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Dealing with a Difficult Boss
No one is perfect, and everyone is entitled to a bad day now and then. But if
you have a difficult boss, you may feel like you have to walk on eggshells every
day to prevent problems. The tension of waiting for something to go wrong can
sap your belief in your own abilities -- and combined with the symptoms of your
mental illness, it can make every workday feel like a waking nightmare.
Wondering how to deal with a particularly difficult supervisor? Here are some
suggestions:
 | Meet with a job coach, who can help you determine whether your work style,
communication skills, etc.are contributing to the problem, and work with you
to improve matters. |
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| Arrange to meet with your supervisor several times to find out what s/he
expects and needs from you, and talk about how you can meet those expectations
and needs. |
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| Keep a detailed written record of any problematic interactions. When did
it happen? Where were you at the time? What did your boss say to you? How did
you respond? What happened next? |
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| Don't blow up, slink away, or whatever else you instinctively do when
people are angry at you. Losing control makes you look bad, and walking away
makes you look like you're challenging your supervisor's authority. |
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| If you're cursed at, threatened, physically or sexually harassed, or
otherwise being treated abusively, take your written record of the event to
both your company's personnel department and your boss's manager. |
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| If you think your treatment is due to your psychiatric disability,
consider filing a
complaint under the ADA. |
© 1997, 1998 Center for Psychiatric
Rehabilitation, Boston University
January 27, 2006
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