Buzz
A sluggish boss not only provides a poor example for their team but can also obstruct others from performing their tasks, which leads to frustration and contributes to stress and anxiety for everyone. Luckily, there are various approaches to engaging with your boss that may help improve their behavior and the overall work atmosphere.
Steps
Assessing Your Workplace
Concentrate on your own work. Resist the temptation to mirror laziness. Instead, consistently focus on doing your job well and efficiently, pushing yourself to excel. Your dedication will set a positive example for both your colleagues and your boss. Additionally, consistently high performance can lead to long-term rewards, like a promotion.
- It might be tempting to retaliate by adopting a lazy approach to your work. However, this is rarely effective, as your boss may not notice you're imitating their behavior and might just perceive you as lazy, too.
PROFESSIONAL ADVICE
Chad Herst, CPCC
Mindfulness Expert
Mindfulness Expert
Understand you're not the only one struggling with a difficult boss. Chad Herst, a career and life coach, states: "Most often, what drives people to seek a career change is related to the workplace culture or the leadership approach of their manager."
Take time to understand your boss. Your boss might have underlying reasons for their behavior that you're unaware of, or personal issues affecting their work performance. Before escalating matters to HR, make an effort to learn about your boss, their priorities, what motivates them, and what frustrates them.
- Just like you, your boss has a life beyond the workplace. They could be dealing with a second job, health issues, or caring for a newborn. Building a relationship with your boss can help you gain perspective on their situation and foster better understanding.
Understand the organizational hierarchy. Familiarize yourself with the company's structure and the chain of command. While it may not be your first option, it's helpful to know who your boss’s superior is in case you need to escalate any issues. This step is more for your awareness, as you'll want to try different strategies first. However, having this information could be crucial if other methods don’t work out.
Review job descriptions. It's possible that your boss isn't lazy, but rather unclear about the expectations of your role, their own, or even your colleagues'. Often, work responsibilities flow down the chain, and this is especially true when a boss is less engaged. Review the job descriptions for all relevant roles, and if you find you're doing more than expected, have a conversation with your boss about redistributing tasks to the right person—possibly even them.
- Job responsibilities tend to evolve more quickly than job descriptions are updated.
- There can also be ambiguity in roles, leading to confusion about who is accountable for what.
Exploring Alternative Approaches
Have an open conversation with your boss. Talking to your boss about their performance can feel daunting, but it’s often the most effective approach. Take your time before initiating the discussion, carefully consider the core issues, and focus on those specific concerns. Frame the conversation around behaviors rather than pointing fingers at your boss.
- Be respectful and constructive. Approach the discussion with the right tone and a clear intent to communicate productively.
- If this doesn’t work, as a second option, consider addressing your boss's supervisor. Just be aware that most bosses might not appreciate you involving their superior.
- Lastly, if all else fails, Human Resources might be the next step for resolving the issue.
- Remember, you want to maintain a positive professional relationship, so approach any discussions with professionalism and a solution-oriented mindset.
Focus on your perspective. Providing feedback to a supervisor can be uncomfortable, especially when it concerns their behavior, but it doesn’t have to be. Shift the conversation to an “I” perspective rather than a “you” one to avoid sounding accusatory. This also lets you suggest changes to benefit yourself or the team without telling your boss how to behave.
- For instance, you might say, “I believe our team could be more efficient if we each submitted a daily progress report. I’m happy to set it up so that everyone can access it.” This isn’t pointing fingers but offering a solution that encourages accountability.
- You could also suggest, “I think we could implement a buddy system on this project to ensure everyone has immediate support, which might help us complete the project faster and with better quality.” This focuses on actions and solutions while encouraging dialogue.
Create a list. Write down the behaviors of your boss that you find disruptive in the workplace, such as instances of laziness—be sure to note the date, time, and circumstances. You can even rank the list from the most disruptive to the least. After a few days, revisit the list and focus on the most pressing issues. If they are as serious as you initially thought, determine whether it's worth addressing them with your boss.
Accept what you can’t change. Acknowledge that a lot of the items on your list may not be significant enough to warrant a conversation with your boss. Decide whether you can live with them (without necessarily liking them) or if you should start looking for a new job. Keep the bigger picture in mind.
Taking Care of Yourself
Make a second list. This time, focus on yourself. Write down everything you appreciate about your job, no matter how small or large. You might surprise yourself with how many positives you can list. Research shows that improving your perspective can lead to greater happiness, and in turn, a more positive outlook.
- Maybe you appreciate your flexible schedule
- Or enjoy paid vacation days, and weekends and holidays off
- You might value the camaraderie with your coworkers
- Perhaps the job is conveniently located, making for an easy commute
Set personal goals. Regardless of your boss’s goals, think about your own professional aspirations. Create a list of both short- and long-term goals, then prioritize them based on either how achievable they are or how important they are to you. Look for opportunities to combine goals and develop a strategic plan.
- You may want to earn a promotion within the next six months
- A raise could be on your radar
- Maybe you're interested in shifting from the morning shift to the day shift
- Perhaps you'd like to take the lead on the next major project
Prioritize your mental well-being. Your self-worth, stress levels, and overall happiness are crucial. If your boss's laziness is negatively affecting your job or emotional well-being, it's essential to take action, whether that means having a conversation with them or exploring other job opportunities. Do not ignore the situation. Keep in mind that no job is worth sacrificing your emotional health to make it work.
- If appropriate, this also opens the door for discussions about reevaluating your role and compensation.
Explore alternative job options. If you’ve tried addressing the issues with your boss and are still dissatisfied, it may be time to consider finding a new job. Start networking, update your resume, and begin actively seeking new opportunities. This isn’t a sign of failure or that something is wrong with either you or your boss—it simply means it’s time for a change.
Have realistic expectations. Just as you need to assess whether the issues with your boss are serious enough to address, you must also set realistic expectations for your boss, your workplace, and yourself. This is particularly important because your expectations shape how you approach each day, which can significantly impact your emotional health.
Establish clear boundaries. You are aware of your job responsibilities and the tasks assigned to you. While flexibility and open-mindedness are key to collaborating with others, once you set your boundaries, they should remain non-negotiable. If your boss’s laziness is increasing your workload, address it politely and professionally by reminding them that these extra duties are outside the scope of your role.
- Setting boundaries allows your employer to reflect on their actions. They may not be aware that their lack of productivity is impacting you.
Don’t let yourself be taken advantage of. You may be frustrated by your boss's laziness because it affects your own performance or adds extra tasks to your plate. As their subordinate, you might feel like you have no choice but to accept this situation. However, don't allow yourself to be pushed around or become a doormat. Stand up for yourself in a calm, professional manner.
- If you feel exploited, for example, because your boss’s paperwork is piling up on your desk, try saying, “I’ve noticed that I’ve been receiving all the supplier invoices, and since that isn’t part of my job description, I’d like to forward them to the right person so they can be processed quickly and correctly.”
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Maintain professionalism. Always address your concerns with respect and courtesy.
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Provide solutions to the issues you’ve identified by suggesting specific actions your boss can take to improve the situation. If you have ideas on how you can help, offer those as well.
Important Considerations
- Ensure you’ve exhausted all possible solutions before approaching your boss or their superior. Any issues you haven’t addressed could be used against you in the discussion.
- Your boss may be upset by your concerns. Be prepared for the conversation to unfold differently than you expect.
- Never suggest to anyone, especially your boss’s superior, that your boss should be fired. That’s a decision for others to make.
- Do not use email to express your concerns. This conversation should happen privately and face-to-face.
- Avoid speaking negatively about your boss to colleagues. Present your concerns professionally and in private, directly to the individual involved.
- Consider whether raising your concerns will truly lead to improvement. If you don’t believe things will improve, it may be better to refrain from taking action.
