It’s a huge relief when you start a new job and instantly bond with your new boss. But what if the inverse is true? What if you’re a few months into your new job and you find you and your supervisor just don’t get along? So, what should you do?
Start by figuring out what’s wrong. Here are some reasons why your relationship might be tense and some things you can do to try to fix it.
You’re more aware of what’s going on around you.
Conscientiousness is a trait that shows how motivated you are to finish tasks well and follow rules. This can be a problem because it can make it hard to get things done. You might feel like your boss gives you too much to do. If you are more careful than your boss, you might try to make each task you are given shine like a mirror. Because of this, you might be taking too long on each task compared to what your boss wants.
It’s important to find out what your boss wants from you in terms of how perfect certain tasks should be. That will help you figure out how much work your assignments need and may help you deal with a long list of things to do.
You tend to try to make everyone happy
Agreeableness is another feature that can lead to troubles, since it shows how much you want to get along with people. If you are a more agreeable person than your boss, it is possible that they may not always give you with the kind of feedback that will make you feel welcome at work. As a result, you may worry that your supervisor disapproves of your performance.
Observing your boss’s treatment of others is critical. If they are not very friendly, you should concentrate your attention not on the interpersonal interactions you have but rather on the feedback you get about the performance you have given.
Different people have different approaches to taking on new opportunities.
Openness to experience, which represents your orientation toward new things, is a third trait that might be problematic since it can lead to difficulties. People who are open are inspired to explore and make the most of new opportunities, whereas people who are closed are always looking for excuses not to try anything new.
If you and your boss have very different levels of openness, then it’s likely that one of you is trying to get the other to think about things in a different manner, while the other is trying to fight this tendency. When your boss is less open than you are, it is beneficial to inform your boss about new approaches or opportunities well in advance of when you need a decision. This gives your boss the opportunity to get comfortable with the newness of the situation before having to evaluate it, which can be helpful when your boss is less open than you are.
Your boss does not assist you in arranging things in priority order.
If there is a misalignment between what you believe you should be doing and what your boss believes you should be doing, you are likely to receive unfavourable comments about your performance despite your efforts since you are working on the “wrong” things.
If this is the case, you should bring your list of things to accomplish to the check-ins that you have scheduled so that you and your boss can go over it together and decide which activities are the most critical. Prioritize your work in accordance with your boss’s expectations.
Your supervisor tends to react rather than think strategically.
Even if your supervisor speaks about priorities, what should you do if what’s considered most essential changes on a daily basis? When your supervisor reacts to circumstances rather than planning ahead, you’ll see this tendency. This roller-coaster might be challenging to ride since you never know what you should be doing on any particular day.
It can be beneficial to have regular check-ins with a boss whose priorities fluctuate so that you can assess whether there are new areas in which you should be making progress. In this way, you can determine whether there are new areas where you should be making progress.
You’re not getting the feedback you require.
When your boss is very agreeable, this can be particularly problematic. The problem is that agreeable people tend to wish to be liked, making it difficult for them to provide direct negative feedback, as they fear being unpopular if they criticize. This may cause you to believe that your boss is unhappy with your performance without specifically telling you what to change.
Asking precise questions regarding your work is critical in this situation in order to get the feedback you need. The advantage of using this strategy is that if your pleasant boss discovers that you are able to accept constructive criticism effectively, he or she will frequently be better able to deliver it without being asked for it. This is one of the benefits of this technique.
It’s important to remember that you don’t necessarily need to have a great relationship with your boss in order to enjoy your work. If your work environment is solid and you get along with at least a few of your coworkers, it’s fine if you and your boss don’t spend much time together. You may still be able to learn a lot by watching how your boss does their work. Learn from their successes and apply those lessons to your own leadership position.
This discussion is based on the idea that your boss isn’t doing anything wrong at work. You should talk to human resources right away if your boss yells at you or creates a hostile work environment or harasses you in other ways. You shouldn’t try to figure out how to handle these things on your own.
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