How To Handle A Bad Boss: 5 Brilliant Tips

If we were to be asked, we would love to work in a perfect world. A supportive boss, who spurs us to greatness and wants to see us excel.

The reality is not this way though, we live in a world where the workplace is hard and our bosses are not necessarily the most supportive. Whether your boss is a micromanager or a person who is just condescending, it is important to note that you need to make the best out of your workplace, therefore you cannot give up. So, what is the solution?

This article will attempt to give you tips on how to fix that. Read on!

1. Are they bad in the First Place?

The first step is to really look into the situation and decide if they are bad in the first place. Do you need to change something in your boss, how you interact with them or do you just have a different personality?

Sometimes we think that the problem is the other person whereas you are the one who needs to adjust.

Ask yourself a series of questions

1. Am I doing my work well?
2. Is my personality in conflict with my boss?
3. Do I break the rules all the time?
4. Are there things I evidently err in and can change?

After the above evaluation, and still, your answer is negative, then maybe we need to fix the boss after all.

2. Identify the triggers

What makes your boss flip? Is it you coming late to work? Then maybe you should begin coming to work a bit earlier.  Does he hate it when you comment something in type is a way? The easiest way to deal with such a person is to avoid these triggers. You can do this by keeping conversations professional and avoid talking back to them or by avoiding conversations with them unless it’s very necessary.

3. 3. Do your work perfectly

I know there is nothing as a perfect person but for this case. You got to be proactive and make sure that you handle your job description to the letter.  You need not risk doing your job shabbily as this would cause more problems with your already problematic boss. Make sure that whatever tickles them is out of the way.

4. Set boundaries

A famous saying goes, good fences make good neighbours. This is to say that if someone does not set boundaries you have to be the bigger person and set them. This means that if your boss is giving you a hard time, make sure you are clear on what is too far. Do not allow someone to mistreat you as much as you bare coping with them. It is always advisable to let them know when it too far. In some cases where there’s is an open forum or a chance to address these problems be sure to air them out. If you do not get an opportunity to air your concerns.

5. Stop Assuming They Know

Sometimes you may think that people are mistreating you while in the real sense they are oblivious of the fact that they are hurting you. It is always good to take it upon yourself to make it clear that what they are doing is inconsistent with your liking.

This way you will reduce the chance that they’re hurting you without their knowledge.

In conclusion, let the main thing be the main thing in your workplace. Endeavor to do your work and complete all that pertains to your Job Description. If a relationship with a colleague or a boss is not working, it is better to concentrate on your work, and ignore the distractions. This way you will thrive.

Clever ways of getting a Pay rise

Clever ways of getting a Pay rise

Contrary to popular opinion that you cannot ask for a raise, it’s actually a good thing to ask your employer to increase your salary.

This is because you are likely to perform better when you know that you are getting what you are worth from the output you are giving,

So how do you go about asking for a raise?

1. Do you deserve it?

Take time to review your Job Description and ask yourself if you are hitting the needed targets?

It is impossible to convince your boss to give you a pay rise if you cannot convince your own self. Take time to review and be sure that for sure you have surpassed it.

You were hired for excellence and you are ready either for more responsibilities or for a pay rise to compensate you for your work.

2. What is the  industry rate

Now that you have established that you need a raise, you need to now know what other industry players are getting. Be careful here though, most companies have a confidentiality policy around revealing staff pay. This, therefore, means that you cannot tell your boss to pay you like your fellow colleagues because you will have to explain how you knew about their pay especially if it’s privileged information.

You don’t have to compare yourself, just know what other people in your level of employment are getting and negotiate for that.

3. Write it down

There is always something about a well thought out and outlines email to your boss detailing what you want. You might trust your mind during the negotiation meeting but it’s always good to outline.

Please note that most employers are thrilled by numbers, clearly, indicate how you have surpassed your targets. If your work does not entail numbers, show how you have been a good team player, how you have brought enthusiasm in the team and generally what you believe have done to the organization to increase its output.

4. Timing

Timing is everything, if you miss it you miss out on the deal. Calculate and see the best time to approach your boss. This can vary from the organization seasons such as financial year states and the profit margins in the period. If you can approach this pay rise conversation just before budgeting is done. This way your boss will have ample time to negotiate your pay during budget discussions. Also, do not approach the conversation on a Monday morning or Friday afternoon, these are likely not good days for your employer or just anyone for that matter.

Research says that Wednesdays are the best days to approach your employer for this kind of conversation.

5. Don’t ambush your boss

It is not a good idea to just put him/her on the spot, prepare your boss by hinting that you may need a rise or just have this casually before you actually approach it. The next brilliant idea is to ask for a performance rating and with this, you can introduce the conversation.

6. Be realistic

Asking for double your salary might not be a great idea. Be realistic about what you want in the pay rise negotiations. Make sure that you are realistic in terms of the proportion of the salary you are asking for and the work you do.

Also be alert to know the financial status of the organization, the best time to ask for a raise is when they have announced big profits or dividends have been released. Just be on the lookout.

7. Learn negotiation skills

You do not have to be a pro in this. Just know your points, be confident about your points and articulate them to your supervisor. If you need to, practice before the meeting to make sure you got everything covered. Anticipate questions from your boss and learn how to answer them.

8. Endgame/ reaction

What happens if your request for a rise is declined? Do not sulk, through tantrums or issue ultimatums. Be calm. If you feel that you are oppressed by the little pay you may opt to leave. On the other hand, it is always advisable that you work harder and try again maybe after you improve in your work or you see an upward trend in the organization’s revenues.

With that, it is all the best to you. Try your luck!

 We all were there! Trust me… well for most of us finding a job is not as easy as we are made to believe when we leave school but on the other hand, it is not as hard. So where is the balance? The Kenyan economy in the year 2021 is not at its best. Companies are laying off employees day in day out, and the reason they give is what? Economic crisis! However, each year universities and colleges churn out more than 5,000 university graduates. So where do all these young people go in the job market? Do all of them have a chance to be absorbed in this struggling economy? The answer is no! Not all of them are going to get a job and worse still not as fast. In college or campus, we are sometimes meant to believe that vacancies are waiting for us once we complete school. This gives students false hopes that cause frustrations when reality hits them after college. So what is the truth, therefore? And how can we be prepared? This article seeks to outline a preparation strategy for any college graduate, soon to be graduate and a recent graduate who needs to survive joblessness, so read on.

1.      You might not get a job instantly

In a world where most things are instant, finding a job is not that instant. Well, some are lucky and they land employment pretty fast. But for most people, it is a treacherous journey of searching. I hate to burst your bubble but the first thing to know to survive is that a job is not guaranteed after college, so take that in.

2.      It doesn’t matter where you school

There is a false belief that maybe because you graduated from a prestigious school then you will get a good job immediately. Once you graduate the cards reset themselves, you all get an equal chance of getting a job regardless of the school. Some companies may prefer people from certain schools but honestly, they wouldn’t care less for a person from a not good college but is good at their work. So do not ride on the glory of the school seek to be different by acquiring skills and building networks.

3.      You will be broke for a while probably

This is not predicting a bad future for you but it is the truth. Even the billionaires were once broke. In the words of John Daymond, the shark tank millionaire, and owner of FUBU, “ I have been more broke that I have been successful”. So the truth is chances are you will also be broke after college. All you need to do is accept that truth and prepare for it.

4.      Some of your friends will be doing better than you

Oh! Be prepared for this, some people are either too lucky or they just happen to be on a good life trajectory. After college expect this reality, that some classmates will get a job immediately and make you feel like you are wasting your life away in joblessness.   A great tip to have is to know that each person is on his or her own journey and to stop comparing yourself to people. Run your own journey, you might not have a job immediately after college but you can be doing other things like volunteering or acquiring skills that make you suitable for great job opportunities.

5.      Not all of you will get jobs

As said earlier in this article, there is far too much supply of workers than there is work, especially in Kenya. White collar jobs are not for everyone. What this means is that you may need to consider other blue collar opportunities and probably get into entrepreneurship. Starting a business is not a reserve of the few who failed or who come from business families, it a perfectly good option for someone instead of sitting and waiting for a job.

6.      Your salary may not be that great

Some are lucky while others are not. No, your starting salary may not be Ksh 100,000 (approx $900) far be it from the truth. Prepare your mind to start with an entry-level salary, regardless of the industry you are in. Expectations cause frustrations, be sure to get realistic ones. Be ready to build your career step by step. As you get more experience on the job ladder your salary will increase but not instantly on your first job. Finally, it’s not all gloom out there, the reality is that life may hit you hard but you can survive. There are survival tips that are proven to work, look out for our next article to highlight this.