desire to meet the expectations of the job. In a respectful manner, describe your supervisor’s actions and how they are hurting your performance. Explain that you want to do a good job, and offer some potential solutions to resolve the issue. Then ask what you can do to work more effectively with the manager.

Example: “I understand that we need to change directions occasionally, but we’re frequently stopping projects and starting over because you want to shift gears. As a result, we are busting the budget and missing deadlines. I’d really like to find a way for us to work more productively. Perhaps we could spend more time during the research and planning phases to avoid these major changes. What can I do to make you more confident in our initial decisions?”

That lets your boss know that you are taking some accountability for the issue, while also informing him or her that you will need to make changes.

— Adapted from “Avoiding Hard Conversations at Work? Here Are 3 Ways You Can Tackle Them,” Caris Thetford, Inc., www.inc.com.