One of the many things that lead to employee burnout and disengagement at work is the existence of an overly demanding boss. It is true that some tasks are urgent and important. While it is understandable that priority holds the key to getting the job done on time, there are bosses who are overly demanding and unrealistic in their expectations. This character defines their style of workings and processes that are formulated to seep into the workplace culture. How should you deal with this?
Understanding the Cause
Demanding bosses seem to overlook the fact that their employees are human, not machines. These types of people may want you to work beyond your regular schedule even though the volume of work does not need it; they may insist on extra reports that are never reviewed; request many special projects; or want to assert authority for every choice you make. Little did they know, humans have certain limitations in their ability to accomplish activities and make progress on a daily basis. Employees need break and recovery periods in order to remain productive, motivated, and to prevent burnouts.
Some factors contribute to employers being unduly demanding. Their underlying need to control everything, fear of losing recent authority, a drive for perfection, and a sense of entitlement may push them to press others. Such interpersonal traits can make a workplace extremely toxic. Employees are weary and exhausted as a result of mounting deadlines, projects, and implausible responsibilities and duties. They must finish them in a short amount of time, with no proper breaks or pauses to ease their stress. Some employees are expected to work additional hours at work, and others are required to spend their happy weekends at work.
If you are facing similar issue, here are some ways to stay sane in this sort of situation:
Release Frustration First, Talk Later
It is understandable that staying all positive amidst negativity from your boss is too cliche and simply unhelpful. One way to deal with a demanding boss who makes you mad is to express your anger and frustration. Use your weekend to go on a karaoke and sing your heart out or just scream your anger on the top of your lungs. Join a weekly boxing class and punch that sandbag if it helps channel your anger towards your boss. When you have already calmed down, arrange a private meeting with your supervisor to discuss your current concern on tasks and obligations. Make time for cool head meetings with the manager to discuss the unreasonable workloads.
Avoid ‘Spilling the Tea’
Many employees express their frustrations to their coworkers since it makes them feel better and helps them get through the rest of the day. They are aware that this may not result in a significant solution to the problem at hand, even if they all encounter the same issues while dealing with an irritable boss. While you may have the urge to let people know that your company’s branding is not really pretty in reality, it is better to not take it too far online by ‘spilling the tea’ about your demanding boss on social media. It is somewhat better to release your anger among internal teams within your company instead of publicly publishing it online. Not to mention, this can be a backlash if the HR department or your boss himself finds out about it. Yes, you are allowed to get sick of your demanding boss, but remember that this problem should be dealt with wisely.
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Tell the HR or Secretary
When you feel stressed out with workload and burden, it will affect your perspective towards the company you work at. Let your HR know about this issue, since letting the situation go unresolved will damage morale and retention among coworkers. It is in HR’s best interest to keep employees engaged and comfortable working, so even if the problem roots from the top authority or the boss, HR needs to do something nonetheless. If you are too afraid to do this alone, ask a fellow coworker who feels the same way to file a report to the HR. But, what if you are in the HR department or if your HR department does not seem to help? Then you can communicate this with your boss’ secretary, or other staff who works directly with your boss, so your boss would probably listen to them better. Who knows that this will be a ‘wake up call’ to your boss, right?
Consider Resigning
If all attempts failed, then you may need to rethink your decision to stay in the company. This may sound like the opposite of keeping retention rate low, but employee wellbeing is much more important to keep a nice workplace environment. If the overly demanding boss is perceived by the management as something normal, you may realize that the company culture is not going to get better anytime soon. Remember your worth; you are not going to find happiness in spending most of your life to satisfy the unrealistic demand of your boss. Start looking for new job opportunities and update your resume. To make sure you don’t fall in the same hole twice, conduct online research on company reviews such as from Glassdoor, so you know that your dream employers are going to give you a better work environment than your current one. The last thing you want is to get out of the frying pan into the fire house!
An overly demanding boss is surely irritating. However, people may change for the better and so can your boss. Communication is key to resolve misunderstanding, so whenever possible, talk this matter out to the HR manager. Whether you end up staying in your current company or looking for better employment out there, always remember to act carefully and never rush into things!
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