Dealing with the boss from hell

We've all had great bosses in the workplace, and most of us have faced terrible ones, as well. It's often a complicated issue in the IT world, where managers are skilled computer experts but sometimes fail miserably at managing employees and helping them achieve their career goals.

What are you supposed to do when you have the bad luck of getting a boss who cannot help you do the best job you can or get to the next level on your career path? Believe it or not, you are not at a dead end. It is possible to get ahead even when your boss is unwilling or unable to support your ambitions.

Here's some advice from the experts, according to a CIO.com article:

• Take matters into your own hands. Start working on auxiliary issues within your team.
• Do your own networking. Reach out to other teams to find out what they are up to and how you could be part of their project.
• Be clear on what you have to offer in your drive to get ahead. 
• Ask for what you want.
• Stay friendly with the problem boss even if you think it's hard to even look him or her in the eye.

We're not even talking about the boss who isn't competent or the one who has a bad temper. How about the one who plays favorites, often picking the wrong IT worker to do the job?

I have a friend who once worked in an intolerable IT situation. Her boss was a very nice guy but didn't really know what he was doing. As a result, she was at the office until 10 p.m. every night, trying to do what the boss irrationally wanted. It was tedious and tiring. After a while, the folks further up the ladder realized he was a problem and transferred him to a new, less onerous job.

He was happy. So was my friend who began working with a new boss, a better manager and someone helping her move along on her own career path. Hope you get that lucky.

For more on dealing with a difficult boss:
- see this CIO.com article

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