Understanding your boss is one of the keys to being happy at work. It can either give you a new respect for your supervisor and provide a foundation for a better rapport, or it can at least explain why your boss acts that way. The former is good for having a happy and cooperative workplace; the latter will help you realize that what happens at work isn't personal, it's just business. Either way, a thoughtful thinking-through of your boss' position and personal history can help you figure out the methods to their madness.
Instructions
1. Wait until you're calm and away from work to think about any of this. Emotion colors your judgment, and if you're mad. frustrated or under lots of stress, you may shoehorn all your thoughts to match your state of mind.
2. Consider your boss' responsibilities. For example, if your boss seems distracted or aloof, think of the number of people he or she has to supervise. Bosses who supervise a large workforce (or even one troublesome employee) may be spending a lot of time resolving problems with several people.
3. Realize what your boss has at stake. If your boss is the company owner or founder, understand that he or she has a lot to gain but also a lot to lose. Starting a business is an enormous risk, and owners must look after their business' operations meticulously. That includes having workers who are happy and well-treated, but it also includes protecting the bottom line, controlling inventory and ensuring that workers are on task.
4. Determine your boss' motivation. The late Harvard psychology professor David McClelland put it simply: Motivation comes from a desire for power, affiliation and achievement. People who seek power want things to happen in a specific way. People who want affiliation want others to like them. And people who seek achievement want specific results.
5. Learn about your boss' career. Looking into someone's past can give you great insight on why they do the things they do; everyone's past informs their present. Know what your boss did, how your boss was promoted and what kind of managers your boss had as role models. Your boss may be trying to emulate a favorite supervisor or avoid the behaviors of another.
