How to stand up to your boss

The relationship you have with your boss is very important. If your boss is having a negative impact on your work as well as your day, whether it is being inappropriate occasionally or criticising everything from your looks to the way you sit at your desk, it is time to say something to make your life much easier. Here are six ways you can stand up to your boss, without getting the sack…

1. Schedule a meeting
Instead of saying something to your boss in front of all your other colleagues, schedule a meeting with them so you can keep this issue between the two of you. By doing so, you won’t embarrass each other and your boss won’t be able to get other people involved in the issue. If you can’t schedule a meeting, make sure you choose the right moment and most importantly, don’t sit down with them if they are in a particularly bad mood.

2. Plan in advance
Before you go storming into your boss’s office, think about what the actual issue is. Take time to note down everything you want to get out into the open and how you are going to say it, as you don’t want to criticise your boss or look as if you are questioning their position. It is also worth noting down specific examples of issues, so if your boss asks for when they have happened, you can tell them.

3. Keep yourself together
It can be easy to get angry or emotional in situations like this, but make sure you keep your cool and just say what you need to say. If you let yourself become annoyed or upset, you will no longer be the one in control of the situation. Keep your wits about you and make sure you are relaxed and in a calm state of mind.

4. Ooze confidence
Before heading into your boss’s office, make sure you have taken time to get some fresh air and prepare yourself. Once with your boss, sit up straight, keep calm and take deep breaths. By doing so, you will appear much more confident and sure about what you are saying rather than being a complete mess and not getting anywhere.

5. Be very clear
Think beforehand about what you want to come out of the situation. You need to be able to recommend ways around an issue and your boss will want to hear them. So be able to give suggestions to your boss. Even if they don’t agree with you or don’t like your ideas, at least you have given it some thought and tried.

6. Head to HR
If worse comes too worse and a meeting with your boss hasn’t managed to change anything, it is well worth taking your issue further and speaking to HR. It is not fair for you to feel uncomfortable in your workplace and these issues need to be resolved. Try talking to other colleagues and see if they also have any issues. As a team, you are more likely to get somewhere.

 

Click here to sign up to receive our new South West business news...
Close