You can’t figure out your boss. Sometimes he’s really chummy and personable; other times he belittles you in front of the team. How do you handle a manager who acts like Jekyll and Hyde? Should you address the situation with him, especially if you think it will bring out the bully? Do you enlist others to figure out what’s going on?
How to Deal with a Boss Who Behaves Unpredictably
Look for triggers and patterns.
November 03, 2016
Summary.
How do you handle a boss who acts like Jekyll and Hyde? Carefully, say experts. First, don’t take it personally. Odds are your boss is dealing with something that has nothing to do with you. Instead, look for triggers and patterns to help you understand what’s causing your boss’s mood swings. Once you have an understanding of the underlying causes of the outbursts, you can use that information to thoughtfully time your interactions with your boss. You may want to avoid asking questions before they’ve had their morning coffee or after a tense client meeting, for example. If you do encounter a tantrum, it’s important to stay calm. Responding in kind will only inflame your boss’s anger, so take a walk or find a quiet place to regroup your emotions. When you think your boss is on edge, deploy some strategic gratitude. Defuse their temper by emailing them, “I’m really grateful for your help on this issue.” Lastly, know when to get help and when to move on. You can try addressing your boss’s outbursts in a 360 performance appraisal. But if you’re experiencing truly harmful bullying at work, you may need to seek an intervention from HR.