Conversations with Adetutu: 3 Tips For Dealing with An Overbearing Boss

Every week, Coach Adetutu gives us some advice to help us navigate life at home, in the office, or our relationship with friends. This week, Coach Adetutu will be sharing her discussion with Juliet, one of her mentees. The discussion will focus on adapting to dealing with an overbearing boss.

Juliet approached Coach Adetutu, fed up with her job and determined to leave because of one reason, she had enough of her boss’s demands and she was leaving for good. She complained about her boss always spotting errors in her work, correcting almost every sentence, making her repeat tasks till she was satisfied, and overall hindering her productivity. Like Juliet, many employees get fed up with their bosses when they seem to be making too many demands but the age old question still remains “how do I deal with an overbearing boss?”

Having an overbearing boss can take a toll on an employee’s productivity. While the bosses may set out to drive their employees to perform the best, it usually ends up being counterproductive because the employee becomes so pressured and ends up doing terrible work. Therefore, having an overbearing boss ends up negatively impacting not just the employee’s mental health, but his/her work, which affects the organization. How does one deal with an overbearing boss? Below are three (3) Tips for Dealing with An Overbearing Boss by Coach Adetutu.

1. Talk it Out:

Like all conflicts, an important step when it comes to dealing with an overbearing boss is to talk it out. There are various ways to do this. You can send an email, call them on the phone, or simply have a private conversation face to face. Of course this conversation should be handled with tact and professionalism in a calm manner to avoid escalating the issue at hand.

2. Find Out Why Your Boss is Being Overbearing:

Sometimes, an overbearing boss is putting pressure on you because he/she is also under a lot of pressure. Perhaps your boss’s boss is also breathing down their neck to get them to achieve certain objectives. While this is no excuse to transfer aggression to you, it will help you understand your boss’s perspective and be more sensible to his/her plight.

3. Focus on Delivering Results:

If you focus on delivering results, it is much easier to deal with an overbearing boss because sooner or later, they will run out of things to be overbearing about. When you keep making excuses or failing to meet up your tasks, it gives your boss more leverage to attack you. However, if you focus on your tasks and deliver excellent outcomes, it will make it easier for you to address the issue because you have been meeting your end of the bargain.

Do you have any other tips for dealing with an overbearing boss? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.