Butting Heads With The Boss? How To Fix Your Working Relationship

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If you and your boss just don’t get along you know how frustrating it can be to get your work done. It goes without saying, but “[a]s an employee, feuding with the boss can be harmful to your performance and potential growth with the company. A boss will have little incentive to promote or increase the pay of someone he or she has a rocky relationship with,” reports Business Insider.

But all is not lost! You can repair your working relationship with your boss by taking a few steps.

1. Admit to your imperfections. If you come clean to your boss about major mistakes it shows that you aren’t holding her accountable for the state of relations. It also demonstrates you’re interested in taking steps to change. “By acknowledging your own faults, it shows to the boss that you know how to recognize areas within your own self that perhaps need development,” Jayne Mattson, senior vice president of career management and transition services consulting firm Keystone Associates, told Business Insider.

2. Talk about your grievances. Openly discuss what you think the boss has done incorrectly, but be tactful.

3. Don’t let hostility linger. Don’t miss the opportunity to express your complaints with your boss. Talking honestly with your boss will only better improve your relationship.4. Have an understanding of her management style. Once you understand your boss’ working style, you can handle it even if the style is different from yours.

5. Meet regularly with your boss. Talk time to have a regular sit-down with your boss. “You and your boss may be plagued by a lack of regular communication. Put on the calendar a 10- to 30-minute weekly meeting that is compatible with both of your schedules. Chat not only about your successes, but also assignments you’ve struggled to complete,” reports Business Insider.

4. Get the details about expectations. You must be clear on what is expected of you so that you and your boss are on the same page.

5. Remember, it takes two. Both parties must be willing to work out the differences. If your boss is being unreasonable, you may not be able to repair the relationship–and it may be time to transfer to a different department or get a new job.

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