As an official Chief of Staff, Amebo Nation, I overheard a young lady complaining about her boss. Apparently, the young lady felt stiffened by the persistent meddling of her boss in her official duties. Well, I obviously did not hear the advice given by the other person at the other side of the phone.
A bossy person is one who loves people taking orders from him/her, they are always telling people what they want them to do. How do you identify a Bossy Boss? There is always a thin line between a person with a bossy personality and a superior who is bossy. A lot of bosses feel that they have to give directives and orders to their junior staffs because according to them, the younger generation just know about wasting time on irrelevant issues.
A good boss does more than manage people. He is a leader, a role model, a source of inspiration to his employees. A lot of people aim at perfection and sometimes, they do not understand that ordering people around may necessarily not be the right way to go.
True a boss is supposed to be bossy. But here are steps you should take if you notice you have a bossy boss:
Be Respectful:
A grain of respect would not hurt you. Understand that he/she is conditioned as such and your attitude may cause more harm in the long run than good.
Anticipate:
Try to anticipate what he/she wants before they speak. This can only work if you know and love your work. That way, you can cut off any tongue flogging before it occurs.
Try to Fly Under The Radar:
If you can, especially if you work in a large environment, my advice is to be invisible. Do not always be the first to speak, that way you have collated your thoughts, and known the direction your opinion is needed. This, however, does not mean you should stop being you, only that you should apply caution.
Take your Time to Cool Off:
Trust me the temptation to flare up when dealing with a bossy boss comes very easily, however, do not even try being passive aggressive. Take your time to cool off on your emotions, that way you prevent yourself from doing what you may later regret.
Try Humor:
It sounds strange sharing a laugh with the Almighty Boss, but humour helps to diffuse all tensions. Have a quick laugh over something work related or even outside work, do not over do it, however. This would help fix the mood and tamper frayed nerves. No need piling the anger over as both of you would still get to work with each other. Do not, however, try to bribe your way out of a fracas.
Finally, remember that everyone in Nigeria is angry, don’t take the actions personally, it’s just a leftover of pent up emotions.
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This article was first published on 11th August 2017
adepeju
Adepeju Adenuga is a writer (considering where you are reading this, makes perfect sense). She holds a Masters Degree in Literature in English from the University of Lagos.
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