Dealing with a passive-aggressive boss is a challenge in itself. It is a common issue which thousands of people face in their careers.
You’ll see your passive-aggressive boss be expressing negative feelings without openly communicating them. Such bosses don’t go in a direct way.
What will I learn?
You may also face the same problem in your workplace. A passive-aggressive boss uses non-verbal techniques for his expression of anger.
Who Is A Passive-Aggressive Boss And Why Important To Deal:
Spotting a passive-aggressive boss is not as difficult as it sounds.
If you have a passive-aggressive boss, he will not directly show you his rage.
Instead, he will indirectly criticize you. He may use sarcasm or obstructionism as his tools.
1. Why Is It Important To Deal With It:
We all spend a lot of our time in our workplace. It is essential to have a peaceful working environment there.
When we are working under an organization, we have to value discipline and show obedience to our boss.
In some difficult tasks, we need the support of our boss.
A passive-aggressive boss will show as if he supports you. But in reality, he gives little or no support at all.
The most annoying element here is the fake illusion.
At first, you may feel as if your boss is going to help you out. But when you are close to project completion, you come to know that it was an illusion.
At that moment, you may feel sorry for yourself for believing him.
SEE ALSO: Guide On How Leadership Differs From Management
2. Inconvenience Caused By A Passive-Aggressive Boss:
A passive-aggressive boss not only causes inconvenience for the workers. This attitude affects his own business too.
Recent researches have shown that many employees leave their job due to this.
Rapid workforce turnover causes instability in the business flow and troubles management.
A worker needs to have mental satisfaction during work. When he faces mental torture by his boss, he resorts to leave the job.
4 Disastrous Effects Of Passive-Aggressive Behaviour
All the employees at the workplace now enter an unhealthy competition. They are not motivated to do good for the business.
Instead, they are intended to put the blame on the other. They all know that their boss will blame them for their work.
In this way, instead of doing right, they are concerned with how to escape the duty.
Here we will discuss the disastrous effect of passive-aggressive behavior.
1. Be Prepared To Face A Passive-Aggressive Boss:
It would be best if you were prepared to face this situation. Or we can say you should take precautionary measures to avoid such a situation.
Your boss can scold you when you don’t meet their expectations. This is the most common reason.
While they are giving your instructions be clear in your mind. Also, try to have those instructions in writing.
This will help you later in proving your point. Or otherwise, note it down yourself. Also, avoid interfering in their decisions.
Don’t give them any opinion. You might be thinking of doing good for their business, but they don’t think so.
Only follow their instructions as they say.
2. Don’t Compete With A Passive-Aggressive Boss:
Never try to compete with your boss. Don’t give them additional suggestions.
In case of any loss, you are going to get all the blame. After you have done all the work, your boss might take all the credit.
Don’t try to prove that you are the real person behind the success. All the employees might not show it, but chances are there that they know the truth.
3. Make Your Boss Feel Comfortable:
It might seem odd but make them feel comfortable.
Your boss will never miss an opportunity to reprimand you. But when they do so don’t try to counter them.
Agree with them and assure you to do more better next time. Deal with your boss, neutrally.
Don’t go against the tide and also don’t panic. Act as nothing happened.
4. Give Space To Your Boss:
Passive-aggressive behavior is the result of anxiety and depression.
Some children do not get the attention in their family and peer groups.
They have always ignored while the decision-making process. Their will is not given due importance.
Your boss might be a victim of such behavior. Maybe when you deal with them with kindness, they will change their attitude towards you.
10 Signs To Tell If Your Boss Is Passive-Aggressive
How can we get to know if we are an employee of a passive-aggressive boss? Here we are going to discuss 10 signs which will help you to understand.
1. Using Sarcasm As A Tool:
They will first insult you and make you feel ashamed. After then, the boss will say that he did it only for fun purposes.
He pretends that nothing serious has happened. They are using humor as their tool.
They hide behind the shield of sarcasm.
2. Vague Instructions:
They will never give you clear instructions and always criticize your work.
Boss will never highlight your mistake. They will ask you to find the errors in your work and make them right.
The non-cooperating attitude of a boss is what makes you feel frustrated.
3. Different Tactics:
A passive-aggressive boss uses different tactics to annoy their employees.
They will support some employees more than others. He will always take his decisions over others.
In this way, the rest of the employees feel unwanted and unimportant.
Such feelings destroy employees mentally. And the concept of leadership is lost somewhere.
It doesn’t matter how much effort they put into their work. They are never going to get the credit.
4. Distraction At The Workplace:
Your boss might involve in unimportant activities. He may start watching television or playing games.
It will disturb the working environment. You will not be able to concentrate on your work. Your attention will be diverted.
You may also feel that he is busy with passive activities while you are working.
5. Giving The Same Task Again:
Someday your boss will come and reassign you to the same project you completed last week. He will ask you to do it again.
He won’t even give you clear reasons if you ask for them. And you will eventually feel confused.
He will not assist you in anything by taking the advantage of authority. You only have to follow the orders and do it again without knowing what changes he needs.
You will spend your time first figuring out what was the problem. After you are done, it might happen that he will be still dissatisfied.
6. Blaming You All Time:
Even if he is responsible for any failure, he will not accept it.
He will rather blame you for all the loss. He will make you feel that he is the boss. This bossy attitude will demoralize you.
You won’t take interest in your work when you know that you aren’t going to get the credit.
Feeling of reward even if it’s verbal makes you motivated.
7. Pointless Rules:
Your boss will make you follow some pointless and absurd rules.
Such rules are going to annoy you. But you can’t do anything as they are in the power position.
8. Ignoring Attitude:
They will always ignore you at the workplace. When you try to talk to the boss, they will not directly answer you.
Your boss’s treatment will show that you aren’t vital to him.
They will make you feel as you are only an employee. You will contact them like you are not on their level.
This status difference when prevails makes you frustrated.
9. Close Deadlines:
They will give you very close deadlines. Too much workload in such a short time is impossible. But they will ask you to complete the work within the required time.
Increased working hours will disturb your physical and mental well-being. Moreover, no reward at all further destroys you.
10. Not Forgiving Attitude:
They will never forgive you for your mistakes. They will keep you reminding you of your mistakes.
Such an attitude makes you feel as you are not able. Constant haunting will exasperate you.
Such persons are not concerned with improving you. They don’t motivate and guide you to do better. They will always demotivate you.
Also, they will only highlight your weak points. You will not be able to hone your skills.
Conclusion:
If you still don’t see any difference in the attitude of your boss.
Don’t linger on your stay there only for some money. This attitude will harm you physically and mentally.
Try to search for new opportunities. It doesn’t seem natural at once. But don’t stay there anymore.
It will only harm you more than any benefit. Learn from where you are and get some experience.
Move on to the new place and get the most out of your skills. This article will help you identify a passive-aggressive boss and deal with him.
Share your experience in the comment section below.
Last Updated on 4 months by Shahzaib Arshad
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